Storage, memory choice, or any regrets or second thoughts on any of your MP purchases?
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Do you have any regrets or second thoughts on your MP purchase?
- Thread starter Nikomanz
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So far I've yet to regret buying my Mac Pro. It's handled everything I've thrown at it. 
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Every Mac Pro I've bought has been to resell after upgrades. Made a profit on all of 'em. I regret nothing
I've never regretted my Mac Pro purchase. So far, it has been a major contributor to 3 years worth of income.
Rendering.
In the 64-bit world, I have discovered that memory is much, much more important than cpu speed.
Going over 16gb of ram doubles the cost of an iMac. Add on the poor heat dissipation characteristics of an iMac & that leaves the mac pro as the only choice.
Then there is the 4TB of lossless iTunes (40,000+ songs & counting) and the 700+ movies & TV shows
Rendering.
In the 64-bit world, I have discovered that memory is much, much more important than cpu speed.
Going over 16gb of ram doubles the cost of an iMac. Add on the poor heat dissipation characteristics of an iMac & that leaves the mac pro as the only choice.
Then there is the 4TB of lossless iTunes (40,000+ songs & counting) and the 700+ movies & TV shows
4x8GB of RAM sticks for an iMac could cost you as little as ~$300. OWC 32GB of RAM set costs ~$400. I'm not saying memory isn't a good reason to move to a Mac Pro, or that you aren't right that in general using 32GB of RAM with an iMac isn't really a great option.
No regrets here. I'n pretty happy with my Mac Pro. 8 cores and 16GB of RAM and it runs like a champ.
I also own a MBP and I do regret some choices on that. I will admit I was impulsive and was tired of waiting, and as soon as Apple did their recent update I pulled the trigger on a new 15". It only has 4GB of RAM and a 500GB 5400RPM HDD. Needless to say, I would have opted for the SSD and more RAM. Because I bought Apple Care, I'm stuck now and can't upgrade anything without voiding warranty.
I also own a MBP and I do regret some choices on that. I will admit I was impulsive and was tired of waiting, and as soon as Apple did their recent update I pulled the trigger on a new 15". It only has 4GB of RAM and a 500GB 5400RPM HDD. Needless to say, I would have opted for the SSD and more RAM. Because I bought Apple Care, I'm stuck now and can't upgrade anything without voiding warranty.
I bought the 1st gen MacPro in 2006 which was my very first Mac after leaving WinXP and it was a good choice. I spent far more time using my computer and far less time fiddling with it to get it working the way I wanted. I used it to create my first feature film in 2008 called Standing Firm which was released in 2010 (hits Redbox April 24th...shameless plug!). That machine was my main machine until (out of want not necessity) I bought a 2011 MacBook Pro which then replaced my desktop as my main machine...even the heavy lifting.
I've been questioning my future with Mac for a while wondering if the laptops are fast enough, or maybe a cheaper iMac 27" would be a better option over a new MacPro. Eventually 2 weeks ago or so I got a used 2009 MacPro (2.93 8-Core) loaded with RAM and a new ATI 5870. It's about 30% faster then my 2011 MBP in most tasks which isn't a HUGE improvement for most things, but it's able to handle them more swiftly without major heat, noise, etc. I'll be honest I've been wondering if it was the right decision and have thought about selling it already to get an iMac at some point instead, wait for the new MP's and just survive off my 2011 MBP until whenever, etc.
Still, they're pretty amazing machines and last a really long time. That 6 year old MacPro from 2006 is now sitting in a box waiting to be SOLD, but after putting an ATI 5770 in it to get it ready to be sold, I fired up FCPX and couldn't believe how fast it was. I'm almost sad to sell it, but I can't have all these machines lying around in this economy.
These things are built to last. I really hope the MP's continue in the Mac line, and hopefully if the next update is amazing I can maybe sell the 2009 I just got for a good price without losing money...and spend a bit more for something new.
I don't regret going Mac
I've been questioning my future with Mac for a while wondering if the laptops are fast enough, or maybe a cheaper iMac 27" would be a better option over a new MacPro. Eventually 2 weeks ago or so I got a used 2009 MacPro (2.93 8-Core) loaded with RAM and a new ATI 5870. It's about 30% faster then my 2011 MBP in most tasks which isn't a HUGE improvement for most things, but it's able to handle them more swiftly without major heat, noise, etc. I'll be honest I've been wondering if it was the right decision and have thought about selling it already to get an iMac at some point instead, wait for the new MP's and just survive off my 2011 MBP until whenever, etc.
Still, they're pretty amazing machines and last a really long time. That 6 year old MacPro from 2006 is now sitting in a box waiting to be SOLD, but after putting an ATI 5770 in it to get it ready to be sold, I fired up FCPX and couldn't believe how fast it was. I'm almost sad to sell it, but I can't have all these machines lying around in this economy.
These things are built to last. I really hope the MP's continue in the Mac line, and hopefully if the next update is amazing I can maybe sell the 2009 I just got for a good price without losing money...and spend a bit more for something new.
I don't regret going Mac
Last time I priced them, they were a bit more.
Running a MP over a iMac is actually a combination of several things.
1. Memory - I need more than 16 gb. I needed it long before it was available on the iMac.
2. Heat dissipation - I have way too many Apple products that died because Idiot Boy was more concerned about looks than heat dissipation - Apple TV, Time Capsule & worst of all a $1500 MBP that died before my $300 netbook.
3. Screens - the quality of the iMac is variable.
4. Internal storage - I have 6 internal hard drives - and I could add 4 more. The price of an iMac & a thunderbolt enclosure is about the same as a MacPro.
5. Speed - If you are into these things, MacTracker shows a 1,1 having a 4,388 average geekbench score - mine is much higher (6,257). If I spend $140 for 2 Xeon 5355's, I am running about as fast as a iMac 12,2. More bang for buck.
6. Repair speed. If I want to add an SSD to a MP, I just pull a sled. putting an SSD in an iMac is a whole different ballgame. If the video card dies, or I just want a new one, it is easy to replace (Nvidia 7300 [DOA] - ATI 3870 [fan died] - ATI 5770 in my case)
7. TCO costs. An iMac will put you on a 36 month replacement cycle. I am looking at a 72 month replacement cycle. I can't move memory into my next MP, but I can move the drives & the video card.
My only regret is that I didn't buy the 2010 when it was released.
I have been happy with my 2008, but it's way too slow and the 32 gb ram ceiling sucks.
I am hoping for a 16 core update with at least a 256 go ceiling for my next machine. If the !ac Pro doesn't deliver, I will have to consider the HP Z820 seriously.
I have been happy with my 2008, but it's way too slow and the 32 gb ram ceiling sucks.
I am hoping for a 16 core update with at least a 256 go ceiling for my next machine. If the !ac Pro doesn't deliver, I will have to consider the HP Z820 seriously.
The only regret is my capture card. Had nothing but problems for the first year with the Matrox MXO2 LE. Should have went Kona but was trying to save money like an idiot.
Luckily I finally found a stable firmware build that allowed Core audio, clean audio out in FCP and didn't cause kernel panics. That firmware is never getting updated again.
Luckily I finally found a stable firmware build that allowed Core audio, clean audio out in FCP and didn't cause kernel panics. That firmware is never getting updated again.
Regrets? Never! Mine will soon be two years old and it still handles everything I throw at it. With a two years old iMac or mbp as my main machine I would already be looking at a replacement. And if I require more power I'll just upgrade to that 3,3 ghz hex core cpu. I also hope for a new gpu with the next MP release.
I use it for graphic design, illustrations, Cinema 4D and gaming.
Sad but true - at the end of its cycle the MP is not good value for money. You basically have to buy within the first 6 months after a new release - which of course is not always possible.
I bought mine right after the last update.
I use it for graphic design, illustrations, Cinema 4D and gaming.
Sad but true - at the end of its cycle the MP is not good value for money. You basically have to buy within the first 6 months after a new release - which of course is not always possible.
I bought mine right after the last update.
My main complaint is that the pricing hasn't gone down. At all. I find that completely contrary to how things used to be. I could see buying a 12 core now if the price had come down by $1,200 or so.
I bought a maxed out 15" MBP while I wait. i7, 2.5 ghz, 1 gb vram, 16 gb ram, two SSDs. It's pretty nice. But it's not a desktop replacement.
My best computer ever!
Bought it after 10 years of building PCs every two years. Got fed up with all the small problems, like sound card A don't work with 2 CPUs and PCI card B can't be in the second slot on MB C. The price was about the same I normally paid for a home built pc (I usually was a bit excessive, and built things like 2xP3 with all scsi setup).
My MacPro has worked very well. In less than two years time I finished things I had tried to get done on windows for more than six years. Still after 4 years it feels responsive and fast enough. I have never experienced that with a computer before. It has worked with 97% load on 8 cores (and still felt responsive for other tasks!) for about 1.5 year in total, so I would say I have used a fair amount of available CPU power.
Negatives?
Well, 4 PCIe slots are limiting. Today I have to switch cables to get different storage volumes attached (60 HDD and >100TB). OSX does not handle multiple displays in a good manner, especially not Lion.
Bought it after 10 years of building PCs every two years. Got fed up with all the small problems, like sound card A don't work with 2 CPUs and PCI card B can't be in the second slot on MB C. The price was about the same I normally paid for a home built pc (I usually was a bit excessive, and built things like 2xP3 with all scsi setup).
My MacPro has worked very well. In less than two years time I finished things I had tried to get done on windows for more than six years. Still after 4 years it feels responsive and fast enough. I have never experienced that with a computer before. It has worked with 97% load on 8 cores (and still felt responsive for other tasks!) for about 1.5 year in total, so I would say I have used a fair amount of available CPU power.
Negatives?
Well, 4 PCIe slots are limiting. Today I have to switch cables to get different storage volumes attached (60 HDD and >100TB). OSX does not handle multiple displays in a good manner, especially not Lion.
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A definitely regret not getting a 3.33 hex. I was trying to be all responsible and opted for the 3.2 quad and an HD 5870. The Mac Pro has been a delight. I'm running five WD RE4 2TB HDs, an LG Bluray burner and 24GB RAM. Mac Lion and Windows 7 each have their own drives. The machine is a dream come true for Photoshop.
