Mac Pro Suitable?

[axu539]

So I'll be in the market for a new Mac soon, and I was wondering about which direction I should go in. I'm currently using a late '08 unibody MacBook Pro, and the 9400m has been causing flickering, and frankly, the 2.4 GHz C2D is starting to be a little sluggish for my taste.

I primarily use my system for media. I stream Netflix and Hulu, but more importantly, I rip a lot of movies and do a lot of Handbrake conversion. I also do some Matlab work. I've been sitting tight waiting for the Sandy Bridge MBPs to show up, but I got to thinking. I don't really go mobile that often, and I know that a Mac Pro would handle video conversion a lot better. A decently spec'ed (to my liking) Mac Pro will, however, cost almost $1000 more than a fully spec'ed MBP. I was wondering if the difference in performance and my specific needs warrant spending the extra money on a workstation. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[NorCalLights]

iMac i7? They're screamers, and it sounds like the perfect "in between" option for you. More powerful than a MBP, less expensive than a Mac Pro (and you get a free monitor!).

 

[axu539]

The problem with an iMac is that I already have a display, and adding an iMac to my setup would simply get rid of any desk room I had left. If it is a better option for me though, I could consider simply selling my current display. Would the quad-core iMac come anywhere near a 6/8 core Mac Pro in Handbrake, in terms of performance?

 

[alust2013]

The problem with an iMac is that I already have a display, and adding an iMac to my setup would simply get rid of any desk room I had left. If it is a better option for me though, I could consider simply selling my current display. Would the quad-core iMac come anywhere near a 6/8 core Mac Pro in Handbrake, in terms of performance?

I would say the quad iMac would be definitely comparable to either of the quad MPs, but the 6 core and probably the 8 core would be a bit faster. The problem there is that you would be spending a huge amount of money on a system to rip stuff with handbrake. The difference between the core 2 in your MBP and the i7 in the iMac would be quite amazing, but I think the difference between the iMac and MP would be less so. If you really want that kind of power to use handbrake, I'd just build a 6-core i7 PC, which will be a load cheaper than a specced up Mac Pro.

I suppose that is to say, sure a Pro would be suitable, but not so much practical.

 

[axu539]

Is there a performance benefit with the Xeon over a regular 6 core i7?

I've also heard that due to their expandability and upgradeability, Mac Pros also hold better resale value. Is this true?

 

[santaliqueur]

Is there a performance benefit with the Xeon over a regular 6 core i7?

I've also heard that due to their expandability and upgradeability, Mac Pros also hold better resale value. Is this true?

iMacs also hold their resale value quite well, just as all other Macs.

I have the i7 27" just before the most current refresh, and it screams. Went from a Mac Pro quad 2.66 with tons of ram, and 2 24" panels. I wanted to keep my own displays, but I finally went with the iMac because it had a better screen than I could find anywhere else, and had much more horsepower. I love my iMac.

 

[MacHamster68]

in therms of resale value definitely the MacPros are a great investment and expandability anyway with the iMac you are limited to externals for everything ,the 8core / 12 core MacPros are the way to go which have the westmare xeons which are faster then the old nehalems and run circles around them but they cost quiet a substantial amount more the 8 core is about £1000 more then a i7 iMac 27" and for the 12 core you get two iMac 27" i7 with cash to spare , but the price seem not to bother you otherwise you would not have even asked about a MacPro as even the base Macpro with the old quad nehalem inside is more expensive the the i7 iMac

but ther is no need to buy a iMac only for the display , apple sells the cinema display which is exact the same

 

[axu539]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I think I'm now leaning toward a quad iMac. I will still be waiting for the Sandy Bridge refreshes to take place, though, so I can see what the MacBook Pros and the iMacs will have to offer this year.

 

[Loa]

Hello,

Waiting for Sandy Bridge, may take a while with the recall. How soon do you want your new Mac?

Loa