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So what MacPro configurations are people ordering?
Whilst it’s still definitely window shopping time for me at the moment I’m wondering what configurations people are ordering for their MacPros and the thinking that goes into the choice.
I had thought that I would be ordering the 6 Core model but would probably now go for the 8 Core because it would be galling to invest in a machine that doesn’t quite cut the mustard.
For the same reason I would order the Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM each and the larger 1TB PCIe-based flash storage. I would also go for 64GB Ram. Now the only problem with these choices is that the price really starts to stack up. For me here in the UK this set up would cost £6,579.
But with the only verified upgrade path being the RAM I can’t see any alternative. And even the RAM upgrade would entail selling the previous sets. But then presuming this machine would last a minimum of 3 years you are looking at an annual cost of £2,000 and that doesn’t sound so bad as an ongoing business expense.
Ha, then there are the monitors!
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17 Replies
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Hey Mark,
both RAM and SSD are user replaceable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKUpU9UeUTk&feature=share&list=UUeUg1OF5WYp6JPJ15lZvthg&index=4
My guess is that the other components will be replaceable too but only in apple shop or specialized stores.
But, I’m going with the 6 core, 32GB ram, 250GBSSD, D700.
The SSD will be only be my bootdrive so 250GB will be more than enough. All else: itunes, NI sample library, Sibelius sample library, logic& garage band loop n sample libraries, aperture libraries, all will go on external SSD or RAID.
6 Cores are enough for me, would have loved to get the 8 core but at €1500,- I think I could spend that money on other things where I will see a much larger difference in my workflow.
D700’s: at only €600 more compared to the D500’s I couldn’t let that go. FCPX will use a lot of the power of the D700’s and wirecast will also use them for encoding.
32GB RAM: I use about 14 now (out of 16) so I expect it’ll be enough.
Lastly: I’m not a pro like most here. Yes I earn my money with everything I do on that machine but my tasks are by far not as heavy as yours I reckon. Not going to be working in 4K soon and even if i would i think the 6 core will still do a pretty good job. Sure 8 is better but for me would be overkill.
I’m also guessing that most software companies will start to optimize their programs to utilize the dual GPU setups so that is where I think the real value for money will be. After all, Apple could have opted for a single GPU but dual CPU setup but they didn’t… Must have been for a reason.
André
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[Andre van Berlo] “The SSD will be only be my bootdrive so 250GB will be more than enough. All else: itunes, NI sample library, Sibelius sample library, logic& garage band loop n sample libraries, aperture libraries, all will go on external SSD or RAID.”
I’ve got a 1TB drive in my iMac and I’ve really enjoyed having that capacity after using 320GB boot drive for many years.
[Andre van Berlo] “both RAM and SSD are user replaceable”
I didn’t know the SSD as user replaceable so thats useful.
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“I’ve got a 1TB drive in my iMac and I’ve really enjoyed having that capacity after using 320GB boot drive for many years.”
My iMac has a bootdrive of 380GB (500GB in total), but still, most of it are samples, etc. (my applications folder which holds the CS6 premium collection, and a number of other pro apps is only about 40GB) A lot of that stuff can be placed on very cheap external drives or RAID. If I want everything on my bootdrive the 1TB drive would be my best option but at +800 euros I can spend that on a super fast RAID that has more storage capacity.
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So that’s £8300 with two apple displays. I was wondering how this would compare to two top spec iMacs next to each other, one for cutting one for encoding (and £2500 left over). Could one act as a second screen for the other? Would require switchable video input.
How is cluster rendering on mavericks? I remember trying to use an office full of cheese graters to get something done in a hurry and giving up.
Eight i7 cores would do it for me if they can be put to work. -
The hardest part is not knowing the future (isn’t it always).
I’m thinking 6 core and D500 with 512GB drive and minimum RAM (will buy elsewhere such as OWC).My gut tells me I may be replacing it sooner than I’d like.
I don’t think I’ll be pushing the GPU hard enough to justify the D700 and by the time comes when I face such needs I may be looking at a new machine again.I’d really have to be convinced that the D700 will have an immediate and significant benefit for my work. Maybe I’ll see such reports as people test the systems for those early deliveries.
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I have a 1TB iMac boot drive and it currently has 878 available. What are people putting on their boot drive? I understand non-pros will be using them for just about everything, but with media on externals, I have every app I can think of and I’m using less than 200gigs.
All my music and photos projects and files are on an external mirrored raid. Right now it’s a 3TB mirror. So 2 3TB drives. I have two 1TB drives, and when it filled up, I duplicated those to the 3TB raid. I took the old 1TB drives and gave them each to two different family members for backup. When the 3TB drives are full I’ll do the same. That’s my fireproofing. I really don’t want to lose every picture of my kids with one HD crash or fire.
Having that stuff on an external makes it easy to setup a new system too. Most the apps and preferences are in the cloud for Apple and Adobe stuff. Then just point garageband, iPhoto, etc. at the external libraries and you’re set. Faster than restoring.
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[Bret Williams] ” I understand non-pros will be using them for just about everything, but with media on externals, I have every app I can think of and I’m using less than 200gigs.”
Yup
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I ordered the stock 6 core. I only use about 150 gigs on my internal and I will switch ram if needed but I wanted to have a stock until to start with and then upgrade what I need. I’m hoping the GPU’s will be enough but the price is where I wanted to be.
Dajen Productions, Santa Barbara, CA
MacPro 3.2GHz Quad Core – AJA Kona LHe+
FCS 3 OS X 10.7.4
FCP X, Logic Pro, Squeeze, Filemaker 10.8.3 -
It’s basically just iPhoto and iTunes Libraries. I was planning to buy a 512 SSD and outbound both, but I decided to lease so the extra $500 for the extra 1/2 TB didn’t make much of a difference in the month to month cost.
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I went with:
8-core
1TB SSD
64GB RAM
D700sI’m leasing, so the two little upgrades- 32GB to 64GB of RAM and jumping from 512 to the 1TB HD were relatively insignificant in terms of the month to month cost. It’s a two year lease with relatively little overhead.
I’m figuring on this being my machine for at least 3 years. So unless there’s some major shift after 2 years; this is my machine until 2017.
The only thing I can see getting me to move off it sooner would be another big Thunderbolt jump. From 20Gb/s to whatever the next big jump is. And even then I’d need to see a benefit in that extra bandwidth to upgrade sooner.
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