Reccomendation for non-overkill MacPro for my FCP workflow

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Andrew Rendell] “The point I want to make is that the raw processing power of the computer doesn’t necessarily translate into speed for such a particular task as editing.”

So a four core 2.66 GHz machine with 8GBs of RAM will be just as fast as an 8 core 2.93GHz machine with 4GBs of Ram? Challenge, bud. you could load the slower machine with as much ram as you want, and it will never ever become any faster that a faster machine. Sorry, this is simple. FCP only uses 4GBs of RAM anyway. Get more processors, it will sever you better. Editing = rendering and a faster machine will do this faster than a slower machine with loads of RAM.

Rule number 1 when buying an NLE: Get the fastest machine you can possibly afford with the connectivity you need.

Jeremy

[Jesse Mendelson]

You can get a lot more bang for your buck (in my opinion – looking for the same thing right now) – if you look on craigslist or ebay…many 8 core machines, with lots of RAM, and still have applecare so there is some guarantee.

[Jesse Mendelson]

I also wonder what people’s opinions are in terms of Ghz. How important is it to get 3 Ghz over 2.5, etc…?

[David Roth weiss]

[jesse mendelson] “I also wonder what people’s opinions are in terms of Ghz. How important is it to get 3 Ghz over 2.5, etc…?
“

I have run several non-scientific render tests at the Apple store near me, and in every case the fastest machines were only 5% faster at most, but they carried a surcharge of 30 to 50%.

So, while it’s cool to have the hottest engine, a cost-benefit analysis would suggest that the top of the line procs are not worth the investment. And, the hottest procs you paid that hefty surcharge for today will be the common processor set tomorrow.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.com

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.

[Andy Lewis]

Getting the fastest machine you can afford makes a lot of sense if you are only ever going to buy one computer and use it for the rest of your life. Otherwise, this is usually bad advice.

Moore’s law means that this year’s top end mac pro will be slower than a 2013 imac. There may be other reasons to buy a mac pro but, in terms of speed per dollar, buying low-end and replacing frequently always wins over buying top-end and being “future proof” for a few years.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[andy lewis] “Getting the fastest machine you can afford makes a lot of sense if you are only ever going to buy one computer and use it for the rest of your life. “

That doesn’t make any sense. This is about getting the most out of the one computer you are going to buy in the next 3-5 years. 5 if you are really, really lucky. You can pay a couple hundred extra for a faster machine which will make up for lost time on a slower machine. Time is money.

You buy a lower end machine, you will end up having to refresh it faster and spend more money than you would if you would have just ponied up for the big gun (I am talking about the computers that OP linked to, not a brand new machine). Even if the faster machine lasts one more year than the slower one would have, that one more year of MAKING money on the machine rather than spending on another one. You will also save some space in landfills as well.

Buying the fastest machine you can afford doesn’t mean buying the fastest machine on the block, (unless you an afford it).

[Dennis Leppell]

Any of you run iStat on your computer? I’ve never seen my CPU be used to near its capacity when rendering….but my RAM usage will fill up.

That being said….go for the fastest processor you can afford right now, with the minimum amount of RAM you need to run. You can easily buy and add more RAM down the road, but you can’t buy a new processor.

[Nick Ravich]

Thanks everyone. Seems like we got a good, heated debate going about this. A lot to take in, but think I’m siding to the more cores, less RAM argument. And of course, upping the connection ante on my drives would be a good idea. Nick.

[Andrew Rendell]

I’ve run some hardware monitoring and I seem to be using up all my RAM (which is, I’ll admit, just the 4GB) but hardly ever getting the CPU anywhere near the top of the scale.

I’ll also admit that “editing = rendering” isn’t the way that I look at it, I’m much more of the “computer and technical stuff is important because of what it enables me to do, but it’s not what the job is fundamentally about”. Mind you, I also think of speed in terms of how much I can get done in a day…

[Cameron Clendaniel]

Some Bare Feats Mac Pro speed tests
https://barefeats.com/wst10c2.html

Other CPU options (haven’t done this or even looked at the numbers so not necessarily recommending):
https://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-MacPro-upgrade.html

Cameron Clendaniel
film editor, NYC
http://www.camclendaniel.com