About to buy a Mac Pro: best Processor speed to get for non-graphics user.

I'm currently running a dual processor 2 GHz PowerPC G5 with 1.5 GHz SDRAM. It's almost four years old.
The time has come to buy myself a Mac Pro; 8-core, I think!
Am I right that I'll experience greater speed if I add memory to 4 GB than if I buy the 3.0 GHz (or even the 3.2 GHz) version?
I don't do a lot of graphics and no games; but I do want speed.
What kind of performance boost will I see with 3.0 (or 3.2) over:
1 - What I have now (2 GHz PPC), and
2 - Over the 2.8 GHz Mac Pro?
Thanks for anyone else's experiences!

try and convince you?
i just erased my answer to you after rereading your last post.
not only are you going to use FCP and other demanding apps, but you are starting a business. Thats the clincher, at least would be for me.
it's one thing to settle for more time waiting for the machine to complete tasks, its quite another, when you have one eye on the clock counting the seconds left on this task and that task, because you have 5 clients who all wanted finished product on the same friday afternoon, and can i make it, and whats that beach ball now want, will i lose them as future clients, will they want their money back, and oh, i wish i had gotten the 8-core machine....
don't assume you're business might stay small, one project at a time type thing. One 200 person wedding might have 5 in the planning stages of their own wedding and they'll all take your name down without you knowing it until 5 days before their ceremony and their planned videographer is in the hospital and could you pleeease help us out....
for all we know, you are going to repost in this forum announcing to all of us that you just bought two more macpro 3.2ghz with 32g ram so your two employees can work...

Similar Messages

So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?

So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?

The_Tiger92 wrote:
So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?
It appears the 15" 2.2 ghz isn't worth spending $400 more for, but you get the 1GB Radeon 6750M that has four times the VRAM than the 15" 2.0Ghz model and about 167% more performance. High settings on all current games with over 50 fps.
If your not into 3D gaming or just light weight, then the 2.0 Ghz (last years performance) will suffice on low-medium settings at about 30 fps.
The 13" is rather poor as it has integrated graphics. 30 fps on only some games.
The high res screen is a excellent choice and the anti-glare is great for viewing just about anywhere.
No messy films to replace at $30-$40 a pop.
A lot of people bring the glossy screens back once they hear about the anti-glare.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/05/23/glossy-vs-matte-screens-why-the-pc-indus trys-out-of-touch/
Here's my 17"
In my opinion the extra $400 for another 2-3 years of use out of the computer is worth it.
Quad cores are more than enough for most uses for most people for many years, it's just a slow card is going to make the machine feel slow in rendering graphics in the future.

I intend to buy new mac pro, is it better to wait for the new OS X mountain, or can buy it and we can update it without affecting its performance?

I intended to buy new mac pro, is it better to wait for new OS X moutain or can buy it now and update it later as it will not affect its performance???

khalid.mktaka76 wrote:
I intended to buy new mac pro, is it better to wait for new OS X moutain or can buy it now and update it later as it will not affect its performance???
If you can wait about a 3 months after 10.8 is released this summer and upon new hardware you should be in excellent shape to have not only a fastest latest machine, but a OS X version that all the bugs have been worked out. Plus the three free months of Apple hand holding while they figure out what they did wrong with the new OS version.
If you need a new machine now you'll have to get what you need obviously, but 10.8 should run on it just fine. However know that Apple tweaks things with more currently sellling hardware first, then later gets to the previous released models.
It's been my guestimation that your good for about two year old hardware with very recent OS X release, three years or older hardware you may want to reconsider sticking with the previous OS X version as your hardware is getting dated and likely has only a year left to go anyway (4 year average), so why bother mucking it up, slowing it down and having to buy all new/updated software and third party hardware because they won't make drivers for your new OS version?

About to buy a Mac Pro, have quick question please.

Hi all,
I am going to more than likely buy a Mac Pro 2.66 tonight or tomorrow, but I was wondering something in regards to graphics cars if any one could assist me.
I am planning to go with the ATI card and 2gigs of ram since I do some gaming on the side and plan to use bootcamp for that.
My question is that if I buy the machine in retail store, they do not credit the stock GeForce card and just add the ATI card in, so if I go that rout can both the ATI and Nvidia card both reside in the machine at the same time and be used in SLI mode?
EG: can I get the power of both cards or will I only be able to use the processing power of one card? If only one card then would I be better off configuring the machine online since they credit you the difference of the Nvidia card which saves roughly $150.00 off the order from doing it in a retail store?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am not worried about the $150.00, it would almost be worth it to spend the extra since the shipping time on the online configuration may end up costing almost the same unless I want to wait a few weeks for the machine.
Whats your thoughts on this? Is it worth it to buy in the store and use both cards or just buy online from apple and get the credit for the Nvidia card?
Thanks in advance!

can both the ATI and Nvidia card both reside in the machine at the same time and be used in SLI mode
No… SLI requires two Nvidia SLI capable cards. In addition, SLI is not supported under Mac OS X although does work, apparently, under Windows and Boot Camp. ATi's comparable technology is CrossFire.
would I be better off configuring the machine online since they credit you the difference of the Nvidia card which saves roughly $150.00 off the order from doing it in a retail store?
Financially yes as the Nvidia card is ultimately useless to you. One consideration though is the CTO conditions of return, or lack there of, in case you receive a DOA. In the US, amongst other countries, CTo unit are not returnable even if they are DOA so you should check the terms of sale in the country store you would buy from.
Whats your thoughts on this?
I, like many others, bought CTOs from the Apple Store so I don't think it's such a bad way to go. It also means you won't have any pressing need to open your new Mac Pro right away.
One thing you might want to consider though is to downgrade the standard 250GB hard drive to a 160GB drive and use the saving on a drive of your choosing. Apple tends to use OEM desktop drives that have unimpressive performance. The 160GB drive in my Mac Pro didn't even get turned on. It was a Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 if you're interested.

Do I need to buy a Mac pro with an iMac?

I'm planning on buying a 27-inch iMac, do I need to buy a Mac Pro (single processor) or any other hardware etc with the iMac PC?

Go for the higher end 27 inch screen base model.
Get one with the fusion drive.
Add third party RAM after the purchase.
If you need an optical drive, the new iMacs no longer have an internal CD/DVD optical drive.
You will need to budget and purchase an external optical drive.
Also, budget for an external hard drive for backups and storage.
Most important, budget for, purchase and register for extended 2-years of AppleCare warranty before your first year of ownership has ended.
The cost of the extra 2 years is only a fraction of an actual out of pocket repair cost.
Later aluminum iMacs, in general, have a 3-5 year varied liability history and it's better to have 3 years of warranty coverage than get caught with an expensive repair sometime after the first free year of AppleCare.
Good Luck!

Planning on buying a Mac Pro

Hi, I'm planning on buying a Mac Pro 3Ghz in the near future and had a few questions before I buy it.
I plan on using the computer mainly for games but I want to have it for a long time and be able to handle whatever I throw at it (games and otherwise). I had a iMac G3 300Mhz for about 5 years and been useing a iMac 2Ghz more recently, both of which I have been very pleased with but I know a regular tower has alot more options and complications too.
At first I was planning on buying all my RAM from Apple and just getting the monitor seperate (since they seem pretty overpriced), on futher research I found that the 2GB RAM I was going to get at first is really a min. amount for the system and 4GB much better for getting full performance from the computer. Now from Apple the price difference from 2BG to 4GB is $800, not cheap.
So my first question is where can I find memory thats not so expensive? and what are the good brands to buy?
I also found out that the hard drives that apple uses aren't that good. Was going to get the 250GB HD but I probly don't need that much and can always add more so size isn't a big factor.
So what brand has good hard drives and where would be the best place to buy it?
I'm now planning on getting the computer with the min. HD and RAM and upgrading from there but I also want to be able to put in all the upgrades right away and not have to worry about adding more for awhile.
Last is the monitor but that doesn't concern me as much as the main computer. I want to get atleast a 20", any suggestions you have would be appreciated.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Last fall Intel customers that run heavy servers were clamoring for Intel to get new chips out the door. Servers are often optimized for multi-cpu/cores, and the new chips run cooler, take less power to run, AND less power to cool. The costs of running a server farm makes any reduction in cost important today. Plus, even though they are clocked slower, are somewhat more efficient (improved and more mature?) that and stability are often what drives servers, not the hottest (figuratively and literally) cpus and systems.
So even if/when Intel does start shipping, and tested/qualified for OEMs they may not have any "left over" for awhile for desktop. And it could be they might even end up in Apple Xserves rather than MacPro.
Given that it took until November (late) for Apple to use Xeon in Xserve I almost wondered if it takes longer and more testing (and revising version of server) or if Apple might be hoping to delay and see if Intel could supply the new 53xx chip (would they use single quad-core or two? or have both configurations?).
Often it does take a "patched" or revised OS to deal with any new hardware as well (10.4.9? 10.5.1? something in-between?).
Anyone whose work is really cpu bound on G5 Quad or Mac Pro will probably be first off the line for these, as they were for the other two systems.

Never owned a Mac, thinking of buying a Mac Pro, could use some advice...

Hey guys,
I know this was a lot to read, but I sincerely hope someone will take the time to answer my questions:
As the title of my post implies I've never owned a Mac in my life. I've always built my own desktops and usually gone to HP or Dell for my laptops. I'm approaching that time again where my custom-built desktop is looking outdated and I'm getting the upgrade itch. I'm looking at all the parts I need to order to build a computer and I can't help but think I'm older now with a full-time job and a one year old daughter in the house. Do I really want to go through the hassle of building a desktop from scratch again? Not really. So I started evaluating things a bit. As I get older I’m really just getting sick and tired of Microsoft’s antics (Vista was a huge disappointment for me) so I decided this could be the year for me to take the Mac plunge.
Now I’m an IT guy, so I have a pretty atypical setup at home. I’m currently running both Windows and Linux on all my computers. Rather than dual boot or use virtualization software I have a pretty intricate system in which I use a product called Acronis Trueimage to experiment with operating systems. What I do is perform a a clean install on an operating system, tweak it as needed for security and to use resources on my LAN than back up the customized OS install to a server a an image file. I have pre-built images for XP, Vista, Ubuntu and OpenSuSE that I can roll out to one of my machines in an average of 15 minutes whenever I get the urge to switch operating systems. I also serve all my data off a NAS box, so since data and OS are kept separate on the network I don’t have to worry about erasing something when I swap between Linux and Windows (as loading an image literally destroys the previous OS install).
So you can see I’m pretty highly specialized. I even have things down to the point to where I have custom images for specific purposes. For instance I have one XP image customized for development, one XP image customized for gaming, etc. Naturally if I got the Mac Pro I’d like to have the freedom to create a similar set of custom OS deployment images (Windows, Linux and OSX) for it as well. In researching the Mac Pro I have some concerns my current system might not work if I go that route. Am I correct in assuming that in order to run an alternative operating system on a Mac I’ll have to run boot camp or something like it? Or upon unboxing my Mac and tweaking Leopard will I be able to use disk imaging software to make a backup image of my preinstalled Leopard hard drive and then do a clean install of Windows XP or Ubuntu and set it up to function like a PC? I guess I’m asking if it’s possible (now that Macs are Intel-based) to run Windows or Linux exclusively on the Mac hardware?
Also I have some concerns about the proprietary nature of the Mac platform. From what I can gather in my research it seems the hardware is pretty locked in. One area that has me really concerned is gaming. I pretty much use Ubuntu exclusively at home for productivity and web surfing. However I still like to load that XP image every now and then to play some games on the LAN with my buddies. I’m not a fan of virtualizing for gaming because of the obvious performance hit you take, so I’d have to be able to run Windows XP free and clear. Also I checked Nvidia’s site and I see no OSX drivers listed there for their cards. Under the Windows platform they are always releasing driver updates to squeeze more game performance out of your card. What if I want to upgrade my video card? How do drivers work on OSX? Does Apple just integrate drivers for just a few specific video cards into the OS? Will I be stuck only able to pick from a handful of video cards approved by Apple?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer advice!
Message was edited by: ZeusABJ

Hi Zeus
I may be able to answer some of your questions. And sorry in advance if this sounds like yet another of those "religious conversion" stories
I'm a software developer/architect, mostly doing Microsoft .NET/C#/Web Services coding. I'd been a loyal Microsoft guy since I started on the original IBM PC back in the 80's. Like a lot of people (or so it seems) I just got fed up with Microsoft's high-handed and self-important ways. More importantly, the company always seemed to be lagging behind technically. Looking at beta versions of Vista did not bode well for the future - it just seemed awful. When Vista came out it it was the last straw - I just could not get enthusiastic about this bloated, slow, mess of an operating system. I really hated it. Still do. Even with a top-spec machine, Vista didn't run in the snappy, responsive way it I thought it should. Nothing seemed well thought out.. yuck!
Then, by chance, I was staying for a few days with somebody who had a Mac. Now, for years and years I not even considered Macs as remotely serious machines. My only experience of them was in the late 80's when somebody at work had one. He took delight in pushing a floppy disc into the machine so that it would respond "Ah, it's so big!". Great, just a toy. Not for serious programming work. So, encountering Mac OS X Tiger on my friend's iMac was something of a shock. It was so responsive, clean and elegant. When you turned it on it only took about 30 seconds or so for the thing to be ready for use, etc, etc.
Long story short, I bought an iMac, then a newer, bigger, faster iMac, then a MacBook Pro and now I have a Mac Pro. I still have to work with Windows to do my .NET-related day job. But 95% of the time I work on the Mac using various VMWare virtual machines. I can switch between Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP in a few seconds and still be working in a Mac environment. And the performance of running Windows inside VMWare is even better than on my dedicated top-spec Windows laptop! I have a selection of virtual machines to choose from and, because these virtual machines are just files, I can back them up, revert to saved copies, etc. I've tried Bootcamp but it's much less convenient and performance inside the virtual machines is never an issue (although I don't do any gaming). So, you could keep virtual machines on your NAS box or local Mac hard drive.
With regard to graphics drives, etc. I've never had any problems whatever in this respect. For example, when I installed Windows XP on VMWare it automatically recognised all my hardware (including some obscure audio interfaces, USB-based MIDI interfaces, etc.) and made it available. I must admit that when I was new to the Mac I expected to have driver issues, but never have had... So, my guess is that you'll be able to run all your Windows and Linux distros on the Mac without too many problems.
You mention Apple's hardware as being "locked-in". I don't think that's the case. Certainly the consumer Mac models like the iMac can't be upgraded (by you or me) internally, expect for memory. The Mac Pro though is very easy to upgrade - though there may be some limitations with regard graphics cards.
Re your questions about graphics card drivers. Yes, these come with OS X in just the same as as with Windows. Because I've also used the card that comes "with the box" this has not been an issue for me. However, unless you get a Mac Pro you can't swap-in your existing graphics card. And even then I think you may find restrictions. However, other, more knowledgeable Mac users on this forum may have other thoughts.
Overall though, the experience of using the Mac in terms of software is very much the reverse of Windows - the OS is very open and well documented. It really is an IT person's dream machine - so much to fiddle around with (particularly if you know anything about Unix!). Unlike Microsoft who charge a FORTUNE for their development tools, Apple give them to you for free. And very good they are too!
Finally, one bit of advice. If you are considering buying a new Mac, join the Apple Developer Connection scheme as a Select member. It'll cost you around $400 to join but they give you a hardware discount for Apple-store purchased items that will save you a ton of $$$'s - absolutely definitely worth doing.
Hope this helps (and good luck)!
Russ

Advice buying new mac pro

Im in process in buying mac laptop-mac pro 15 or 17 inch-new for business
I have never owned apple software/hardware. CUrrently have sony vaio laptop and also pc desktop with adsl broadband.
wondering about few queries.
1. will mac pro work in my existing wireless internet home (considering net/modem (external) are linked to pc desktop)?
2. stability of running PC software if needed on mac pro?
how effective, stable are parellels an bootcamp?
3. when is the leopard operating system available (in Australia?) ? should i wait till its released so its already part of bundle?
4 mac pro laptop compatibility with PDA phones (DOPOD? JASJAM--I mate)? --which are windows based platform phone/ORGANIZERS?
hoping for some honest answers--I have never used mac before. Just heard good things about them.
Cheers

+1. will mac pro work in my existing wireless internet home (considering net/modem (external) are linked to pc desktop)?+
It should, assuming your home wireless is a standard 802.11 type of thing.
+2. stability of running PC software if needed on mac pro?+
+how effective, stable are parellels an bootcamp?+
In Boot Camp, software should be exactly the same as on a PC.
In Parallels, software should generally be fine unless it makes use of more exotic features or hardware, like special display modes.
+3. when is the leopard operating system available (in Australia?) ? should i wait till its released so its already part of bundle?+
The official line is October, as with elsewhere in the world. If you have need of a Mac now, then it makes no sense to wait. If it's more of a "can survive for now" situation, then it's really personal choice.
+4 mac pro laptop compatibility with PDA phones (DOPOD? JASJAM--I mate)? --which are windows based platform phone/ORGANIZERS?+
I think this would depend on the particular device, but in general don't expect features like synchronisation to work in OS X if they rely on Windows software (such as Outlook).

I'm about to buy a Macbook pro in Spain, with a spanish QUERTY keyboard. Are there any differences with a UK one, other then a few keys.?

I'm about to buy a Macbook pro in Spain, with a spanish QUERTY keyboard.
Are there any differences with a UK Macbook Pro, other then a few keys on the keyboard.?

Here’s a couple of links to get you started on your research...
OS X Lion Overview
iLife 11
http://www.apple.com/ilife/video-showcase/
http://www.apple.com/ilife/
Running Windows on a Mac
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344661,00.asp
And just in case you didn't know... This is a User to User Forum

Told my friend to buy a Mac Pro today...right choice?

She wanted a new computer so she could edit music and video, but she only had $2200 to spend. She was gonna grab a MacBook Pro, but I told her to buy the Mac Pro but in its lowest configuration. 2.0GHz, 1GB Ram, 160 GB HD, no WiFi etc. It came in at $1962 with her student discount.
Is that the right choice? I told her it's upgradeable, but I wasn't sure if she could ever upgrade the CPU. Did I point her in the right direction? Or should she cancel her order and get the MacBook Pro?

Given her budget she's going to be tightly squeezed which ever way she goes. Ultimately, the startup price of a Mac Pro is probably going to be slightly higher if you need to consider a display. If not then they're going to more or less the same.
In my opinion you did point her in the right direction for several reasons…
1) 2 x 2GHz Xeon processors are going to be far better than single 2.16GHz Core Duo Mobile processor. I would however suggest she makes every effort to beg, borrow or steal the cash to stick with the standard 2.66GHz processors. They're far better value than the 2GHz and will serve her far better in the long run.
2) RAM is a real problem with all other Mac s as they're limited to 2GB. For serious video editing you want 4GB or more. With 1GB in either system she'll be struggling so it's suggest she have at least 2GB.
3) Laptops are limited to 2.5" drives and hence, are currently limited to 160GB (which you cannot even get as a CTO option) forcing MB/MBP users into external drives. The Mac Pro you can add up to 5 drives.
4) No RAID in the MBP which provides a huge performance boost for video editing.
5) No DVD+R DL recording in the current MBP.
6) No upgradeable GPU in the MBP. Even though the ATi X1600 Mobility in the MBP and the Nvidia 7300 GT are more or less the same, the Mac Pro does give upgrade options where the MBP does not.
7) No TOSLink in the MBPs.
Having been a laptop users for some time before going with a Mac Pro I can reasonably say that the only reason I would ever recommend a laptop is that you require portability.
The MBPs do come with Airport and Bluetooth as standard although you can buy USB Bluetooth adapters cheap enough and I'd suggest using Ethernet cables in any case.
Finally, have you/she considered going with say a 24" iMac?

I am about to buy a MacBook Pro 13" and have a question.

I am about to buy a MacBook Pro 13" but need help deciding between the i5 model or the i7. I am in all kinds of engineering classes and will be running heavy programs on it. I will be creating mobile apps, will be using it to create large documents, and using Autocad. Which model would you reccomend? Also, I plan on buying next weekend, so will OS X Mountain Lion be pre-installed on it or will I have to update myself? Thank You.
-Ryan

Which model would you reccomend?
For what you'll be doing...the i7
so will OS X Mountain Lion be pre-installed on it or will I have to update myself?
You'll probably have to install it yourself as nobody knows when t his month ML will be released.

If I buy the Mac pro and iMac combine it together would it be faster?

If I buy the Mac pro and iMac combine it together would it be faster or I just buy the mac pro and Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)?

If you buy a Mac Pro 2013, use the iMac for casual stuff and use the Mac Pro for media creation work.
Maxed out iMac with 4-core 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD PCIe is nice.
Mac Pro with 6-core 64GB dual graphics for $1000 more might run rings around it.
Why not look them both up on Geekbench.
Some people really need and like having two systems, maybe laptop (Air) and a more powerful system.

I plan to buy a mac pro 13 inch, any discount for corporate company workers

i plan to buy a mac pro 13 inch, any discount for corporate company workers
13-inch: 2.4 GHz

Possibly if your company has an agreement with Apple and the machine is purchased through the company. Otherwise, no.

Im about to buy a macbook pro. but I dont know if there are too much techproblems with the retina model,such as overheating, malfunction of the fans, screen problems?. or is the macbook pro non retina in tech problems a better option? thanxa lot

Im about to buy a macbook pro. but I dont know if there are too much techproblems with the retina model,such as overheating, malfunction of the fans, screen problems?. or is the macbook pro non retina in tech problems a better option? thanxa lot

I have a brand new rMBP and have not seen any of those problems.

I'm about to buy the MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch in USA. I will be using predominantly in Europe. What accessories should I be buying?

I'm about to buy the MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch in USA. I will be using predominantly in Europe. What accessories should I be buying?

We can't discuss what Apple is going to do or new products, but it does make a lot of sense if your gut feelings tell you to buy now.
I got a really bad feeling and ran out and got the last of the 17" MBP's with anti-glare and Snow Leopard.
Turned out I was right in listening to my gut, the abortion of OS X Lion came out killed my 15", Cupertino HQ was pwned by Flashback and Apple pulled the 17" MBP completely off the market.
Apple has purposely put the Retinas front and center in their stores, so the majority of the know-nothings buy those. If they thought a bit about buying a machine with future options in upgrade options they would, like you, choose the non-Retina.
Really if you want choice in hardware, your going to have to switch to a PC. As you can pretty much get anything you need on that platform. Apple's hardware choices have been sealing up and their OS X is turning into iOS, soon it's going to be nothing more than a dumbed down iPad.
Windows 8 Pro can be downgraded to Window 7 even, and since Win 7 is supported until 2020, you should be set for quite a few more years. The choice of software is vast on Windows and it's sort of the next eveolutionary step up actually.

About to buy a Mac Pro: best Processor speed to get for non-graphics user.

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