best affordable mac pro configuration for illustrator

[csbm]

dear all.

at my office we work with large illustrator files (for cartography on a large urban scale, most of the time strictly vector). for the moment we only have standard imacs, and of course all the files are running slow or they crash.

since we need a powerful computer a.s.a.p. we can't wait for the (unclear) launch date of the new mac pro.

what would be the best mac pro config at the moment for handling large vector data files?

thanks.

csbm

 

[vladi]

dear all.

at my office we work with large illustrator files (for cartography on a large urban scale, most of the time strictly vector). for the moment we only have standard imacs, and of course all the files are running slow or they crash.

since we need a powerful computer a.s.a.p. we can't wait for the (unclear) launch date of the new mac pro.

what would be the best mac pro config at the moment for handling large vector data files?

thanks.

csbm

Illustrator has the weakest internals out of all mainstream Adobe products and I am just simply afraid that no matter what beast you bring to the table when you work with huge vector files you will get slowdowns.

It simply not optimized well for efficiency and I would really like to know if it can even utilize more than two CPUs, I am afraid not. Someone correct me if I am wrong but quad core will not bring much speed unless its clocked higher than your dual core.

Illustrator is not a 64bit app so you are limited with RAM, it doesn't access GPU and really all you could do to gain performance is fast CPU and fast HDD (try some fast SSD or 10,000RPM ones).

I don't know your workflow but you can import portion by portion of your vectors as smartobjects in Photoshop and go from there. I am just guessing like I said I don't know what you do and how you do it.

 

[sigmadog]

I agree 100% with Vladi.

I use Illustrator every day (probably 60% of my work) and it doesn't matter how many procesors you have, it only uses one. Don't waste your money until Adobe re-writes Illustrator in 64-bit.

This is why I stayed with CS4 and didn't upgrade.

 

[shitwong]

Indeed are there any alternative to Adobe Illustrator for better use of modern hardware?

 

[vladi]

Indeed are there any alternative to Adobe Illustrator for better use of modern hardware?

Check out this link http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_08_01_05.html

Many AI alternatives but I don't know which one is efficient one.

 

[derbothaus]

I fear the only thing you can try to do is get highest clock speed you can and use any extra money on an SSD. Illustrator tends to be the slowest during saves and writes.

 

[JavaTheHut]

@OP
For the sake of real world numbers what are your file sizes? The term LARGE is pretty ambiguous. How many links are you running in your files typically? if you have a vector bench mark you would like to run let us know.

What Mac are you running know? and its profile, RAM etc...

I agree with the other posters Adobe has neglected Illustrator of late with little upgrade, until they address 64bit the software can not use more than 3GB of RAM

Are you using an assigned scratch disk?