Apple Upgrades Power Mac G5 Line

April 28, 2005

New Power Mac Features Dual 2.7 GHz Processors & Mac OS X "Tiger"

Apple today unveiled the fastest, most powerful Power Mac G5 desktop line ever, featuring dual 64-bit PowerPC G5 processors running up to 2.7 GHz and including Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger," the world’s most advanced operating system. The new Power Mac G5 line delivers higher performance graphics options with more memory and built-in support for Apple’s breakthrough 30-inch Cinema HD Display on the 2.7 GHz model. The new line also includes larger hard drives, a faster 16X SuperDrive with double-layer support and 512MB of memory across the line.

“The Power Mac G5 continues to deliver the ultimate performance for our most advanced customers running bandwidth- and compute-intensive applications,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With dual 2.7 GHz 64-bit G5 processors, dual 1.35 GHz front side buses, ATI Radeon 9650 graphics, 16X SuperDrive with double-layer support and Mac OS X Tiger, the new Power Mac G5 is the most powerful and advanced Mac we have ever made.”

Powered by dual 64-bit PowerPC G5 processors, the Power Mac G5 provides a 128-bit memory architecture, delivers expansion of up to 8GB of fast 400 MHz DDR SDRAM and supports graphics cards with up to 256MB of video memory. The top model features two 2.7 GHz processors, each with an independent 1.35 GHz front-side bus for an amazing bandwidth of up to 21.6 GBps.

All new Power Mac G5 models come standard with dual-display support with either the ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card with 128MB of video memory or the ATI Radeon 9650 with 256MB of video memory. The new Power Mac G5 line gives users new graphics options to drive Apple's gorgeous 30-inch Cinema HD Display. The dual processor 2.7 GHz Power Mac G5 features built-in support to drive Apple’s breakthrough 30-inch Cinema HD Display right out of the box. Available as a build-to-order option on every model, the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL high-performance graphics card can drive up to two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays.

Every Power Mac G5 ships with a new, faster 16X SuperDrive with double-layer support capable of burning up to 8.5GB on a single DVD, 512MB memory and larger hard drives for up to 800GB of internal storage, all within the Power Mac G5’s signature aluminum enclosure featuring innovative computer-controlled cooling for quiet operation. All Power Mac G5 desktops deliver industry-leading connectivity, high-performance I/O and expansion including Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, three PCI-X or PCI expansion slots, USB 2.0, optical digital audio input and output, and analog audio input and output.

All dual processor Power Mac G5 systems ship with Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger,” providing advanced 64-bit computational power on a desktop system. Tiger has more than 200 new features and innovations including Spotlight™, a revolutionary desktop search technology that lets users instantly find anything stored on their Mac®, including documents, emails, contacts and images; and Dashboard, a new way to instantly access important information like weather forecasts and stock quotes, using a dazzling new class of applications called widgets.

Apple’s line of widescreen flat panel displays, featuring a sleek aluminum design, offers the perfect match for the Power Mac G5. The line includes the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, a professional-quality, active-matrix LCD with 2560-by-1600 pixel resolution—the largest high-resolution display ever created—for $2,999. The 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display and 20-inch Cinema Display provide creative professionals and prosumers with the highest quality flat panel displays in the industry, and are now priced at $1,499 and $799, respectively. The displays offer dual FireWire and dual USB 2.0 ports and use the industry standard DVI interface for a pure digital connection with Apple’s latest Power Mac G5 desktops.