Should i upgrade the CPU, GPU or both?

[user1690]

Hey guys!

So i've got a Mac Pro 1,1 , still chugs along nicely however curiosity got the better of me. The machine is currently purposed with moving tape content (DV, MiniDV etc) to DVD and at the moment it takes about 2hrs per tape (1hr to get it off the tape, a further hour for iMovie to export it) and then a further 1.5hours for iDVD to burn the DVD.

I'm wondering if theres anything i can do to perhaps speed this up? I cant seem to find any solid information on what iMovie and iDVD use when they handle video, some have said CPU and others say GPU so im not sure which to upgrade, or if both would need upgrading?

The system has 7GB 667MHz DDR2 FB RAM, 2 Dual Core 2GHz Xenon Processors and the stock GPU which is a Nvidia 7300GT and OSX Lion 10.7.5. If CPU upgrading is the way to go, whats the fastest CPUs i can get which i just install and go? (Since i've heard its possible to install some processors by flashing to a 2,1 ROM, i dont want to do this. Yet anyway.) If GPU upgrade is the way to go, what would a better card be? My budget on a GPU isnt infinate, ideally dont want to go over £100 BUT will take any and all suggestions into consideration Not too fussed if its a PC card either since i just read another thread here that says PC cards can be supported with the aid of web drivers (Well, Nvidia ones at least) and im not fussy if i cant have the boot screen.

Thanks in advance for any information guys!

 

[flehman]

Hey guys!

So i've got a Mac Pro 1,1 , still chugs along nicely however curiosity got the better of me. The machine is currently purposed with moving tape content (DV, MiniDV etc) to DVD and at the moment it takes about 2hrs per tape (1hr to get it off the tape, a further hour for iMovie to export it) and then a further 1.5hours for iDVD to burn the DVD.

I'm wondering if theres anything i can do to perhaps speed this up? I cant seem to find any solid information on what iMovie and iDVD use when they handle video, some have said CPU and others say GPU so im not sure which to upgrade, or if both would need upgrading?

The system has 7GB 667MHz DDR2 FB RAM, 2 Dual Core 2GHz Xenon Processors and the stock GPU which is a Nvidia 7300GT and OSX Lion 10.7.5. If CPU upgrading is the way to go, whats the fastest CPUs i can get which i just install and go? (Since i've heard its possible to install some processors by flashing to a 2,1 ROM, i dont want to do this. Yet anyway.) If GPU upgrade is the way to go, what would a better card be? My budget on a GPU isnt infinate, ideally dont want to go over £100 BUT will take any and all suggestions into consideration Not too fussed if its a PC card either since i just read another thread here that says PC cards can be supported with the aid of web drivers (Well, Nvidia ones at least) and im not fussy if i cant have the boot screen.

Thanks in advance for any information guys!

You have a lot of room to improve your GPU beyond a 7300. The fastest CPU you can cram into a 1,1 or a 2,1 would merely be incrementally faster than your current CPUs.

 

[Pressure]

You could upgrade to two X5355 processors for an 8-core setup and 32GB of FBDIMM for fairly cheap.

That would set you back around $150.

However you may have to upgrade the firmware to match the Mac Pro 2,1, which is quite trivial.

 

[IowaLynn]

Hey guys!

So i've got a Mac Pro 1,1 , still chugs along nicely however curiosity got the better of me. The machine is currently purposed with moving tape content (DV, MiniDV etc) to DVD and at the moment it takes about 2hrs per tape (1hr to get it off the tape, a further hour for iMovie to export it) and then a further 1.5hours for iDVD to burn the DVD.

I'm wondering if theres anything i can do to perhaps speed this up? I cant seem to find any solid information on what iMovie and iDVD use when they handle video, some have said CPU and others say GPU so im not sure which to upgrade, or if both would need upgrading?

The system has 7GB 667MHz DDR2 FB RAM, 2 Dual Core 2GHz Xenon Processors and the stock GPU which is a Nvidia 7300GT and OSX Lion 10.7.5. If CPU upgrading is the way to go, whats the fastest CPUs i can get which i just install and go? (Since i've heard its possible to install some processors by flashing to a 2,1 ROM, i dont want to do this. Yet anyway.) If GPU upgrade is the way to go, what would a better card be? My budget on a GPU isnt infinate, ideally dont want to go over £100 BUT will take any and all suggestions into consideration Not too fussed if its a PC card either since i just read another thread here that says PC cards can be supported with the aid of web drivers (Well, Nvidia ones at least) and im not fussy if i cant have the boot screen.

Thanks in advance for any information guys!

That "odd" number 7GB means you are using the older hot 2 x 512MB FBDIMMs. Lot of heat and watts with little return. 4 (or 8) DIMMs is ideal, $46 for new Amazon 4x2GB.

Throw an XP941 512GB if you can afford otherwise 256GB in the 8x slot. 1100MB/sec and fastest easiest upgrade that is bootable in 1,1.

Most systems improve from and are more I/O bound than anything - getting data into and back out, via memory, to be processed and used by CPU.

The 5355's are best to get 8-core, the 2,1 firmware is easy and not something to worry about.

That Apple 5770 or 5780 were the best in my opinion GPU choice for 1,1/2,1 or anyone else.

But at end of the day, sell it for $100, keep the XP941 and dont do anything, and look for 4,1 or later for $300 and up.

Memory and cpu $200 range? XP941 works in all the cMP models so that investment should be safe. A 4,1 would likely have GT120 or better. (No 2008 3,1's as they really are not very favorable buy)

 

[user1690]

You have a lot of room to improve your GPU beyond a 7300. The fastest CPU you can cram into a 1,1 or a 2,1 would merely be incrementally faster than your current CPUs.

Excellent! Do you have a specific card in mind that i could get? Im not looking for anything fancy, just something that might aid in gettings the things mentioned above done a bit faster Although it'd be nice to have something better regardless

You could upgrade to two X5355 processors for an 8-core setup and 32GB of FBDIMM for fairly cheap.

That would set you back around $150.

However you may have to upgrade the firmware to match the Mac Pro 2,1, which is quite trivial.

Hmm, did a quick search and it seems the 2,1 firmware only fixes a cosmetic issue and that the X5355 processors work regardless?

That "odd" number 7GB means you are using the older hot 2 x 512MB FBDIMMs. Lot of heat and watts with little return. 4 (or 8) DIMMs is ideal, $46 for new Amazon 4x2GB.

Throw an XP941 512GB if you can afford otherwise 256GB in the 8x slot. 1100MB/sec and fastest easiest upgrade that is bootable in 1,1.

Most systems improve from and are more I/O bound than anything - getting data into and back out, via memory, to be processed and used by CPU.

The 5355's are best to get 8-core, the 2,1 firmware is easy and not something to worry about.

That Apple 5770 or 5780 were the best in my opinion GPU choice for 1,1/2,1 or anyone else.

But at end of the day, sell it for $100, keep the XP941 and dont do anything, and look for 4,1 or later for $300 and up.

Memory and cpu $200 range? XP941 works in all the cMP models so that investment should be safe. A 4,1 would likely have GT120 or better. (No 2008 3,1's as they really are not very favorable buy)

Yeah there are 2 512MB modules in here that were installed when i bought it, i do intend on replacing those as well!

Seems the 5355 processors are the most favorable to get, will look into this more! Any idea which ones i should get exactly? Searching just X5355 came up with SLAC4, SL9YM, SLAEG and others too i believe. Are they all the same?

 

[flehman]

Excellent! Do you have a specific card in mind that i could get? Im not looking for anything fancy, just something that might aid in gettings the things mentioned above done a bit faster Although it'd be nice to have something better regardless



Hmm, did a quick search and it seems the 2,1 firmware only fixes a cosmetic issue and that the X5355 processors work regardless?



Yeah there are 2 512MB modules in here that were installed when i bought it, i do intend on replacing those as well!

Seems the 5355 processors are the most favorable to get, will look into this more!

I wouldn't even attempt to recommend a GPU. There are a ton of choices an variables to consider and I am not familiar with technical limitations on which GPUs work with a 1,1 or 2,1. Also there are MANY threads about GPUs on this forum with excellent info in them and I would not want to reinvent the wheel in this thread. I suggest you do some reading and research.

+1 to the suggestion that you focus on upgrades that would be "portable" to a newer 4,1 or 5,1 Mac Pro; e.g. a GPU and/or SSD.