So…2.7 PCI-X or DualCore 2.3 PCIe? Pls Help

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So…2.7 PCI-X or DualCore 2.3 PCIe? Pls Help

Posted by Sam on October 23, 2005 at 10:09 pm

Well folks,

Here is the dilema that I would like to get your opinions on.
Need to replace a machine over the next 3-4 days. And the annoucements have just caused a mess everywhere.

So, we have Kona2, IO PCI-X of course, Apple Fibre Channel PCI-X hooked up to Medea. Need get another machine to move our platform on.
We can leave Kona2 for the next couple months since our projects are all SD for next little while and perhaps look into the Kona2e if and when it becomes available. Fibre Channel PCIe is another 600$.. darn..
we cannot wait till Quad Mac (not even sure how its going to pan out in terms of benchmarks, tests, stability..)..We just don’t want to jump in.

So, its either PCI-X Dual 2.7 this week and everybody is happy in it and we move on until Apple goes Intel. or get the DualCore 2.3 and work off the SD and Lacie’s FW (cuz the Fiber is not even shipping for a while).
Btw, anyone played or tested “real” benchmarks as to how the DualCore 2.3 compares with the Dual 2.7? I would be really interested in finding that out!

Am I correct that Intel Gx going to be a whole new machine, new MB, new arch. when it goes Intel? and our exisiting Hardware will be obslete?

Any help is greatly appreciated as we have to make up our mind by tom. night.

Thanks
Sam

Sam replied 20 years, 6 months ago 5 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Tony
October 23, 2005 at 11:59 pm

Stick with what best works today for you. The latest PCI-X G5 has already been road tested and have a proven track record I can’t say the same for the soon to be released PCI-e models.

Do you want to be Apple’s R&D testbench for a few months before the next generation of G5 is released?

Given the fact that the quad machine will be around for no more than a year before the Intel versions are released why would anyone buy it knowing that their pci-e cards may become obsolete? Ask yourself can you recover the cost of upgrading the entire system within a year to justify being on the bleeding edge every year?

My choice would be to buy the last generation PCI-X G5 at prices which will go down, then use and abuse it thereby maximizing your investment and then dump it when the Intel machines are released.

Always look at your ROI (return on investment) before jumping into the latest greatest digital mess Apple has decided to unleash on the world.

Tony Salgado
Gary Adcock
October 24, 2005 at 1:01 pm

[Sam] “Need to replace a machine over the next 3-4 days.”

Then the answer is to use the proven products that are currently shipping. Nothing in the video hardware pool for PCIe will be out before Oct. 31. Stick to the 2.7 DP and live with it.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA
Walter Biscardi
October 24, 2005 at 1:06 pm

[tony salgado] ”
Stick with what best works today for you. The latest PCI-X G5 has already been road tested and have a proven track record I can’t say the same for the soon to be released PCI-e models.”

Absolutely. As soon as the “New” G5’s came out about 6 months ago, I immediately purchased an “original” G5 Dual 2.0 and to this day we’re running two original Dual 2.0’s here for HD and SD, broadcast and corporate. I’m considering purchasing another of the current G5’s now as I would really like to wait and see what the Intel machines bring before stepping up.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
David Battistella
October 25, 2005 at 1:38 pm

I would stick with the Dual 2.7.

Until Apple really unviels it’s plans for this market. (could it be that they will be going with dual core for High end video, phot customers and sticking the intel into the laptop and lower end market????)

We know that the dual 2.7 is solid, it works, it is very reliable. Go with what is road tested. I always wait for teh second gen of a new product from Apple.

David
Sam
October 25, 2005 at 3:19 pm

Thank You All

I know I can count on your advice here. We purchased a Dual 2.7 yesterday and spent most of the night loading it up. I was really tempted to get the Dual Core machines but at the end of the day, needed to put out another 7k along with it to replace all the cards and hardware soon. And as many of you said, who knows what they are going to do with Intel. Maybe there won’t even be Dual Core or PCIe and if so, you’d still need new hardware anyways. So this will keep us busy for a year or so until the Intel pops up and then we’ll see.
Any guess what the Intel’s are going to be like?

Thanks for the help again.
Sam

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