iMac i7 to Mac Pro 2009/30'' Cinema--help me decide!

[nynemusic]

Hi guys, finally registered and joined this community!

I am getting a good deal on a used Mac Pro 2.66 Quad 2009 and a 30' Cinema Display. I was looking to add more FX hard drives to my iMac but would prefer the internal storage and upgrade paths available for the Mac Pro. I am not in a position to buy a new Mac Pro nor wait for the release of newer models.

My dealer, whom i have a great long relationship with will only sell me machines in great condition. However, i have never bought a used machine so am a little apprehensive as it is from 2009.

I do plan to upgrade the cpu to a 3.33 hexacore in the near future. Again, the internal storage bays and easy access to them is very attractive.

Also, with the new iMacs out, my 2009 iMac is losing value fast.

What do u suggest.

I am an audio professional, this will be a studio machine to record and run Logic, Studio One, Kontakt etc.....

Please advise.
Thanks

FB

 

[applegeek897]

Go for it, expansion is why i bought my Mac Pro, I was also able to get it with a 30" Cinema Display aswel and what a great combo, you can have up to 6 hard drives if you remove the optical drive, which you dont get on a new iMac anyway, and i have compared the 2 display next to each other and the 30" is in a class of its own. You can also install very powerful graphics card in it now wheres you are stuck with mobile graphics in the iMac.

As far as putting a 6 Core in it im not sure but I don't think you can put one in a 4,1 Mac Pro only a 5,1 but I also think a 4,1 in upgradeable to a 5,1 and you would also need to change the ram to 1333Mhz because the 6 core is not compatible with 1066Mhz which the 2009 (4,1) comes with.

 

[SDAVE]

Do it.

 

[xDeLiRiOuSx]

As far as putting a 6 Core in it im not sure but I don't think you can put one in a 4,1 Mac Pro only a 5,1 but I also think a 4,1 in upgradeable to a 5,1 and you would also need to change the ram to 1333Mhz because the 6 core is not compatible with 1066Mhz which the 2009 (4,1) comes with.

Actually, you are able to put a 6 core W3690 (3.46Ghz) or 6 core W3680 (3.33Ghz) in the Mac Pro 4,1. However, the machine must be upgraded by a firmware flash to 5,1. The upgraded CPU will run with the 1066Mhz RAM OR 1333Mhz RAM.

It's a fact, because I've done it

I have several Mac Pros and I love them all. My wife has a iMac and she loves it because she doesn't need the expandability of the Mac pro; but likes the AIO design.

 

[Baunkjaer]

Don´t hesitate. Just buy it.

 

[Tesselator]

• i have never bought a used machine so am a little apprehensive as it is from 2009.
  
• I do plan to upgrade the cpu to a 3.33 hexacore in the near future.
  
• Again, the internal storage bays and easy access to them is very attractive.
  
• Also, with the new iMacs out, my 2009 iMac is losing value fast.

• Don't worry about it. I guess the lifespan for the important bits on that machine is over 20 years. It should be fine, ya.
  
• Probably a good idea!
  
• Cool, and don't forget that the motherboard also has two unused SATAII connectors that you can either take external or use to mount some drives under the optical drive.
  
• Sell it, donate it, or give it to your kids if you have any.

 

[nynemusic]

Guys, thank you so much!!!
Decision made, Mac Pro it is.
CPU upgrade in the next few months!

 

[Tesselator]

kewl,

On the iMac, I threw out our TV set (as I dislike television programming) and put the iMac in it's place. So now everyone watches YouTube or DVDs instead.

 

[Tucom]

kewl,

On the iMac, I threw out our TV set (as I dislike television programming) and put the iMac in it's place. So now everyone watches YouTube or DVDs instead.

You THREW IT OUT? Surely you either sold it or properly got rid of it. Get Netflix and Amazon has Video on Demand.


So, yeah.

 

[CaptHenryMorgan]

That Mac Pro is a waste of money. Older chipset, older architecture, older SATA bus, older RAM, older GPU, no Thunderbolt. I'd spend the money on a previous-gen 27" iMac i7 3.4Ghz, but that's me.

 

[Tesselator]

You THREW IT OUT? Surely you either sold it or properly got rid of it. Get Netflix and Amazon has Video on Demand.


So, yeah.

Yeah, I actually threw it out onto the trash heap. There hasn't been a television set in this house for like 7 years or more. Hey, Elvis shot his out so I consider myself conservative. I've heard about netflix but didn't know Amazon had VOD.

 

[lucasfer899]

That Mac Pro is a waste of money. Older chipset, older architecture, older SATA bus, older RAM, older GPU, no Thunderbolt. I'd spend the money on a previous-gen 27" iMac i7 3.4Ghz, but that's me.

Same RAM, and it is desktop RAM over the laptop stuff in an iMac.
Can put in way more graphics horsepower.
The Pro is based on LGA1366, a workstation socket, whereas the iMac is based on LGA 1155, a home PC socket, therefore you cannot compare the two, even though 1366's successor, LGA2011, has come out.
Oh, and it looks like OP doesn't have any interest in thunderbolt, why would you need it when you can have so many internal drives and install a SAS card?