My cousin is getting married and I am gifting them a loaded Mac Pro 2009 (4,1 flashed to 5,1) to share and use.
The are both Audio Engineers that do a lot of video work, and the guy likes to game. They also already both use Mac's, but are complaining that they can't update their MacOS versions due to ProTools compatibility. So this machine that will likely not be updated ever again is a perfect fit for a studio machine.
So, the CPU and RAM options were pretty straightforward (x2 X5690 + 8x16GB 2Rx4 10600R), but I am pretty conflicted on GPU, and flat out unsure when it comes to SSD's.
Will also get the Sonnet USB 3.0 card, as well as an expensive Airport Card and Adapter upgrade.
GPU
For GPU's, it is going to be either a Vega 64 or an RX 5700XT.
Vega 64 Pros:
1. Supports Mojave, the last officially supported OS for this Mac
2. Will be slightly cheaper (used)
Vega 64 Cons:
1. Would need to be the Sapphire Nitro for reasonable temps
2. Would need to do the Pixlas mod
5700XT Pros:
1. Slightly More Powerful
2. Does not require the Pixlas mod
3. More model buying options
5700XT Cons:
1. Will Require running unsupported Catalina, which may introduce compatibility issues
2. Slightly more expensive (even used)
Thoughts here? If going for the 5700XT, what model?
SSD
For the SSD, I will not tolerate SATA II speeds for an OS Drive. So NVMe is the way to go here, but I would like to go RAID if possible. I have many questions:
1. What results can I expect from Dual or Quad NVMe to PCIe card without bifurcation (like ASUS Hyper)? Would it be much better than just a single NVMe drive on a cheap single NVMe to PCIe?
2. The most affordable dual NVMe PCIe card WITH bifurcation?
3. Any compatibility issues running Catalina in RAID 0 (as this is of course unsupported)?
4. Issues installing BootCamp (Windows 10) to NVMe RAID 0 on PCIe?
5. I've read a few threads where the slot matters; I will have a dual slot gpu, USB 3.0 Card, and a NVMe card. What should be the ordering?
I don't really need SSD recommendations, but I will be going for 1TB total (Then large hard drives for mass storage).
I would LOVE to get the HighPoint or Amfeltec Squid, but of course they are not cheap. Unless you think that's the best long term buy, I probably won't be getting it.
So please feel free to address any or all of my questions and concerns. Thank you!
The are both Audio Engineers that do a lot of video work, and the guy likes to game. They also already both use Mac's, but are complaining that they can't update their MacOS versions due to ProTools compatibility. So this machine that will likely not be updated ever again is a perfect fit for a studio machine.
So, the CPU and RAM options were pretty straightforward (x2 X5690 + 8x16GB 2Rx4 10600R), but I am pretty conflicted on GPU, and flat out unsure when it comes to SSD's.
Will also get the Sonnet USB 3.0 card, as well as an expensive Airport Card and Adapter upgrade.
GPU
For GPU's, it is going to be either a Vega 64 or an RX 5700XT.
Vega 64 Pros:
1. Supports Mojave, the last officially supported OS for this Mac
2. Will be slightly cheaper (used)
Vega 64 Cons:
1. Would need to be the Sapphire Nitro for reasonable temps
2. Would need to do the Pixlas mod
5700XT Pros:
1. Slightly More Powerful
2. Does not require the Pixlas mod
3. More model buying options
5700XT Cons:
1. Will Require running unsupported Catalina, which may introduce compatibility issues
2. Slightly more expensive (even used)
Thoughts here? If going for the 5700XT, what model?
SSD
For the SSD, I will not tolerate SATA II speeds for an OS Drive. So NVMe is the way to go here, but I would like to go RAID if possible. I have many questions:
1. What results can I expect from Dual or Quad NVMe to PCIe card without bifurcation (like ASUS Hyper)? Would it be much better than just a single NVMe drive on a cheap single NVMe to PCIe?
2. The most affordable dual NVMe PCIe card WITH bifurcation?
3. Any compatibility issues running Catalina in RAID 0 (as this is of course unsupported)?
4. Issues installing BootCamp (Windows 10) to NVMe RAID 0 on PCIe?
5. I've read a few threads where the slot matters; I will have a dual slot gpu, USB 3.0 Card, and a NVMe card. What should be the ordering?
I don't really need SSD recommendations, but I will be going for 1TB total (Then large hard drives for mass storage).
I would LOVE to get the HighPoint or Amfeltec Squid, but of course they are not cheap. Unless you think that's the best long term buy, I probably won't be getting it.
So please feel free to address any or all of my questions and concerns. Thank you!
