Getting a New Mac Pro...

I`ve debated the faults and merits of iMac vs. Mac Pro for my own situation, and though I know the Mac Pro is more computer than I need (working in the music industry as booking agent/tour manager...lots of email, iTunes, iLife, MS Office and some iWeb, along with some very early stages of Aperture and Logic Express as a small hobby) - at this current stage of my life, I`d rather have more than less computer.
That being said...with the above uses mentioned...should I go with the 3.33ghz core 6 or stick to the better of the two quad cores? I keep reading how the 3.33ghz core 6 is the ''sweet spot'' of the Mac Pro`s, but not sure what the general consensus is.
(The iMac`s are out of the question for me because I don`t want an all-in-one, and I don`t want 3 external hdd`s, as frankly, I don`t have the space for them).
I`m curious what an ideal set-up would be for someone with my needs...how much memory (is 8gb ok or more...)? Would I really notice much difference between getting the stock 2gb hdd in bay 1 or ordering say a WD SSD 64gb? The remaining 3 bays I need filled up, so I`ll order WD either Black Caviars or Green Caviars - any preference? I probably won`t/can`t RAID them, as my needs are to have bay 1 be the main/computer hdd. Bay 2 is different info for business/work. Bay 3 is different info for personal. And Bay 4 would ideally be a backup for the bay 1, 2 and 3.
I am open to suggestions. Just want to get a system that is solid performer, though I already know for what I do, any of the desktop lines...even the Mac Book would suit me well.

When G4s ran one processor at 800 MegaHertz, consumer Hard drives were somewhat of a bottleneck to performance.
Now you have four or more processors running at three times that speed (at least a 12x speed increase), but consumer Hard drives have only improved their top transfer rates about 1.5x.
Get the fastest drives you can afford. Disk I/O is the bottleneck on these fast multi-processor Macs. Think of ways to split your workload so that there is less competition for a single drive. The easy pickings -- get the System & Applications & Paging on a drive separate from most User files.
"Green" drives are for backups, not for production.

Similar Messages

  • How to get a new mac pro?

    Hello,
    I'm in a need of a new Mac Pro, but I live in Sweden and they don't seem to be available here anymore. The iMac is not a choice since it's not very much faster than my current 2008 Mac Pro and doesn't have pci slots and multiple harddrives. I work with pro audio, and I have used mac since childhood and am not very happy to switch to Windows.
    What does Apple tell one like me to do at this moment?

    Hello,
    A couple of ideas for your situation.. Apple just stopped selling the Mac Pro in Europe, so you could likely still find a new one in the box at an independent (authorized) Apple dealer in Stockholm. Remember it's only Apple's online store and Apple retail stores that stopped selling the Mac Pro. It's only been a few days so I would think some independent dealers (again, Authorized Apple Dealer) could very well still have a few Mac Pros in their inventory.
    Another possible solution: your current Mac Pro could be made better (a LOT better) if you still have the 2008 stock configuration. For instance, if you have the stock Radeon HD 2600 XT still in your machine, it's being seriously limited from its potential. That card is WAY under powered for the Mac Pro. BareFeats has tested and confirmed that the Radeon HD 5870 Upgrade Kit from Apple works flawlessly on the 2008 Mac Pro. And Tech Radar in their review at the end of 2009 proclaimed the 5870 the absolute best GPU on the planet, (yes, in 2013 there's now even more powerful cards). But the 5870 is still awesome.
    So, a few ideas to make your Mac Pro almost feel like a completely new Mac:  1) Buy the Snow Leopard (10.6.3) retail DVD that Apple is currently still selling on their online store only (Part# MC573Z/A on the USA online store anyhow). 2) Buy the newest Western Digital Velociraptor (WD1000DHTZ) for your new boot drive and applications, (also available in 250 GB and 500 GB sizes). Install a completely new virgin copy of Snow Leopard from the retail DVD on your new blazing 10,000rpm Velociraptor. Of course, you can go the SSD route too if you wish. Then, of course, install the 10.6.8 Combo Update from Apple through Software Update, as well as all the other security updates, Flash Player updates, etc. (In my opinion, Snow Leopard is still far and away the best version of Mac OS X). 3) Upgrade your RAM to the optimum level with genuine Hynix, Samsung or Micron memory modules. 4) Buy the Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Upgrade from Apple (the biggest part of the improvement). Without exaggeration, the improvement in performance over the HD 2600 XT will be so HUGE you will be stunned! And by installing the HD 5870 (which has Mini Display ports) you will now be able to buy the 27" LED Cinema Display, from the Apple Store naturally  : )  I still think the Cinema Display looks even nicer than the 2012 27" iMac display.
    It's a significant investment in terms of money, but you would feel like you're practically getting getting a completely new system : )  Then again, you might just find a new Mac Pro in an independent store, but the current shipping Mac Pros have firmware that prevents them from installing/running Snow Leopard, (a big minus in my opionion). If you're happy with Mountain Lion, this doesn't matter then.
    Good luck either way!

  • Should I get a new Mac Pro or a used Power Mac G5, and why?

    I'm trying to decide which of these would be a better choice and better cost/benefit/value ratio.
    I spend my time in Photoshop CS and Adobe Lightroom most of the time. I have NO intention of running Windows, so I wouldn't miss that by going with the G5.
    What are your thoughts?
    Here's a G5 that looks pretty tempting.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Power-Mac-G5-Dual-1-8-Ghz-4GB-1000GB-DVD-R-Maxed_W0QQi temZ190131690775QQihZ009QQcategoryZ51036QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

    That is a lot of "maybe's" and big "if's" - there will ALWAYS be change and updates, and no one knows what or when. Just 'speculation'. Or, needed? not if someone things they would be happy with 4 yr old G5, they aren't worried about the next upgrade and leading edge.
    I don't know that the Mac Pro is a year old. Then again, it hasn't changed. One new model configuration added.
    As for "$1000 upgrades" that is a PLUS, not a MINUS as you can't even find video or stuff more memory, and limited on disk drives with the G5.
    The G5 would turn in a score of less than half of 2GHz MP, more like 1/4 especially with stock 2.66. $1895 for Apple ref's @ www.apple.com for MP, too.
    Do your shopping on Apple Store Specials, not ebay. A lot of G5s are showing their age and in need of some heavy cost fixes, PSU, failing video, logicboard ... and you may be out on a limb.

  • Will my LG GBW-H20L work in the new Mac Pro?

    I've got an LG GBW-H20L Blu Ray drive in my Vista machine, but am looking to get the new Mac Pro. I was wondering if I could move my LG into the Mac Pro with no problem? I've read some posts that mention an IDE to SATA converter, but this drive is already SATA. The Mac Pro is pricey enough without me having to buy another expensive drive.
    Thanks in advance

    Erik Rosenbluh wrote:
    I've got an LG GBW-H20L Blu Ray drive in my Vista machine, but am looking to get the new Mac Pro. I was wondering if I could move my LG into the Mac Pro with no problem? I've read some posts that mention an IDE to SATA converter, but this drive is already SATA. The Mac Pro is pricey enough without me having to buy another expensive drive.
    Thanks in advance
    I have one in my first gen Mac Pro. Lower tray, connected directly to one of the motherboard ODD SATA ports. Power is via a standard converter, old type to sata type. I only use it for burning data, never tried movies. Works fine.
    Here is another thread about it.

  • Can I turn off XHCI on new Mac PRO?

    I am interested to get a new Mac Pro. I am a bit disappointed that there are only four USB3 Ports. I know that there are expansion appliances and devices that will provide a few more. here is my issue, which will determine if I am a buyer:
    I will need to turn off XHCI, reverting to USB2, and hopefully on a port-by-port basis. Now before anyone jumps up and tries to tell me that XHCI will support USB2, I can tell you for provable certainty that XHCI is not truly backwards compatible with USB2. USB2 is an emulation under XHCI. There are some devices that will not run under such an emulation. One of them is the Microtelecom Perseus SDR Radio. I am a collector and SWL enthusiast of 35+ year duration. SDR (Software Defined Radio) is the newest, and very exciting development in Radio. Few are made with MAC OS compatibility, so I run them in Virtual Machines, under Parallels. This works handsomely on my Mac Pro 1.1. But my Mac Pro is long in the tooth. I would like to replace it with a new Mac Pro. But only if I can turn off XHCI. Also please do not wax on about how the manufacturers of such devices should upgrade to USB3. That is not an option for radios that were made 10 years ago.
    There must be a way to do this. Apple must certainly want to market the Mac Pro to the Scientific Community, many of whom have devices which are USB2, and finicky about their connections.
    I would prefer to turn off XHCI on a port-by-port basis, or to find an extension/expansion device that is not a simple passthrough of USB.
    I asked this question at the Apple Store here in San Francisco today, and no one had an answer, or knew what I was talking about. My question was escalated twice to supposedly more knowable persons, none of whom had any idea what XHCI is.
    Anyone here know?

    No response here in 3 days, so no one knows.
    I did manage after a few tries to get an Apple Tech on the phone through the Sales Dep't. He said that there is no way in the Mac OS to disable XHCI settings, and while he recognized that PCs offer control through BIOS, that Apple offers no access to BIOS. He said further that one might discover a way through the Terminal app, but that Apple would not support that if done by a user. So I am NOT going to spend $3500+ on a new computer to have to hack it, and put Support and Warranty in jeopardy. No new Mac Pro for me, no sale for Apple. I may look for a refurb or eBay used Mac Pro 3,1-4,1-5,1, where I can drop in a PCIe USB3 card, and have both for my use, as I wish; nine hardware USB ports sounds good to me.

  • Linking SCSI baed flat-bed scanner to new Mac Pro with PCI-Express

    I need information on how to link my current scanner (Microtek Scanmaker 4) with a recently ordered Mac Pro. It is a SCSI based peripheral, and the only (last) of my currently owned peripherals that I'll need after getting my new Mac Pro. I've been searching the internet for a modestly priced interface board that would serve me.
    I've invested several hundred dollars in the hardware and SilverFast software, and would prefer to use the old scanner rather than move to a newer USB or Firewire based scanner.
    I'd appreciate any leads. Does Apple have advice? So far I've not found any discussions that face the issue, but perhaps I've missed a dark corner of the support search domains.
    Thanks in advance, Carl
    Mac Pro, G4 desktop, Ti-Powerbook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
      Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

    Thanks Michael:
    My dilemma is that a high end scanner for photographic images (up to 3900 lpi) and firewire/USB 2.0 compatible costs about $600. The card you suggest was priced at about $400.
    If push comes to shove I guess I'll opt for a new scanner, and face the problem of firewire/USB obselence when it comes.
    A local resource suggested that the only reason we even worry about the availability of SCSI devices is that they are needed to interface with multi-thousand dollar scientific instruments.
    I was hoping to find a more modestly priced card, and thank you for the lead. It's a start!
    Carl
    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

  • Switching an old dual 1.8 to a new mac pro 8 core questions

    hi
    Tomorrow i am getting a new Mac Pro 8 core 2.8, the basic model, 2 gigs ram (for now) and the on 320 gig HD. I am not a great mac person, i used my old one for some final cut express stuff and that was about it. so i was wondering if someone could answer these questions for me
    1) will final cut HD load fine on the new one in terms of licenses? in that, will that license or serial number i have used on the old one be ok on the new one?
    - same things for aperture, these are really the only 2 programs i have and really need on the new one, till i move up to final cut full
    2) i have an older "projects" western digital HD with the projects, pics etc on it, can i swap that HD into one of the new slots till i get another newer drive? its sata, but i am not sure what speed?? its probably 3 years old now
    3) what exactly does the new mac pro come with?? in the apple store it really doesn't go into it, i have ilife 05 on my old one, is it worth getting the new one? does it come with things like that?
    4) i mainly do home movie's and video editing on my mac, if i end up with final cut studio 2 i think it is, what is the recommended RAM?
    5) where is the best place to buy more RAM and HD's for the mac? i will need or want 3 more 500 gig min, 7200 speed drives and probably 2-6gigs more ram.
    ok, that should confuse me pretty well for a while
    thanks for any help!

    1. As long as the software is not installed on more than one CPU you are not in violation of the software license. You will use the same serial number.
    2. Any SATA drive can be installed in the computer.
    3. New computers come with OS X and iLife pre-installed. Also trial versions of iWork, MS Office, and Quicken's Quick Books.
    4. I would recommend at least 4 GBs of RAM.
    5. You can buy RAM from any online vendor that has the proper type of RAM with the proper heat sinks. Suitable vendors are Data Mem and MacSales.com. Hard drives are available at any number of online vendors such as:
    MacSales.com
    Buy.com
    NewEgg.com

  • Suggestion for Apple: MacBooks as terminals for the new Mac Pro

    Suggesting Apple to enable using MacBooks as terminals for the new Mac Pro if connecting through the thunderbolt.
    I am planning to get a new Mac Pro this month and use it as a 'portable' workstation since it weighs only 5kg.
    I am working on scienctific research which requires travels quite often.
    I want to have a workstation with me when I'm off-site so that I can work without worrying about the network connection.
    It would be great if I can use Macbook Air as a display, keyboard and touchpad for the Mac Pro.
    I will be fully geared by taking a Mac Pro and a MacBook Air with me where ever I travel.

    I don't know much about Thunderbold connections.
    Especially how does it combine PICe and DisplayPort signal together.
    I would like the MacBook serve as an external screen and an external PCIe video card to the Mac Pro, together with its touchpad and keyboard connected to the Mac Pro as an external USB keyboard and touchpad.
    In this case, one may not even boot into the OS on the MacBook side, just need proper drivers in the Mac Pro side for the 'external PCIe video card', keyboard and touchpad.

  • New Mac Pro and migration question

    I will be getting a new Mac Pro in a day or so. I currently have a G4 with all the Adobe suite programs and more. I am wondering if it is best to install those fresh. It sure would help to get all my Dreamweaver settings as I have a ton of sites.
    Should I just transfer mail and prefs etc.

    There are many pros and cons to doing such a thing. The biggest pro to doing so is expediency. Manual transitions, while more efficient, can be quite a pain even when you know what goes where. When this works it works great.
    However, there are downsides to it. Firstly, being a new system the best way to gauge it's performance is to have everything fresh and new. While it's more effort you do get a much better feel for what you system can do and a much better awareness of when things are wrong.
    Then there's the migration itself. With a data only migration I can't see much going wrong but there are instances when a migration does affect total system performance.
    So I guess I've not really answered your question. There are benefits to opting both ways.

  • Reinstall OSX on New Mac Pro

    Hi,
    I have a new Mac Pro and I want to rebuild it. I have a bootable USB Key that I made with the 10.9 installer from the App Store. This installer works as a bootable image for the old Mac Pro's and for MacBook pro's, but I can't get a new Mac Pro to boot from it. I think the issue might be that it is a different 10.9 revision that the new Mac Pro requires. Has anyone successfully done this yet on the new Mac Pro?
    Thanks
    Dave

    You would need to do a full Internet Recovery like so:
    Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
    Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
    Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
    Partition and Format the hard drive:
    1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
    2. After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
                if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
    This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

  • New Mac Pro specs?

    I'm getting a new Mac Pro. Can someone recommend the desirable specs for editing SD and HD projects? This computer is an investment for the next 3+ years so I want to make sure I build it to last and make it relatively robust.
    Thanks!

    Any of the 8-cores will do well.
    As HD, if you are looking at uncompressed, then you will need a Kona and BM card.
    If HDV, XDCam or DVCProHD, SATA internals will do.
    For Motion, the Nvidia 8800 GT as BTO will work well.
    Max out on RAM, but not Apple's. Crucial, macsales.com or transintl.com is better

  • Is New Mac Pro Compatible with Logic X

    Im interested in getting the new mac pro. Is this compatible with Logic X plugins does anyone have it yet working with Logic pro. I have a Mac Pro 3.33ghz 6 core. Is this 10 times better or just a little. I already have good SSD drive so loading and streaming samples is lightning fast.
    thanks

    hi i have another question i don't know if anyone knows. in Logic X when I pen the mixing board the scrolling lags for a second and stutters lags for a couple of movements then it scrolls back and forth normally. but when I shrink the arrange window with the mixer to a smaller size it gets faster as I shrink the screen.
    I have a HP 30" monitor hooked up by dual DVI cable. 60hz refresh rate. A GTX-680 2g Video Card.
    My friedn has a imac 27" i7. I have a mac pro 3.33ghz 6 core. His mixing board does not lag. also copiny plugins is slow on mine. his did not lag.
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  • Time Capsule says unreadable by new mac pro

    i have a 2006 and a new 2012 mac pro and i am trying to hook up my G Tech 3 TB drive with my TIME MACHINE backup from my old computer to the new computer. when i plug it in and turn it on it says it is unreadable and asks me if i want to initialize it. i can turn on the old machine and turn it on and see if it recognizes it but does anyone know what is going on here?
    does anyone know if i should be able to restart TIME MACHINE on the new computer with a new drive getting backed up or if i need to reformat it?
    THANKS

    hey. thanks for the very good advice.
    i am going to plug the TIME MACHINE backup into the old mac pro and i will see if it mounts. right now i have tried to get it to mount from within DU and even this did not get it to mount. if i just plug it in and wait i get an error saying i need to reformat it (but with some other term i forget).
    not quite sure what i should do if i can't get the new mac pro to recognize it - even if the old mac pro /does/ recognize it.
    i mean, it is sort of a catch 22 in terms of whether i reformat it to use as a backup to the new machine or if i just buy a new one for the new machine and leave this somehow hooked up to the old machine for a period of time...!

  • HT1727 i bought some ringtones on my iPhone, later on i sync my iphone to my old computer now i have a new mac pro desktop and i only have 2 ringtones on my phone but not the rest of them how can i get them back without having to pay for them again?

    i bought some ringtones on my iPhone, later on i sync my iphone to my old computer now i have a new mac pro desktop and i only have 2 ringtones on my phone but not the rest of them how can i get them back without having to pay for them again?

    If you bought them on your iPad then you will need to connect your iPad to your computer's iTunes and do File > Devices > Transfer Purchases to copy them over to the Tones part of your computer's iTunes library and you can then sync them to your iPhone - ringtones are a one-time only download, so you won't be able to redownload them directly on your phone.

  • Having big problems with my new Mac Pro, when I launch Photoshop CC, I get an error message, can carry on but after a few tasks it starts going gar... menus go blank, when you try to save it shows a blank box.... can anybody help?

    Having big problems with my new Mac Pro, when I launch Photoshop CC, I get an error message, can carry on but after a few tasks it starts going gar... menus go blank, when you try to save it shows a blank box.... can anybody help?

    when I launch Photoshop CC, I get an error message
    and what exactly is the text of that error message?

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