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PC-based Adobe CC shop has opportunity to switch to Macs – should we?
Hey All,
I’m sure that most people who are on the up and up with technology developments could answer this question immediately – or will at least have an instantaneous opinion; unfortunately I’m not on the up and up with the latest and greatest and am unsure which way to go with this.
We’re a PC-based shop, running Adobe CC on 5 different HP Z820’s, 8-core 2.4GHz, 64GB of RAM, with nVidia Quadro K4000 graphics cards. We store all our media on a Studio Network Solutions NAS/SAN system.
We edit mainly in 100mbps 4K footage, mastering mostly in 1080, but sometimes occasionally mastering in 4K. We use mainly Premiere & After Effects, with some occastional heavy Element 3D plugin usage.
Our department has recently been absorbed by the Advertising/Marketing department (that’s a whole different story), and will now be working in tandem with the Print, Design, and Illustration departments – who are all Mac Pro-based.
The question is this: we’re being given the opportunity to convert to an all Mac Pro-based shop if we want to (the guys upstairs think it’ll be good if we all have the same brand of equipment). Should we do it? Will a 12 or 8-core Mac Pro (which one is better, btw?) with 64GB of RAM and dual FirePro d700’s be an upgrade over our current HP Z820’s (8-core 2.4Ghz, 64GB RAM, Quadro K4000’s)? I’ve been trying to research how our K4000’s rate against the d700’s, but I’m having trouble finding good comparison information.
Any thoughts? I’m not trying to stir the debate pot – I’m truly trying to figure out what would be the best move.
Thanks.
Nick
Nick
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3 Replies
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The Windows platform offers far more options to Adobe users than does the Mac platform. For example, high have the same Xeon processors, but Windows machines can have dual procs, while Macs only have one. Also, as GPUs evolve, you can swap them out in Windows machines, but not in the new Macs. For 4K workflows the flexibility and power of Windows machines is a huge advantage.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss ProductionsDavid is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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Also, why waste the money replacing a computer with a computer?
Macs and OC’s can all network together.
You will need files from them. Those files will work fine in your PC’s.
They will need files from you. You can output files that will work in their Macs.
Look at the total outlay you are contemplating, and figure out how you could use them money to really boost effectiveness and productivity besides replacing one box with another box. Your current machines are pretty well-equipped.
JMHO!
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Agree with previous two comments. If your new colleagues’/your workflow is entirely Adobe, then you have nothing to worry about working cross-platform. I haven’t worked heavily in cross-platform since CS6, but then it was completely seamless and I’m sure it’s the same way with CC. PC’s are more upgradeable, and the ones you have are currently quite powerful, so it seems to me there’s no reason to switch.
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