Updating an 8y/o Mac Pro

[Nynas]

Hello Mac lovers!

I've got a bit of an issue, and have spent two nights trying to figure it whats possible or not.

So basically my place of work is looking to update to Adobe CS5, however our current Mac Pro's are VERY old and still using PowerPC. As you know, this is a problem.

So my first question is, what i've been trying to figure out, is it possible to upgrade just the CPU or motherboard on a Mac Pro, similar to what many do with home built PCs? Also, I'd like to know if it is possible to use a Mac pro case, but custom build a PC inside?

We are a very small business, and i've been tasked with finding the most cost effective way to upgrade but frankly, I'm stumped. Our computers just seem to be so old that upgrading isnt possible without spending thousands (we need to update 2 Macs)

One more question (if its not too much to ask), if we end up having to simply replace the computers all together, what would be the best options (I'm not sure what our budget is atm, but im eyeing the Mac mini's)

 

[adamtheturtle]

You might be best off selling the Power Macs (what the Mac Pros were called before Intel) and buying new machines. If you could even get by with them an iMac (possibly second hand) will be a revelation. I'm not 100% sure about the Mac Minis though. I guess it partly depends on your display set up and needs.

 

[ActionableMango]

Upgrading components to an Intel MP is not really possible, at least in an easy and cost effective way.

Putting together a PC that runs OS X is possible, but I wouldn't recommend it for a business. Google "hackintosh".

The most cost effective legitimate upgrade is probably Mac Minis connected to your existing monitors and drives. It's the low end of what's currently available, but still likely to be much faster than your current computers.

 

[Nynas]

You might be best off selling the Power Macs (what the Mac Pros were called before Intel) and buying new machines. If you could even get by with them an iMac (possibly second hand) will be a revelation. I'm not 100% sure about the Mac Minis though. I guess it partly depends on your display set up and needs.

yeah, getting older iMacs is a good idea too. haha I wouldnt mind the monitor upgrade either.

 

[goMac]

The only way forward is to buy new machines. There isn't really any way to salvage a Power Mac, sorry.

Mac Minis should be as fast as your old Power Macs.

 

[CaptainChunk]

Actually, any Intel-based Mac Mini would be significantly faster than any PMG5 tower, at least CPU wise.

 

[wonderspark]

What part of CS5 are you planning to use? If you'll be using Premiere and After Effects, I would question how well they will run on anything less than a full tower.

 

[thekev]

Upgrading components to an Intel MP is not really possible, at least in an easy and cost effective way.

Putting together a PC that runs OS X is possible, but I wouldn't recommend it for a business. Google "hackintosh".

The most cost effective legitimate upgrade is probably Mac Minis connected to your existing monitors and drives. It's the low end of what's currently available, but still likely to be much faster than your current computers.

If you're using it for work, a hackintosh is not necessarily a good idea. Some people have claimed that their hackintoshes have run better than their mac pros, which makes me sad. I just wouldn't want to be dependent on community developed kexts and things for a work machine. If I stopped using Apple hardware, I'd switch to Windows rather than hackintoshed OSX.

The minis are probably fine for you. You mention CS5. Are we talking Photoshop? Creative Suite? After Effects? Just saying CS5 doesn't tell me everything. If you're predominantly using photoshop/InDesign ram is a more significant bottleneck than cpu power with recent computers. The minis have slow hard drives, so you don't want to be too dependent on them as scratch disks. This means large amounts of ram. 8GB is the absolute minimum there, but it does depend on file sizes and how many you keep open at once.

 

[Nynas]

If you're using it for work, a hackintosh is not necessarily a good idea. Some people have claimed that their hackintoshes have run better than their mac pros, which makes me sad. I just wouldn't want to be dependent on community developed kexts and things for a work machine. If I stopped using Apple hardware, I'd switch to Windows rather than hackintoshed OSX.

The minis are probably fine for you. You mention CS5. Are we talking Photoshop? Creative Suite? After Effects? Just saying CS5 doesn't tell me everything. If you're predominantly using photoshop/InDesign ram is a more significant bottleneck than cpu power with recent computers. The minis have slow hard drives, so you don't want to be too dependent on them as scratch disks. This means large amounts of ram. 8GB is the absolute minimum there, but it does depend on file sizes and how many you keep open at once.

We primarily use Illustrator and Photoshop when needed, so I was never too worried about the power of the system. Honestly what we have now "works" for us, but we are starting to get CS4 and CS5 files from clients and partners which is the main reason for upgrading.

Anyway, thanks for the help everyone who replyed! Prolly gunna look at iMacs or Minis