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iMac i7 or 2010 Mac Pro for After Effects

blunti said:
what makes you think new MP's are coming out next week? :)
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I think what he means is knowing my/his luck we buy the current pro and a new one is released very soon after...

I once waited ages for a MBP update and finally bit the bullet and bought the current version only for the update to be released a day after i could return the current one!!!!!

Its sod's law.
 
anim8or said:
I think what he means is knowing my/his luck we buy the current pro and a new one is released very soon after...

I once waited ages for a MBP update and finally bit the bullet and bought the current version only for the update to be released a day after i could return the current one!!!!!
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Understandable, but the available information indicates a new MP is going to be quite a ways off.

Given both recent announcements and past history, it will be the end of Q4 2011 before the suitable Sandy Bridge parts are released, and then it will take additional time to manufacture and test out the systems (typically takes 1Q = 13 weeks). So March 2012 is more realistic, which is 8 months off assuming there's no delays.
 
anim8or said:
I think what he means is knowing my/his luck we buy the current pro and a new one is released very soon after...

I once waited ages for a MBP update and finally bit the bullet and bought the current version only for the update to be released a day after i could return the current one!!!!!

Its sod's law.
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How about buying a BTO i7 mini with discrete radeon for now and when the new MP comes out just grab it?

I know it's not as good for AE as a MP would be but still the best solution budget-wise I believe...?

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With the exception of something that we are not aware of, what could apple possibly add to the Mac Pro that would make me greviously regret purchasing the current 12 core Mac Pro....?

I can live without Thunderbolt right now and the jump in performance from my current 1,1 Mac Pro to the current 12 Core 2.66 offering would be HUGE to say the least, so someone please tell me what am i wating for?

How much difference to my After Effects projects will the new Sandy Bridge chipset be over the current Westmere 12 core?
 
If possible I would wait for an upgrade that provides Thunderbolt connectivity.

Especially a Mac Pro should have such a port.

I wouldn't go for a single processor machine.

I took a look at the refurbished Mac Pros at Apple: 2009 models at premium prices - not a good deal.

It's really not a good time to be in the market for a Mac Pro. It's unbelievable that the professional computer line is the only one that doesn't have a Thunderbolt port.
 
Nostromo said:
If possible I would wait for an upgrade that provides Thunderbolt connectivity.

Especially a Mac Pro should have such a port.

I wouldn't go for a single processor machine.

I took a look at the refurbished Mac Pros at Apple: 2009 models at premium prices - not a good deal.

It's really not a good time to be in the market for a Mac Pro. It's unbelievable that the professional computer line is the only one that doesn't have a Thunderbolt port.
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Thanks for your opinion, but you don't really answer my question in the slightest?

Faster connectivity is not a huge concern of mine right now, it may be in the future but i tend to work directly from an internal drive and back up to external storage, the 4 bays seem to do the trick for me at present. What else does the TB port offer me, that i am obviously overlooking, other than speed??

And again for those who missed my last post(a whole two above this one) what direct advantages does the Sandy Bridge architecture have over the current Westmere chips?
 
obviously speed / faster rendering time, possible sata 3 for speedier hdd/ssd etc


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Nostromo said:
It would make sense for the Mac Pro line to skip Sandy Bridge and go right to Ivy Bridge and offer USB 3.0 as well.
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we might be talking about a year from now then I assume?!


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anim8or said:
Glad to hear im not the only one....

I am half tempted to just buy it now and be happy with my purchase.
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I think you will be.

I just last week got a 12-core Mac Pro at my office as I had to spend the money 'now' or lose the ability to spend it. It's a great machine, and a significant upgrade over what I had. At the same time, I also got a 2011 i7 iMac fully loaded for another workstation. I'd advise against that machine for heavy use as it gets extremely hot, which causes the fans to rev up to an unpleasant level. The Mac Pro is silent.

If you budget can allow it, go for the 2.93GHz cpu upgrade; it may not seem like a huge leap, but if you're looking for longevity that extra ~270MHz per core adds up.
 
MacTower said:
At the same time, I also got a 2011 i7 iMac fully loaded for another workstation. I'd advise against that machine for heavy use as it gets extremely hot, which causes the fans to rev up to an unpleasant level. The Mac Pro is silent.
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My friend also noticed the 2011 iMac's top part gets extremely hot too after long hours of usage. I prefer the Mac Pro as I've used a couple of iMacs in the past and the screens' corners tends to have discoloration and have some gray smudges.
 
anim8or said:
With the exception of something that we are not aware of, what could apple possibly add to the Mac Pro that would make me grievously regret purchasing the current 12 core Mac Pro....?
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This will depend mostly on your I/O requirements IMO, as the core to core differences aren't significant (not saying there won't be any increase, but it's going to be modest).

Think of it this way... If PCIe 2.0 and the current slot configurations in the 12 core MP you're considering will do the job, and not leave you short in the next 5 years, then get it.

For purely workstation use, TB offers little IMO, as it's expensive, currently doesn't have much in the way of available peripherals, and PCIe solutions can offer higher throughputs (8x and 16x lane cards).

anim8or said:
How much difference to my After Effects projects will the new Sandy Bridge chipset be over the current Westmere 12 core?
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Not exactly accurate, but if what's happened with the consumer parts continues to hold true, then you're probably looking at ~ 15% for threaded applications.

Take a look here (Anand's preview of Sandy Bridge), as they tested a few applications that are likely relevant to you (Photoshop, DVD encoding, and 3D rendering).

Nostromo said:
It would make sense for the Mac Pro line to skip Sandy Bridge and go right to Ivy Bridge and offer USB 3.0 as well.
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In terms of Sandy Bridge, not really.

  1. Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge use the same socket (Tick-Tock cycle), which is used to reduce costs for both Intel and system vendors (allows for economy of scale to reduce R&D and production costs by stretching it over 2 cycles).
  2. Sandy Bridge's LGA2011 parts aren't even out yet (realistically are another 8 months away before systems reach users), and it will take at approximately another year before Ivy Bridge to release after Sandy Bridge does (we're talking 2013 for Ivy Bridge).
As per USB 3.0, the only way they could add that, is via a 3rd party chip (not included by Intel in any of their chipsets yet, nor will it be for the LGA2011 chipsets). Given that Apple seems to be more interested in TB than USB 3.0 (don't offer it on any of their recently released products), it's not likely to make it on those grounds alone. Now consider that additional components adds to the cost of each unit (manufacturing + R&D), it's further unlikely IMO, as Apple likes high margins.
 
The release date of LGA 2011 is Q4 2011.

We'll very likely not see any new Mac Pros this year.

Not sure if an incremental update with Thunderbolt is possible with Nehalem processors.
 
Thanks for all the input... i have just ordered the current 12 core 2.66ghz with an ATI 5870.....

Too many mixed thoughts on whether anything new is going to happen soon, and i don't feel like waiting any longer :)

I think the performance upgrade i will be getting will be awesome and i think it will do me very well for the next 4-5 years.... by then i am sure we will all know the fate of the Mac Pro.
 
anim8or said:
Thanks for all the input... i have just ordered the current 12 core 2.66ghz with an ATI 5870.....

Too many mixed thoughts on whether anything new is going to happen soon, and i don't feel like waiting any longer :)

I think the performance upgrade i will be getting will be awesome and i think it will do me very well for the next 4-5 years.... by then i am sure we will all know the fate of the Mac Pro.
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It's a fast system, and will serve you well. :)
 
You may want to find a GTX285 or splash out on a PNY Quadro 4000 in the future
 
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