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Which mac pro would you buy and why

H

hammten

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 7, 2008
113
0
Hello everyone,

I have the option to buy 2 mac pros which are priced the same

1) 2009 8 core 2.26 - everything that was stock with that model is what it comes with

2) 2010 4 core 2.8 - 8gb ram, hd5770 card

Which one is a better purchase for a hobbiest with light photoshop, imovie and occasional heavy gaming when something good comes along?
 
For that workload... No brainer... the 2010. In fact, for any workload I'd recommend that over the 2009 2.26 Octo model which had no reason for being. :D :p Honestly, 2.26x8 is just a dumb combination of high core count and low clock speed - being helpful in only a very limited number of tasks and being slower than a laptop for most tasks.

You can always upgrade the 2010 to a Hexcore CPU for a reasonable amount at a later date if you need more cores.
 
hammten said:
Hello everyone,

I have the option to buy 2 mac pros which are priced the same

1) 2009 8 core 2.26 - everything that was stock with that model is what it comes with

2) 2010 4 core 2.8 - 8gb ram, hd5770 card

Which one is a better purchase for a hobbiest with light photoshop, imovie and occasional heavy gaming when something good comes along?
Click to expand...

2010 8-core (new or 2nd hand), some actions, including those on EBay for new machines end at around the 2.7k mark. And this can be upgraded to a 12-core processor machine should the need arise.
 
JollyJoeJoe said:
2010 8-core (new or 2nd hand), some actions, including those on EBay for new machines end at around the 2.7k mark. And this can be upgraded to a 12-core processor machine should the need arise.
Click to expand...

Thanks but im getting a good price only on the ones i listed. Of those, which do you recommend?
 
VirtualRain said:
For that workload... No brainer... the 2010. In fact, for any workload I'd recommend that over the 2009 2.26 Octo model which had no reason for being. :D :p Honestly, 2.26x8 is just a dumb combination of high core count and low clock speed - being helpful in only a very limited number of tasks and being slower than a laptop for most tasks.

You can always upgrade the 2010 to a Hexcore CPU for a reasonable amount at a later date if you need more cores.
Click to expand...

Well I actually have had great times with mine. No problems and works wonders with Cinema 4D + After Effects. Can't wait for FCP X

As for the choices the OP has I would def go 2010. Faster ram, better gpu, airport, bigger HDD, more ram than the 2009, and the option of dropping in a hex core in the future.
 
hammten said:
Thanks but im getting a good price only on the ones i listed. Of those, which do you recommend?
Click to expand...

The 2010 quad 2.8 fits your description of work load best.

If you can get it for 2100( or less) new or even as refurb buy it.

The 2010 quad 2.8 is going to turn out to be remembered as a good priced mac pro for many users. I am wondering what is the good price that you can get it for?
 
Thanks everyone for their input. I ended up going with the quad 2.8 MP as I managed to get it for 1700 and it is still under warranty for awhile. The other machines seller wouldnt budge from 1900, so the price and everyones comments convinced me that the one i purchased was best for my needs.

Thank you all, and looking forward to upping the cpu down the road with the help of this forums informative guides!
 
thats a great deal .. i just bought the same machine for a bit more money .. gonna do the cpu upgrade in a month or 2 .. really with the price of the 3.46 cpu would come down some .. that is what i really would like to swap in
 
jetjaguar said:
thats a great deal .. i just bought the same machine for a bit more money .. gonna do the cpu upgrade in a month or 2 .. really with the price of the 3.46 cpu would come down some .. that is what i really would like to swap in
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is the same one i was looking at going with, but a bit longer down the road than you (maybe next year).

Thanks for all the helpful replies.
 
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