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Dead iMac G3

I recently bought a 1999 iMac G3 Graphite 400mhz off of eBay. It worked fine, until today, when I tried to boot it up. There was no boot chime, nothing on the screen, and all I could hear was the clicking power button, and the DVD-ROM drive spinning. When I turn it off, I can hear a loud pop from the bottom of the computer. The iMac did look a bit sketchy from the moment I opened the box. The CRT support was completely annihilated in shipping, and the CRT would sizzle every now and then. I don't know how to fix it, and if I can't, I will sell it for parts, which would be unfortunate, since it was my first ever G3 Mac.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Dec 27, 2023 10:49 AM

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5 replies

Dec 30, 2023 1:33 PM in response to TheG3Collector

As someone who owned several (400 MHz) G3 iMacs, even buying one locally is no guarantee as to the number of hours of prior use or how many it will provide you. Sooner or later, the design flaw catches up with most of them. Without warning and following 4 months of non-use, I plugged in one of mine and pressed the power button, only to hear the characteristic "pffff" sound that others have described following PAV board failure. It's disheartening to e-cycle something that worked the previous time and suddenly became non-functional, especially when it's in good cosmetic condition. The PAV board is such an integral part of the slot-loading iMacs and replacing it is dangerous for anyone who's untrained in CRT repairs. When accessing it, cracking the plastic housing when separating the sections is also a possibility. Paying a tech to replace it would only be cost-effective if the part were new. Any pulled/used boards that you find online would eventually fail for the same reason. Here's what the PAV board looks like:



Dec 30, 2023 11:02 AM in response to TheG3Collector

+1 on den.thed's info.


If a Graphite, I believe yours is the "DV" version with a slot-load optical drive. The slot-loading G3 iMacs had serious weak spot that does not help them age gracefully—the PAV board.


PAV stands for "power, analog, video" and is exposed to high heat where it sits. Of course, Zen-like, the G3 iMac had passive convection cooling instead of a proper fan system. The PAV board was heated by just about every bit of kit under it and boards failed, especially if used in high-temp environments.


We experienced similar symptoms with a Summer 2000 G3 our daughter used in an 85F+ apartment with no chilled air. If yours is complaining about the heat but not damaged, there is a workaround. If you do not mind making the iMac look like a prop from the movie "Men in Black II," ( remember the "Deneuralizer"?), you can add an external 120mm fan across the top vents. Set it so it pulls air up and out of the computer. Forcing air in from the bottom is far less effective.


If the PAV board has been fully baked or fried, that fix won't help. Serve with a nice Béarnaise sauce and a glass of Riesling. 😉

Dead iMac G3

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