iMac to MP

[MattSepeta]

Hey guys. I have been using iMacs for the past 4 years and am going to make the jump to Mac Pros and I have a few questions....

Current setup: 24"iMac 2.4 C2D 6GB RAM SSD boot / app disc, Aperture 3 library on external through FW800 + Time Machine External and "Random" video/music external

My goal: Make a machine the runs Aperture 3, Photoshop CS4 and FCP (occasionally) screamin fast. I am starting to feel bogged down working on 21 megapixel RAWs in Aperture 3 and 1080p footage in FCP

I would love ANY feedback on my current plan:
-Get a used basic Mac pro (Any advice on a good year / processor to look for?) from craigslist or another forum I buy/sell stuff
-Get it up to 12GB RAM
-Take the SSD from my iMac and put it in as boot / app drive (Will this work plug-n-go?)
-large eSATA drive for aperture libraries. Would I see a worthwhile benefit from something like this using RAID 0 mode?
-large internal drive for time machine. Will this backup a RAID 0 drive like it would any other? I clearly have a minimal understanding of RAID tech!
-large internal drive for music/movies
-gfx card... Can I upgrade this myself if I get an older machine? Any recommendations?

Thanks guys

EDIT: Found one of these on craigslist w/ 24" dell I was going to get anyways for $1500... Good deal?

 

[cjgonzales1900]

EDIT: Found one of these on craigslist w/ 24" dell I was going to get anyways for $1500... Good deal?

First off, Are you planning on spending a lot of money on this project? If so then Mac Pro is the way to go.

Which dell screen?

First off. I got this Mac Pro for $1000. 2x 2.66 Intel Xeon 8GB Ram, 750Gb HD, Standard Graphics card. On CL and on eBay i believe they go for about $1200-$1500.

 

[Hellhammer]

I would try to find at least 2008 Mac Pro, preferably 2009 as they use the newer Nehalem micro-architecture. 2006 Mac Pros are still okay but they are five years old so personally I would pay a bit more and get a newer one. Besides, even the 1199$ iMac would be faster.

If your SSD is 2.5", then you need an adapter like this to mount it in MP's drive bay.

If you are using eSATA, then RAID 0 would speed things up. The external can be backed up as well but you are going to need one hell of an HD as the external is 4TB. I would put the photos and stuff in an internal HD (get e.g. 2x2TB and put them in RAID 0) and then get a big external for backups (maybe 3 or 4 bay external, possibly RAID 5 for extra safety).

ATI 5770 and 5870 work with any Mac Pro so they are your best choices if you need a better GPU.

 

[flatfoot]

If your SSD is 2.5", then you need an adapter like this to mount it in MP's drive bay.

...or a cable tie.

 

[MattSepeta]

I would try to find at least 2008 Mac Pro, preferably 2009 as they use the newer Nehalem micro-architecture. 2006 Mac Pros are still okay but they are five years old so personally I would pay a bit more and get a newer one. Besides, even the 1199$ iMac would be faster.

If your SSD is 2.5", then you need an adapter like this to mount it in MP's drive bay.

If you are using eSATA, then RAID 0 would speed things up. The external can be backed up as well but you are going to need one hell of an HD as the external is 4TB. I would put the photos and stuff in an internal HD (get e.g. 2x2TB and put them in RAID 0) and then get a big external for backups (maybe 3 or 4 bay external, possibly RAID 5 for extra safety).

ATI 5770 and 5870 work with any Mac Pro so they are your best choices if you need a better GPU.

Thanks for the advice. I just found another MP on craigslist that is 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" 2009 that looks fairly stock for $1700. Good deal?

I am fine with using an adapter. Not needing to reinstall everything will save me sooooo much time and effort!

As for the hard drives, is there a certain brand or model that people use for the Mac Pros for optimal performance? I have seen "WD Caviar Black" tossed around a lot?

Thanks

 

[Hellhammer]

Thanks for the advice. I just found another MP on craigslist that is 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" 2009 that looks fairly stock for $1700. Good deal?

I think it's decent. There is 2.8GHz quad (current gen) for 2119$ in refurb store which might be worth considering, especially if you want better GPU than the GT 120 (assuming the MP you are looking at is stock model). Comes with full warranty too. If you are fine with the GT 120, then the used one looks better.

As for the hard drives, is there a certain brand or model that people use for the Mac Pros for optimal performance? I have seen "WD Caviar Black" tossed around a lot?

Caviar Blacks are fast but quite a few people have reported that they are fairly noisy as well. If you are going with RAID 0, I would go with Caviar Greens or other 5400rpm HDs. They are slower but pretty fast when in RAID 0. They are also cheaper.

 

[MattSepeta]

I think it's decent. There is 2.8GHz quad (current gen) for 2119$ in refurb store which might be worth considering, especially if you want better GPU than the GT 120 (assuming the MP you are looking at is stock model). Comes with full warranty too. If you are fine with the GT 120, then the used one looks better.



Caviar Blacks are fast but quite a few people have reported that they are fairly noisy as well. If you are going with RAID 0, I would go with Caviar Greens or other 5400rpm HDs. They are slower but pretty fast when in RAID 0. They are also cheaper.

So this should work fine?

I would put 2 2TBs in RAID 0 inside the machine then. Time machined with an external 2TB I already have.

As for the RAM: Is it better to have more smaller sticks or less large sticks? I will be getting OWC most likely.

 

[Hellhammer]

So this should work fine?

I would put 2 2TBs in RAID 0 inside the machine then. Time machined with an external 2TB I already have.

Yeah, Caviar Greens are okay. Be sure to expand your backup solution once you fill the 2TB though. You have over 4TBs inside your machines so sooner than later you will have to invest on a new solution.

As for the RAM: Is it better to have more smaller sticks or less large sticks? I will be getting OWC most likely.

The quad has only four RAM slots so 3x4GB is your best option if you want 12GB. That leaves space for one 4GB module in the future to make it 16GB. If you know you are going to need more than 16GB, then go with 8GB modules (can't be mixed with other modules).