Hi, just bought a new Mac Pro with the following specs:
8 core 2x2.4 ghz
5770 ati card
2 TB Hard drive
Will be getting 32gig of Ram (8x4) from OWC in a couple of days.
I am a print designer but would like to move into the motion graphics industry. The intended use for this machine are:
1) To sharpen my After Effects skills
2) Learn Cinema 4D so can create a portfolio reel to get real work. Goal is to hopefully show something by Jan 2012.
3) Do real work with this machine in case I need to work from home.
4) Use a handful amount of plug-ins for both apps
5) I know there is no way to future proof a computer but ideally would like it to last me around 5 years.
6) Run cs5 photoshop, illustrator, indesign, flash, dreamweaver
I did some research and read a lot on forums about 4 vs. 8 vs. 12 on cores, iMac vs. Mac Pro, and clock speed vs. amount of ram and etc. After doing all that research I decided on the specs mentioned due to budget constrains and longevity. But now I am thinking that maybe the 2.4ghz might be (too) slow even though there are 2 of them. Thinking should return the one I just ordered (which I will be getting next Monday) and order another one with the 2 x 2.66 ghz / 12 core, a higher clock speed. This means I have to fork out $1300 more which is beyond my budget and I don't really want to do this.
So my questions are:
1) I plan to do some complex scenes that involves lots of layers and lighting with these apps. Will I be able to do this with the slower clock speed at a decent rendering time? I don't want to wait 4 hrs to render a 5 sec high resolution video clip.
2) With the 2 x 2.4ghz, will the apps lag when i move things around or use certain afx? Will I be seeing a lot of the beach ball spinning every time i make a move?
3) What is the speed difference between the 2.4 and 2.66 provided that they both have 32 gig of memory and same graphics card? Is it 10% or 30%?
3) The machine with the 12 core, is 32 gig more than enough or does it need more since the more cores=more overhead=more ram usage? each core needs at least 2 gig to run smoothly. (2x12=24 gig minimum) leaving 8 gigs to go where ever needs it.
4) This is a stupid question but does clock speed affect the type of plug-ins i can use on these apps? Are there plug-ins that require a higher clock speed than 2.4? If so what are they?
I know that both AE and C4d eats up as many memory and cores as the machine throws at it. Therefore the higher clock speed is better. But will the slower clock speed be fast enough so i don't have to burn the midnight oil every time i work in these apps? Will it slow down my work flow by 30%-50%?
Sorry if i am being repetitive in my questions. Any advise/information is much appreciated!
8 core 2x2.4 ghz
5770 ati card
2 TB Hard drive
Will be getting 32gig of Ram (8x4) from OWC in a couple of days.
I am a print designer but would like to move into the motion graphics industry. The intended use for this machine are:
1) To sharpen my After Effects skills
2) Learn Cinema 4D so can create a portfolio reel to get real work. Goal is to hopefully show something by Jan 2012.
3) Do real work with this machine in case I need to work from home.
4) Use a handful amount of plug-ins for both apps
5) I know there is no way to future proof a computer but ideally would like it to last me around 5 years.
6) Run cs5 photoshop, illustrator, indesign, flash, dreamweaver
I did some research and read a lot on forums about 4 vs. 8 vs. 12 on cores, iMac vs. Mac Pro, and clock speed vs. amount of ram and etc. After doing all that research I decided on the specs mentioned due to budget constrains and longevity. But now I am thinking that maybe the 2.4ghz might be (too) slow even though there are 2 of them. Thinking should return the one I just ordered (which I will be getting next Monday) and order another one with the 2 x 2.66 ghz / 12 core, a higher clock speed. This means I have to fork out $1300 more which is beyond my budget and I don't really want to do this.
So my questions are:
1) I plan to do some complex scenes that involves lots of layers and lighting with these apps. Will I be able to do this with the slower clock speed at a decent rendering time? I don't want to wait 4 hrs to render a 5 sec high resolution video clip.
2) With the 2 x 2.4ghz, will the apps lag when i move things around or use certain afx? Will I be seeing a lot of the beach ball spinning every time i make a move?
3) What is the speed difference between the 2.4 and 2.66 provided that they both have 32 gig of memory and same graphics card? Is it 10% or 30%?
3) The machine with the 12 core, is 32 gig more than enough or does it need more since the more cores=more overhead=more ram usage? each core needs at least 2 gig to run smoothly. (2x12=24 gig minimum) leaving 8 gigs to go where ever needs it.
4) This is a stupid question but does clock speed affect the type of plug-ins i can use on these apps? Are there plug-ins that require a higher clock speed than 2.4? If so what are they?
I know that both AE and C4d eats up as many memory and cores as the machine throws at it. Therefore the higher clock speed is better. But will the slower clock speed be fast enough so i don't have to burn the midnight oil every time i work in these apps? Will it slow down my work flow by 30%-50%?
Sorry if i am being repetitive in my questions. Any advise/information is much appreciated!
