Question, Is a G5 the next processor up from a G4?

Yes. Beyond the G5, you would go to Intel processors. The G series (started with G3, I don't know why) was all PPC.

So is it faster than a G4?

Yes.

Hi, Garbage Woman

Your interest in learning more about a G5 deserves a thread of its own. I have detached your questions and jchuzi’s replies from Joe’s thread, troubleshooting G5 shutting down, and given those entries a new title.

It is important that you and jchuzi do not detract from or take focus away from Joe’s troubleshooting topic as you have done with your off-topic conversation.

Please refrain from interrupting / sidetracking / hijacking / threadjacking another member’s thread.

As "What is a G5?" is not a troubleshooting exchange, I will move it to the Lounge in a day or two.

Gotcha. Thanks.

They shoud've stared with a G1!

The 'G' prefix refers to the generation of PowerPC CPU used. The appearance of the G-word in Apple marketing effectively started with the G3 models. The preceding 601, 603 and 604 CPUs were pretty much used in parallel until the G3 appeared. Here follows the historical sequence, with the year of their introduction in Macs in parentheses:

G1: PPC 601 (1994)
G2: PPC 603, 604 (1995)
G3: PPC 750 (1997)
G4: PPC 7447, 7450, 7455 (1999)
G5: PPC 970fx (2003)