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MattDSLR

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 23, 2011
326
0
Canada
Looking at 6 core 3.33

This computer will be used for video and intense photo editing

I can't wait another 4 months or longer, but I do not want to buy something that I will be sorry I bought

THX for your input

Matt
 
Matt, what is it that you are asking? Sounds like you want input, but it also sounds like you know what you are buying. What is it that you want the community to comment on? There's no question or comparison anywhere in your post.
 
I don't understand this post either. I can tell you the photo work relies massively on ram (assuming photoshop here). It shuffles a lot of data around if you're working with a lot of layers, especially at 16 bpc. Either it's written to ram or scratch disks, so those can bottleneck the cpus if they are not sufficient, and quite frequently these days it's possible to basically hold everything in ram and just purge occasionally after checking your work to that point.
 
Your profile says you have an 8-core, and you want to drop down to a 6-core? Maybe you mean you want to bump your dual quad cores to dual 6-cores. So, do it! It's a very easy upgrade.
 
A 6 core 3.33 (or an upgrade of your dual CPU model as suggested) is plenty fast enough for photo work. I use a 6x3.33 with 24 GB RAM with CS5, NX2 and Photo Mechanic and it is outstanding. The lack of TB is not a big issue IMHO on MP's since you have numerous eSATA and SAS PCIe solutions available that will match the speed of TB for storage (a lot more variety as well).

Sure the SB Xeons will be a little faster but it's not going to be a huge improvement. Newer video cards add nothing for your intended use, either.
 
I gotta ask, in what way is your current machine not equal to the task you're putting before it?

Photo work just isn't all that demanding compared to video work - and my machine has really been plenty equal to the task, and it's getting old in computer years.

Have you done everything you could on the software side?
 
Right now, the 3.33GHz 6-core is 1.5-year post release and it is not really a great time to buy. If you can wait four months and Apple decides to release a new Mac Pro, you will benefit from having much better tech (Sandy Bridge. Thunderbolt, SATA-3. ATI 79xx video, etc)....

But again, wait and see. By that time we will probably know if Apple is going to continue the Mac Pro line or discontinue them, my guess is we might see one more machine from Apple before the line is discontinued. I really think it's going to happen.

But still. I would be dumb to buy one now at any rate given the product cycle.
 
Matt had RAM needs. If I remember correctly. The reason he bought an 8-core 2.4GHz was to have 8-slots for memory. Not sure what changed as we used to trade blows arguing if the 6 or 8 core was fastest for him:D
The hex is slightly faster overall but not for him at the time due to 4-slot Memory limitation on the hex. The limitation is still there. Maybe Matt started using too many single threaded apps. Or partly mutithreaded apps. On those tasks the 6-core just pummels the 8-core.
 
Matt had RAM needs. If I remember correctly. The reason he bought an 8-core 2.4GHz was to have 8-slots for memory. Not sure what changed as we used to trade blows arguing if the 6 or 8 core was fastest for him:D
The hex is slightly faster overall but not for him at the time due to 4-slot Memory limitation on the hex. The limitation is still there. Maybe Matt started using too many single threaded apps. Or partly mutithreaded apps. On those tasks the 6-core just pummels the 8-core.

or he doesn't need that much ram anymore, or he over estimated what he thought he would need :D
 
Just looking for feedback good or no good decision

Sorry I should of asked

----------

I gotta ask, in what way is your current machine not equal to the task you're putting before it?

Photo work just isn't all that demanding compared to video work - and my machine has really been plenty equal to the task, and it's getting old in computer years.

Have you done everything you could on the software side?
The machine will be replacing one of my aging iMacs
The two mac pros will be for my wife and I
the 27" will go into our office for demos for our clients its now 3 years old and it takes forever to do multi tasks aps on it
24 will go to my daughters room its 5 years old and way to slow for anything now
Thank you for feedback
 
The machine will be replacing one of my aging iMacs
The two mac pros will be for my wife and I
the 27" will go into our office for demos for our clients its now 3 years old and it takes forever to do multi tasks aps on it
24 will go to my daughters room its 5 years old and way to slow for anything now
Thank you for feedback

Ah yes. Clarity.
I'd still wait on new Pro's unless you absolutely need it now. Your handing Apple 800.00-1000.00 extra bucks profit on the goods now.
 
Ah yes. Clarity.
I'd still wait on new Pro's unless you absolutely need it now. Your handing Apple 800.00-1000.00 extra bucks profit on the goods now.

Exactly.... they were priced aggressively to begin with. Intel drops prices mid cycle to smooth out sales over an extended refresh period. Apple just pockets the difference:rolleyes:. They haven't seen a really major update since 2009. Even 2010 was just a cpu/gpu bump, and the base machine barely even received that.
 
Looking at 6 core 3.33

This computer will be used for video and intense photo editing

I can't wait another 4 months or longer, but I do not want to buy something that I will be sorry I bought

THX for your input

Matt

Buy a refurb 4 core 2010 machine and do OWC's turnkey upgrade to a 6 core 3.46 machine. About the same cost, but you'll get a faster processor.

If you use mainly Photoshop CS5, 6 cores is superior to more due to a problem in Photoshop, see the article on diglloyd's site http://www.macperformanceguide.com/PhotoshopCS5-performance-cores.html

Aperture and Lightroom do seem to benefit a bit from 12 cores vs. 6, but then I wouldn't tend to do a lot of big memory hog operations in those programs. I'm just hoping my Mac Pro 3,1 can keep wheezing a few more months...it's started doing a few odd things...
 
Looking at 6 core 3.33
....
I can't wait another 4 months or longer, but I do not want to buy something that I will be sorry I bought

For this particular machine you may be sorry if the 4months is to rationalize buying now. Any model at the top end of the scale has "price leverage".

The new single package Mac Pro will likely have E5 1660s.

E5 1620 4 core 3.6GHz $294
E5 1630 6 core 3.2GHz $583
E5 1660 6 core 3.3GHz $1080

That means the mid-range version is going to be equivalent to the top of the old range. You can see that there is huge drop off in component cost. That is going to show up in the mid-range Mac Pro system (right now it is $800 gap between mid and top end. That ~28% of the mid range price. ).


It likely won't be 4 months. Early-Mid March. More like a month and 1/2. The E5's are already shipping in volume to vendors.

Newegg has deeply discounted W3680's (not sure if they have kit to help with install) it is toss up whether will pay more for a refurb + W3680 + install tool/service costs than for a new mid range box. Upgrading the processors isn't a trivial upgrade.

Given have ordered the refurb I'm wait for the 3680 addition. If it is an older iMac even a entry refurb is incrementally faster. The 3680 prices will drop again as the E5's come out (as most will want to unload inventory. In part already the case at newegg. ). If the new mid range offering looks better, you can unload the refurb for a small markdown.
 
I am sure it will work just as fine as your current 8 core Westmere. Maybe a little slower.

That's funny stuff. The 6 is faster all around. Except when needing more than 32GB RAM. It is in the math and even more so in the real world.
8-core: 12900
6-core: 14200
 
That's funny stuff. The 6 is faster all around. Except when needing more than 32GB RAM. It is in the math and even more so in the real world.
8-core: 12900
6-core: 14200

So a dual socket 8 core Westmere is SLOWER than a single socket 6 core westmere? Maybe in the Geekbench score.

Do you have a link for your numbers?

It may help if the OP had chip speeds listed in his sig. Either way, the OP has lost his mind if he's asking if he needs a single single chip machine over his dual socket when he could just drop in a faster chip, use the three top notch machines he/she has, or at the very least wait for an update. Buying 2-3 year old tech is not a good business decision.
 
So a dual socket 8 core Westmere is SLOWER than a single socket 6 core westmere? Maybe in the Geekbench score.

Do you have a link for your numbers?


It may help if the OP had chip speeds listed in his sig. Either way, the OP has lost his mind if he's asking if he needs a single single chip machine over his dual socket when he could just drop in a faster chip, use the three top notch machines he/she has, or at the very least wait for an update. Buying 2-3 year old tech is not a good business decision.
Geekbench actually benefits the 8-core and levels the playing field for it. The less threaded we get the better the 6-core looks.
In everything really. You name it, it is faster. It also costs slightly more so it is to be expected. On single threads it is 900MHz faster!
http://macperformanceguide.com/Reviews-MacProWestmere-Photoshop-diglloydSpeed1.html
http://www.barefeats.com/wst10c3.html
http://www.barefeats.com/wst10c2.html
http://www.barefeats.com/wst10c.html

The OP has not lost his mind. If you read his latest posts it is in addition to his current Mac. Dual sockets are not always faster especially when they are clocked so low.
 
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I am sure it will work just as fine as your current 8 core Westmere. Maybe a little slower.

Although one can question the business decision (although if has a real business and he gets to depreciate it and that will dramatically lower the cost in the US) since some sort of new Mac Pro replacement is probably just around the corner, the six core 3.43 will be faster for his needs then an 8 core. Read the article at http://www.macperformanceguide.com/PhotoshopCS5-performance-cores.html before jumping to conclusions about what's faster for his needs. Will it be a LOT faster? No. Will it be a bit faster? Yes. Is it worth it? That's up to him.
 
I don't think even if the new macs will come out the basics will not be much faster than dual 2.4 or single 6 core
testing them both with the same ram in both they run almost identical speeds
dual 2.4 is a bit faster on large files/ folders on export
6 core is much faster in photoshop and imports and overall single applications do to clock speeds
Both are great and they keep me smiling thats all its important :)
Thank you all
 
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