Mac Pro 8-core RAM Configuration question

I know there is a lot of questions about Ram fro Mac Pro on this site but I got a brand new Mac Pro 8-Core today, didn't buy RAM from Apple because of the obvious reason, 1GB (2x512mb) is what I have right now. I am interested in upgrading to 8GB...SO... my question is, What is the best RAM configuration for my Mac Pro? Read the list below. Keep in mind that I am a web/graphic designer so Photoshop is one of my main tools along with Aperture, DreamWeaver, Flash, Final Cut, Illustrator, etc...
My options:
2x4GB
4x2GB or...
8x1GB ???
Please advise. Thanks in advance.

2GB X 4 is best due to the combination of benefits of performance, cost, power consumption, thermal profile.
Performance: groupings of four FB-DIMM allow 256 Bit memory access
Cost: 2GB FB-DIMM are less expensive and more generally available than 4GB
Power consumption: 4 FB-DIMM use 1/2 the power of 8
Thermal Profile: fewer FB-DIMM generate less heat and allow more airflow

Similar Messages

Mac Pro 8 core Nehalem RAM upgrade

Hi All,
I own a 8 core 2.26 mac pro. Its Ram configuration is the most basic, 6G.
I am looking to do some upgrade, and would love some pointers to do so. I work mainly with music, and I have been getting out of memory message from Logic Pro so I assume I need more RAM.
The default configuration is 6 X 1G RAM, so that means i have 2 more RAM slots left. As I understand, its best to assigne a RAM to each core for the best performance, so should I:
1. Buy 2 more 1G Ram and put them in the slots and have 8G?
2. But 2 x 2G Ram have a total RAM of 10G, would this work? Would this case any inbalance in RAM, because assuming if I have to assigne a RAM to each CPU, that would mean, 1G for 6 and 2G for remaining 2?
3. Ripe all 6G out and get 2G for 8 slots, meaning a total of 16G?

Memory isn't 'assigned' to anything.
I'd rebate to OWC and pick up 6 x 4GB probably.
Mac Pro Memory 1066
The other, to see what upgrading to 8-core 2.93GHz or above in some manner.

Mac Pro 8 Core (2008) Hard Drive & Ram questions

Hi there,
I recently purchased a Mac Pro 8 Core 2008 Model with 2Gb ram and 320Gb Hard Drive (Got a great deal on it... paid $1,500.00 for it!!). I bought this computer exclusively for audio production work. I know I can upgrade up to 32GB of ram if I wanted to however, I have heard that the system won't recognize 32GB ram when running 32bit OS & Applications. I use Ableton Live 8.2 (32bit capable) and Logic Studio 9 (32bit & 64bit capable).. what is the highest amount of ram I should upgrade to without overkilling it? In other words... what is the highest amount of ram I can upgrade to that I will actually notice the difference and that the system will actually use @ 32bit?
Second question is regarding hard drives... I need at least 320GB for OS and core applications and at least 1 TB for storage... what is the most efficient, fastest and least expensive to upgrade the storage on this machine?
I really appreciate your comments on this one.

Someone with Mac Pro, but on OS X 10.6 Install forum, like some, has full suites of CS5, FCP and others, and had run out of space literally on 150GB boot drive.
Apps like iDVD tech note recommended the boot drive have 24GB of free space (unfragmented for best burn performance) to burn dual layer.
X-Plane can go anywhere but uses almost 60GB for full world support.
My rule of thumb is 50% free on boot drive to avoid fragmenting free space such that it causes problems and there is always good performance overall as well as for read/writes.
To say someone doesn't need xyz when maybe they rre right, and to argue with their own math?
OS X does not support TRIM or I'd see if you can go with 120GB SSD. One way to slim down boot drive of course, maybe you have, maybe not,
Move all the data and media files possible off the boot drive can save 100GB and improve I/O at the same time.
Move the entire home account folder (the above leaves a smaller 1GB home library only on boot drive) which really isn't totally necessary but nice for some.
WD Black Caviar 2TB $170 is fast and nice or $89 for 1TB (if you think you need A, then get 2 x as much storage).
2008s don't use 8GB DIMMs and 32GB is as far as they go.
ATI 5770/5870 or even Quadro 4000 graphics
did it come with a 4870? or 8800GT?

Fully Buffered RAM for Mac Pro 8 Core or will non buffered do?

Hi guys,
There are a large number of questions about RAM for the macs on the forum but I can't seem to find the answer to mine any where. Do you think you could help?
Does the new Mac Pro 8 Core require it's DDR3 1066MHz ECC 240 pin DIMM to be Fully buffered or can I use something like this:
http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/79985/kingston-4gb-ddr3-1066mhz-ecc-240pin-dim m-memory-module-with-thermal-sensor?CAWELAID=298234485
since this is considerable cheaper to build up a mac to 32GB than other kits on offer. Also note that none of the kits offered by OWC and other manufacturers mention that they are Fully buffered for the money. Not even the mac store mentions it. Which only adds to my confusion?!
Many thanks in advance for the help
J

Unbuffered.
When in doubt I always look up Crucial memory configuration.
Part #: CT938460 • DDR3 PC3-8500 • CL=7
• Unbuffered • ECC • DDR3-1066 • 1.5V • 256Meg x 72 •
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=CC3E3949A5CA7304
And because no one but Apple has 4GB DIMMs, I wouldn't buy with someone else, but it might, but that begs why Micron isn't offering any.

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

UPGRADING AND MIXING MEMORY ON MY MAC PRO QUAD CORE DUAL 2.8 (Xeon)?

Hello,
I have a Mac Pro Quad Core Dual 2.8GHz (Xeons) with 4GB of memory (2 x 1GB Apple modules + 2 x 1GB other brand - Shown as "Manufacturer 0x855D") and now I want to fill the other 4 memory slots by adding an additional 16GB (4 x 4GB modules) for a total of 20GB of RAM.
My 2 questions are:
1.- In which order/pattern should I install these new 4 X 4GB modules along with my original Apple 2 x 1GB modules and the "Manufacturer 0x855D" 2 x 1GB modules the best way (for better performance)? - I have heard stories that if I do it improperly, I could slow down my Mac Pro...
This is how I have them configured right now:
Raiser A / DIMM 1 = 1GB (Manufaturer "0x830B") - I assume this is the Apple memory, right?
Raiser A / DIMM 2 = 1GB (Manufaturer "0x830B")
Raiser A / DIMM 3 = Empty
Raiser A / DIMM 4 = Empty
Raiser B / DIMM 1 = 1GB (Manufacturer "0x855D") - How can I find which manufacturer is this?
Raiser B / DIMM 2 = 1GB (Manufacturer "0x855D")
Raiser B / DIMM 3 = Empty
Raiser B / DIMM 4 = Empty
2.- What brand would be most compatible to work with my Apple 2GB (2 x 1GB) factory memory? Kingston? Crucial? Mushkin? iRam? Corsair? OWC? (Does OWC sell their own brand? or which one do they carry?-its not specified on their web)
Thank you so much in advance for all your help!

About RAM installation in the Mac Pro
Mac Pro memory arrangement photos
Mac Pro Memory Configuration
Memory Tests- "2008" Mac Pro
Ram should be installed minimally in matched pairs and optimally in matched quads. This means the memory modules are the same size and specifications. They should also be equipped with the Apple-certified style of heat sink.
Brand really doesn't mean much as long as they work.

Mac pro 8 core

Hi, I am purchasing the 8 core mac pro but had a few questions. It's my first mac. I am going to be running logic studio, 2 hard dives, 12 gigs of ram.
My questions are.. Do I need a raid controller card,(I think I do fo PCI slots and better data storeage). Do I need a fibre channel (I dont think that I do, no optical being used), and does the mac come pre isntalled with leopard if you chose "none" on the configuration page instead of "10 client" or "unlimited" (I think that it does, I am not using a network of computers.) Is it better to get the mac pro or the mac book pro for logic studio?
thank you for all your time...
Lou..

You do not need q RAID card. You can create a RAID using Disk Utility that comes with OS X. A fiber channel RAID card has nothing to do with using an optical drive. Leopard comes pre-installed on all Macs. Unless you are purchasing OS X Server you do not require the purchase of the operating system. For more on RAIDs see:
RAID Basics
For basic definitions and discussion of what a RAID is and the different types of RAIDs see RAIDs. Additional discussions plus advantages and disadvantages of RAIDs and different RAID arrays see:
RAID Tutorial;
RAID Array and Server: Hardware and Service Comparison>.
Hardware or Software RAID?
RAID Hardware Vs RAID Software - What is your best option?
RAID is a method of combining multiple disk drives into a single entity in order to improve the overall performance and reliability of your system. The different options for combining the disks are referred to as RAID levels. There are several different levels of RAID available depending on the needs of your system. One of the options available to you is whether you should use a Hardware RAID solution or a Software RAID solution.
RAID Hardware is always a disk controller to which you can cable up the disk drives. RAID Software is a set of kernel modules coupled together with management utilities that implement RAID in Software and require no additional hardware.
Pros and cons
Software RAID is more flexible than Hardware RAID. Software RAID is also considerably less expensive. On the other hand, a Software RAID system requires more CPU cycles and power to run well than a comparable Hardware RAID System. Also, because Software RAID operates on a partition by partition basis where a number of individual disk partitions are grouped together as opposed to Hardware RAID systems which generally group together entire disk drives, Software RAID tends be slightly more complicated to run. This is because it has more available configurations and options. An added benefit to the slightly more expensive Hardware RAID solution is that many Hardware RAID systems incorporate features that are specialized for optimizing the performance of your system.
For more detailed information on the differences between Software RAID and Hardware RAID you may want to read: Hardware RAID vs. Software RAID: Which Implementation is Best for my Application?

Fileshare between my Mac Pro Quad Core Intel Xeon (64-bit) & Power Mac 9600

I want to make my Power Macintosh 9600/233 (Mac OS 9) a shared computer with my Mac Pro Quad Core Intel Xeon (64-bit)(Mac OS 10.6.6). I am using a Netopia Model 3346N-VGx DSL Ethernet Managed Switch to network with my Samsung printer and the Mac Book Pro.
I also have a Power PC G4 (Mac OS 10.5.8) connected (via a Ziplinq 48" Retractable Crossover Network Cable) to a Farallon EtherWave 10 Base-T AAUI Transceiver, which in turn is connected to the Netopia, from which I can share files. All of this is ethernet connectivity.
I thought I could connect my 9600 using the same method as for the G4 or by connecting the ethernet cable from the 9600 directly into the Mac Pro Quad Core. However, neither of these methods work.
An additional stumbling block is that I have not used this 9600 for several years and am not sure of its account name. I'm fairly certain of its password. But because I don't have a second monitor for this machine, I can't muddle my way in.
My questions:
1. What might be a network solution to this dilemma?
2. Or, do I need to get another monitor for this computer and leave it un-networked and just transfer files manually?
3. Or, would whatever hard drives are in the 9600 be transferable into the networked G4 or the main Mac Pro? (not sure what they are.)
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Oh man, what a dilemma...
1. What might be a network solution to this dilemma?
Without a monitor on the 9600, almost none. At the very least you'll need to configure the server with appropriate network settings for your environment, and that can't be done headless.
You might only need a display for long enough to setup the network, but you'll need one all the same.
Once the network is configured your options are either AFP or FTP, but I'm not even sure the old version of AFP is supported anymore, which means you may need to fire up an FTP client on the 9600 and push the files to your MacPro.
2. Or, do I need to get another monitor for this computer and leave it un-networked and just transfer files manually?
As mentioned above, you're going to need a monitor at the very least to configure the network settings. I'd be inclined to say at that point you might as well copy the files off any way you can and put the 9600 to rest. If you're really, really fortunate and the 9600 has a CD burner I'd probably use that and count myself lucky
3. Or, would whatever hard drives are in the 9600 be transferable into the networked G4 or the main Mac Pro? (not sure what they are.)
The 9600 shipped with SCSI drives, which no current Mac support (at least without a SCSI card), so there's no way to remove the drive from the 9600 and attach it directly to the MacPro.

Mac Pro 8-Core (2011) MC561ZP/A Upgrade

I bought my Mac Pro 8 Core MC561ZP/A (2 x 2.4GHZ Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Westmere") in January 2011 in a hurry. Hence memory was kept as 6 x 1GB, and graphics card is the original ATI Radeon HD5770 with 1GB GDDR5. I use it to run the Apple 30" Cinema Display and I am a Photographer. Applications that I use all the time are Capture One 5.0, Photoshop CS5, Bridge CS5, Firefox, iTunes, Parellels 6, Outlook on Parellels 6. And when i am editing, I will be running Final Cut Pro 6 and Compressor as well when all photo related softwares are closed. And that's about it.
I usually use my Canon 5DII Camera and I work with 25mb raw images / 60mg TIFF images most of the time. Sometimes I work with medium format Phase One images but that is not very often. At the beginning things were ok. As the projects get bigger and bigger I find myself retouching big photos will many layers that one file could go up to 1GB or 1.5GB. At some point I only had Capture One and Photoshop opened, and still things got really slow and it started crashing few weeks earlier.
It's about time for an updgrade. Questions that I have now are:
1) Memory. Is 12GB memory enough? Or will I need more? Since I have 6x1GB in the slots, what is the best way or most economically friendly way to upgrade? Things will run smoother and faster I assume?
2) Memory brands. Is there many brands I can choose from?
3) Graphics Card. Will things be significantly better (faster?) if I get one more ATI Radeon HD5770? Or should i switch to the ATI Radeon HD 5870? My 30" apple cinema display is more than 3 years old already. I might consider siwthcing to a 24" Eizo or a 27" inch Eizo fyi.
Even if so will it be enough for my use?
I decided then I should opt for the 8 core. Instead of the quad core, nor the 12-core. I hope I didn't make the wrong decision.
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Tim

Thanks.
Buying 2x8gb ram to fill up the remaining 2 slots sounds like the plan.
For hard disks, currently I have 3 x 2TB and 2 x 4TB, all connected through Firewire800 and each running Raid 1 (Mirror) on their own. I have always wondered about the speed difference when compared to your internal suggestion. Do you have any data / recommendation for a read up?
Guess I will stick to the ATI Radeon HD5770 then..
Cheers,
Tim

FCS 2 -- Mac Pro 4-core or 8-core?

Been reading both the FCP forum and the MacPro forum and still not unsure which way to go.
I'm an avid Avid user (sorry about that) for many years and now making the switch to FCS2. My confusion lies in which configuration to get to best maximize FCS2-- Mac Pro 4-core with maximum RAM or Mac Pro 8-core with 6 or 8 GB RAM? The machine will be used 90% for FCS 2 so that's the main decision-making factor here.
Been reading articles about bottlenecks that make having 8-cores benign, but I find them hard to believe. Either way, the cost is about the same (the $$ saved buying the 4-core would be spent on more RAM).
Thanks for your time and advice.

With FCS the trick to maximising your performance is balance. Getting the balance right between processor performance, GPU performance, RAM and drive performance can often be a tricky thing. Unless you consider your system as a whole, any improvement in one area will often have little value.
At the price of the 8-core upgrade (more than 50% of a whole new one!) I would think you'd get far better value by going with a 3GHz 4-core system and maxing out everything else.

FCS2 - Mac Pro 4-Core or 8-Core

Been reading both the FCP forum and the MacPro forum and still not unsure which way to go.
I'm an avid Avid user (sorry about that) for many years and now making the switch to FCS2. My confusion lies in which configuration to get to best maximize FCS2-- Mac Pro 4-core with maximum RAM or Mac Pro 8-core with 6 or 8 GB RAM? The machine will be used 90% for FCS 2 so that's the main decision-making factor here.
Been reading articles about bottlenecks that make having 8-cores benign, but I find them hard to believe. Either way, the cost is about the same (the $$ saved buying the 4-core would be spent on more RAM).
Thanks for your time and advice.

If you become a "power user" i.e. running more than one app at a time all the time.... The 8 processor machine will be faster than the quad... if not, they'll be similar in speed.
See: http://www.barefeats.com Rob there comes up with much the same conclusion. There are certain apps though that really shine on the octo... AE for example... and Certainly Compressor 3... big time...
I'd go with the faster machine figuring Leopard will make a big difference in the way it handles mulitple processor machines.
Jerry

Opinions, Mac pro 12 core or 6 core for video editing?

Hello everyone,
I know that this a most likely a rhetorical question but i currently have a mac pro 12 core 2.4ghz 12 gigs of ram (plan on upgrading to 32 gigs) and a 6 core 3.33ghz 12 gigs of ram. I do a lot of video editing (starting to use Final cut pro X) and i do a lot of visual effects work in Adobe after effects and 3D animaton work in cinema 4d. I am only keeping one of the computers.. what are your guys thoughts? Should i keep the 12 core even tough it has a lower clock speed, or should i keep the 6 core since it has a higher clock speed? I dont mean to ask such a dumb question but i want to hear what your guys thoughts are.
Thanks in advance!

After Effects: http://www.barefeats.com/aecs6.html
If you rely on cpu alone, it may look like it is working, or lagging, or wating, but with the combined power of GPGPU can make all the difference.
Communicating over Quick-Path is okay but Intel knows that they need to up the GT and L3 cache to improve it more. ie, there are times when two 6-core Mac Pros are faster than one 12-core, given the same GHz.
the real reason people bought dual with lower clock was hoping it would do more work, but when you have 3.33GHz a lot of work that cann't be dispatched and is not multi-thread or multicore all benefit.
W3680s are relatively cheap @ $600, you will not find X5600 sets unless you can make your system pay for whatever you throw at it and do so in a year to write it off and pay for doing more projects and more income.
This guy goes kind of crazy with custom setup 12-core 3.33s, 960GB SSD PCIe and 96GB RAM.
More RAM helps some areas but not rendering. So find the bottlenecks or throw everything at the problem and hope.
$1660 a piece X5680 - $1470 on Amazon
http://ark.intel.com/products/47916/Intel-Xeon-Processor-X5680-(12M-Cache-3_33-G Hz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI)
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-X5680-Processor-Socket-LGA1366/dp/B003ELYSJQ/
Only if you shop ebay for used parts, and by then whatever Intel and Apple agree on next go round new is a better system solution most of the time than to throw $3000 into an older system. $3k would be another 6-core 3.33 if that helps.

Mac pro 12 core or a top spec iMac?

Hi all,
Im after a little advice...
Ok so ive been using a mac since the start of this year, i started out with a top spec mac mini, which i love but i now need more power.
So after looking at apple computers constantly im stuck for whats gonna be best for my needs and the decision comes down to 2 computers, the iMac or Mac Pro.
What i want is a computer i can game with for games such as skyrim, borderlands, battlefield 3, starcraft 2 etc and run them at the highest graphic settings with no problems, on top of this i will be doing graphic design, web design and some video editing using adobe software and ofcourse apple software, besides that i will be using it to watch movies, play music, browse and download/upload etc as an everyday person would.
IMac
So i was first looking at the top spec iMac you can buy, has the quad i7 3.4 processor with 2gig graphics and plenty of ram, and enough hd room for me too, not to mention it looks gorgeous with the apple display, the only dissapointment is that they havnt updated it as i hoped they woukld along side the MacBook Pro, which forces me to wait for the next update if i do decide to purchase one.
Is the current spec good enough to play my games and create my graphics etc? If it is then i should have no problems with the next updated iMacs.
Mac Pro
After reading a few reviews about the iMac and Mac Pro it seems that those xeon processors are beastly compared to the iMac, so ive focused my viewing onto the Mac Pro 12 core, and with the same requirements that i need above, is the 12 core beast a little OP for me? and not to mention i sacrifice having thunderbolt and a sweet display, and if an update is heading to the iMac i could miss out on a retina display along with USB 3 and more.
But on the other hand i can upgrade a Mac Pro alot easier if i need to, and it will be massive power compared to the iMac, plus it would be more futureproof wouldnt it? Is trhe current Mac Pro 12 core spec good enough for my requirements? (im asking that question based more on gaming)
So right now im stuck, what would you suggest? Do i get a powerful monster of a computer or a pretty machine with all the latest tricks( after an update ofcourse )?
Help me out folks, im soo itching to get one or the other.
I appreciate all your help, Thanks!
Carl

Wayne said it right, "future upgradeability" is key. I saw myself witht he same dilema and at the end bought a 12 core. The Quad core might run some tasks faster than the 12 core for the fact that is 3.33GHz and the 12 is 2.4GHz, but it you can keep upgading the RAM up to 64Gig, the Quad up to 32, plus the cache is double, I'm quite happy with my purchase. If you don't want to spend that much, to some the best choice is order the quad with a 6 core chip, a hair over 3K.
Tower Power!

Mac Pro 8-core slow compression on MPEGs

My Mac Pro 8-core with 9GB of RAM is very slow compared to my G5 Dual 2.7GHz with 2.5GB on doing MPEGs... the problem only exist with MPEGs in Compressor 3 or 3.0.1. All other formats the Mac Pro gives the G5 a thrashing. I've read in here that many people have it the other way around.. that MPEGs are supposedly more multiprocessor capable.
Both with using virtual clusters (4 instances) and no virtual clusters I'm getting around 52 minutes on a DVCPRO HD 720/24p clip which is exactly 6 minutes in length. The G5 dual 2.7GHz with 2.5GB of RAM did this job in 21 minutes and 33 seconds.
On the Mac Pro I've erased my system and reinstall with just FCS2 on the system... still the same speeds. I've taken out the 2x4GB sticks.. still the same speeds. I've moved the 6 minute clip onto different volumes still the same problem. I've tried other DVCPRO HD clips.. still the same.
The problem only happens with the DVD 90-150 presets regardless of quality. Does not occur with the HD DVD presets or H.264.
Mac Pro configuration:
Mac Pro 3GHz 8 core
9GB of RAM (2x512mb, 2x4GB)
ATI Radeon X1900 XT with dual 30 inch ACDs
3TB of internal Hard Drive storage... one unraided 750GB for system files.. 3 RAID 0 for Scratch.
AJA KONA LHe capture card
Runiing Final Cut Studio 2 with compressor 3.0.1
G5 configuration:
Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz
2.5GB of RAM (2x256MB, 4x512MB)
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL with 23" ACD
250GB + 160GB internal Hard Drives.
Running final Cut Studio 2 with Compressor 3.0.1
Any help would be appreciated... I've tried everything in my technical powers to solve this one.

Made a new DVD: MPEG-2 custom setting with an average bit rate of 7.7Mbps... still slow... about 50 minutes to complete the 6 minute DVCPRO HD 720/24p clip. The compressor daemons are averaging around 60MB of Real Memory and 450MB of virtual memory. I really think this lack of memory usage is causing the problem. This only happens on the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets. Any other format is grabbing at least 200MB per daemon... including HD DVD MPEG-2 and DVD MPEG-1. I will continue to test different settings and pray for a change.
Getting all compressord (Not Responding) for each 4 instances in the virtual cluster when I run the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets. The batch monitor is still reporting progress. Real memory usage fluctuating in the 60's per daemon and around 450MB's for Virtual Memory. Compressor daemons not responding is a problem solely on the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets.
No major difference in speed between CBR or VBR custom presets... memory usage still in the 60's per compressor daemon.
With Job Segmenting turned off & One Pass CBR... 20 minutes to job completion. The memory usage is around 65MB of Real Memory and 450MB of Virtual Memory. CPU activity on the one active compressor daemon is averaging around 460%.
One thing I am learning is that processor activity as reported by Activity Monitor is not a reflection of speed.
Message was edited by: Trancepriest
Message was edited by: Trancepriest

Slow Performance On Mac Pro 12-Core

Hello Everyone,
I just recently purchased a 2012 Mac pro 12-Core and i have been getting unbelievabley slow performance with it. I am using Premiere Pro CS6 and it seems that the footage can sometimes get a bit laggy at times and not play back smoothly, sometimes rendering can take a bit of time as well. However here are the specs of my system:
Mac Pro 12-Core 2.4GHz (2.67GHz Turbo Boost)
40GB of Ram
ATI 5770 Graphics Card
1TB scratch disk (with a user on the drive that i can boot into)
OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 SSD OS/APPS drive
First question i would like to get answered once and for all.. Did i make a bad decision by purchasing a computer with such a slow clock speed (2.4GHz)?? I figured since The new editing software is switching to 64bit it shouldn't depend on clock speed anymore? (i just want to be sure that i purchased a more than capable machine) However i will be buying a Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB SSD Drive for Scratch within the month. (I dont have the budget to buy a Raid controller yet to utilize 6GB/s transfer speeds, so 1 Fast SSD drive will have to do for now)
I should mention the current SSD drive im on right now only has 13GB remaining, would that affect performance? Also, my 1Tb media drive is filled up with CRAP from my previous computer (Migration transferred EVERYTHING to that drive, only 120GB remains) would that drive with the media im working with affect performance too? Also just as a test, i took some footage from my GoPro Hero 3 camera and put it on my SSD to see if that would eliminate the lag, but still lag was present in Premiere.. (the footage was in a crappy .M4P format, so that may have affected it, but I dont know)
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
-Thanks in Advance!

The new editing software is switching to 64bit it shouldn't depend on clock speed anymore?
Wrong, clock speed is everything.
I should mention the current SSD drive im on right now only has 13GB remaining, would that affect performance?
No, not really.
Also, my 1Tb media drive is filled up with CRAP from my previous computer (Migration transferred EVERYTHING to that drive, only 120GB remains) would that drive with the media im working with affect performance too?
When fill rates go up, performance goes down. With almost 90% fill rate, the disk performs only at around 50% of a new disk.
Two disks is absolute bare minimum, and your cores will constantly be waiting for the disks to read or write data, sitting idle most of the time.
Also just as a test, i took some footage from my GoPro Hero 3 camera and put it on my SSD to see if that would eliminate the lag, but still lag was present in Premiere..
GoPro material requires a very fast computer, which yours is not with the low clock speed, outdated E5620 CPU's, only two disks, and a non-CUDA capable video card.
Take a look at the PPBM5 Benchmark and look at the system at rank # 854, which is a MacPro, very similar to your system, dual E5620, AMD video card, less memory but uses three disks.
So, your system would be around the same rank as the one above, among the slowest 25% of all systems and something like 10 - 15 times slower than a fast system. You tax your system to the extreme with the GoPro Hero3 material, and the consequence is the slow performance you see.
Sorry, not much you can do, other than get a new system. If you sell it now, it may get you a price, good enough to get a much faster Windows system and maybe even keep the change. Simply said, you bought a MacPro for € 3.5 K, sell it for € 3 K, buy a PC for € 2.5 K that is around 5-6 times faster and your loss is recovered.
However i will be buying a Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB SSD Drive for Scratch within the month
What a pity the MacPro does not have SATA 6G ports, only SATA 3G, because then that SSD will run at almost half speed.

Mac Pro 8-core RAM Configuration question

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for