RAM or Processor? Which one should I prioritize?

[Walter Biscardi]

I recommend 4GB RAM minimum for any FCP system. If you’re going to do this, you really want to get the fastest machine available with 4GB RAM.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[John Foley]

DVCPRO HD is not particularly CPU or RAM hungry. It is transferable over Firewire 400 and the data rates are slightly under 10 MB second. I think even a 2.66 Ghz MacPro would work splendidly for you.

I use DVDPRO HD at 720p and 1080i on my Quad G5 tower and my MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz with an external RAID for security.

Always buy the most speed you can get for the money at the time you purchase so that it will last longest over time. 4 GB RAM is plenty sufficient and one additional internal 500 or 750 GB SATA drive ought to get you going nicely.

[Ernie Santella]

Don’t buy the RAM or extra internal drive(s) from Apple, they are way overpriced. Get that stuff yourself.

Ernie Santella
Santella Film/Video Productions
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[Debe]

In the big picture, FCP aside, I’d go for CPU over RAM.

It’s always easier to add more RAM later, but it’s not very easy to upgrade a CPU.

Yuo could get the fastest processor with the minimum amount of RAM when you order, and then get third-party RAM. It’ll be much less expensive than Apple-brand RAM.

I’m not running a MacPro, so I won’t offer sugestions on places for good third-party RAM for you. My G5 sources may be not optimal for MacPro. Or they may. I don’t know. Just make sure you get a really good warranty and that you CAN return it.

On the other hand…buying Apple-brand RAM, if there is an Apple Store near you, does have it’s benefits and may be worth the extra expense. Especially if this is a production machine with which you earn your living. If you have problems with your RAM, a trip to the Apple Store will get you up and running in short order. If your RAM vendor has to ship to you, you would be shut down completely while you wait (and possibly pay handsomely) for the vendor to ship to you overnight. Can you afford to be down for a couple days? Murphy’s Law says that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen when you have the least amount of time to deal with it.

Things to consider. Only you know how you work!

debe

[Walter Biscardi]

[debe] “It’ll be much less expensive than Apple-brand RAM.”

Not as much anymore, at least not for the first 4GB. When I purchased my Mac Pro 3.0, I saved $100 staying with Apple RAM vs. Crucial which was a first for me. So definitely compare RAM before deciding to go with a third party.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Boyd Mccollum]

I concur with debe – go for the CPU over RAM. I’m doing a small project on an old single processor G5 – one of the original ones, and it’s slow (it’s not mine!). The irony is that they got it at a time when the dual processors had just come out and decided not to get one. One of those duals would be nice to have today. The point is, you want to have maximum flexibility and usage on the box 2-3, even 4, years from now.

The other thing to look at is the graphics card you get. That’ll make a big difference on your performance as well.

I’d agree that if money’s tight right now, go with the CPU, minimum RAM, and lowest end graphics card. Then as you get money in, purchase additional RAM and upgrade the graphics card (not from Apple). Note on graphics card – if you are doing lots of heavy graphics work, you’ll want the high end card.

my $0.02.

[Rafael Amador]

Walter is right. 4 Gb RAM would be great. But I think as debe. To put more RAM later on will be always easier than to change the procesors..
Rafael

[Bret Williams]

Minimum RAM will grind any system to a halt. Any CPU out there is plenty for what is being proposed. The CPU is used for real time and rendering. RAM is needed for opening large projects and other software at the same time. FCP is a RAM hungry beast and in my experience it, AND OSX, operate better and crash less (if ever) with a couple gigs of RAM in the machine.

If you go with a minimum, like 1 gig, you really shouldn’t run more than just Final Cut. You could split the difference and get 2 gigs, and a 2.66.

[Michael Sacci]

I’m specing out a new Mac Pro also, I would go for the fastest processor and then I add RAM as I get extra money. You really need at least 3 GB of RAM to start off with (add 2-1GB sticks). Also if you plan to do a lot of graphics, motion, AE, combustion the extra $250 for the x1900 is probably a good thing to get.

I buy all my RAM from macsales.com. They now sell the same sticks as Apple for about 1/2 the price.

One correction to an above post, DVCProHD is very CPU intensive, but needs less drive through put compared to Uncompressed (even SD uncompressed). The stronger the codec the more processor needed.

[Michael Bloodgood]

Now that the Mac Pro is Intel based, I would disagree that it is more difficult to change the processor. Before, you couldn’t even find a different proc for your system. Now it’s apart of a standardized system. And right now, you’ll be paying the premium for quad core chips since Apple is currently the only one offering that chip (Xeon 3365 3.0GHz). Wait eight months and these chips (which are estimated to retail for about 18) will be down to about 800, a far more manageable price or you could upgrade. The current chipset will probably be good for upgrades for at least 18 months according to Intel’s website. On the note if the power supply can handle it, the 750 watt power supply placed in the Mac Pros is more than sufficient. It will run hotter but shouldn’t be too bad.

On the note of RAM, I would say, go with the Apple RAM since it has dropped down to competitive prices (I place Apple RAM on par with Crucial or Corsair, all of which use Samsung chips) and you get it covered by that nice Apple, brown-nose warranty. In our business, every second counts.