New G5 / faster processor or faster video card?

[rm]

OK, question for fellow Mac Heads:

About to buy some new G5s, we are now using AC9.0, and Artlantis 4.5.6.

Given we do model most of our projects to be rendered ( read lots of detail ), what makes more sense?

a. Buying a base 2.5ghz G5 with the 128mg Radeon XT + adding 2gig RAM

b. Buying a base 2.0ghz G5, adding a 256mg Radeaon XT + adding 2gig RAM

The 2.5ghz machine is about $150 more which is almost nothing. The real issue is: does processor speed net "faster" overall speed gains for these two programs or is the graphics card speed more of an issue.....Im out of my sandbox on this one so any help would be appreciate ( DWIGHT or MARK B. ) im sure have some valuable insight on this one.

Thanks in advance!

[Dwight]

The graphics card merely supports on-screen graphics, not final rendering speed.

You need 256 mg to support the Apple 30" display, or if you are doing serious OpenGL rendering like for a game. The 256 mg will support ArchiCAD OpenGL better in that you can rotate a model smoothly in a larger window and/or use higher OpenGL qualities like textures, ,etc, as requested in the OpenGL rendering options.

The 128 Mgs is plenty for standard use. Spend your money on processor and RAM.

[Rick Thompson]

Should you be running 2 displays the video ram will be split in half, so 64 for each display... the min recommended for AC....that might be a consideration. This is what I have and it actually works fine, but I wish I had more, (course that applies to everything).

[Laszlo Nagy]

rm wrote:
OK, question for fellow Mac Heads:

About to buy some new G5s, we are now using AC9.0, and Artlantis 4.5.6.

Given we do model most of our projects to be rendered ( read lots of detail ), what makes more sense?

a. Buying a base 2.5ghz G5 with the 128mg Radeon XT + adding 2gig RAM

b. Buying a base 2.0ghz G5, adding a 256mg Radeaon XT + adding 2gig RAM

The 2.5ghz machine is about $150 more which is almost nothing. The real issue is: does processor speed net "faster" overall speed gains for these two programs or is the graphics card speed more of an issue.....Im out of my sandbox on this one so any help would be appreciate ( DWIGHT or MARK B. ) im sure have some valuable insight on this one.

Thanks in advance!

Can't you buy this:

base 2.5ghz G5 with the 256mg Radeon XT + adding 2gig RAM

That would be the best.

[Dwight]

I understand the issue: why spend with no direct benefit?

I do like the racing stripe kit that comes with thte 256 Mg card, however...

How big are the displays going to be???

[rm]

Dwight wrote:
The graphics card merely supports on-screen graphics, not final rendering speed.

You need 256 mg to support the Apple 30" display, or if you are doing serious OpenGL rendering like for a game. The 256 mg will support ArchiCAD OpenGL better in that you can rotate a model smoothly in a larger window and/or use higher OpenGL qualities like textures, ,etc, as requested in the OpenGL rendering options.

The 128 Mgs is plenty for standard use. Spend your money on processor and RAM.

Dwight, this is exactly the insight I was looking for......THANKS. Now for the REAL crappy news.

Given the office Im in has a Mac "hater" consultant, they are making me get pricing from Dell now. I tried explaining by using my G4 & Apple cinema, printing to a Canon i9900 printer, my renderings need NO color adjustment.......you know WYSIWYG.

They arent buying it. So guess what, I price a Xenon 3.2ghz machine against a G5 2.5ghz, same size hard drive, similar 128mg graphic card, more RAM in the G5, plus 23 inch cinema display for the Mac, 24" LCD from dell, and the G5 was right there within $100 dollars of the Dell. So much for PCs costing less than Macs.

Oh then I get the pleasure of worring about Windows service packs, viruses, NO BUILTIN COLOR FIDELITY FROM MONITOR TO PRINTER.....the list goes on.

Well Im hoping once I present pricing to the powers holding the wallet, maybe I convince them to see the light!

[Dwight]

I just experienced this color issue, having sent my portfolio to Toronto and having them find my color-space-managed images "dark."
Of course, they were of a dungeon. Rather, a condo where the designer wanted "chocolate gravity." Same thing. Remember, in 2005, for color scheme sloganeering: Brown is down! Stripes is ripe!

I note that Apple's displays are now certified as components of certain print proofing schemes, where before this was a BARCO only zone.

And, since having a Mac is so critical to mental health, you could always make up the price difference yourself and save the argument. I wonder if the extended health insurance providers give Mac-based firms a discount. Perhaps the counter argument is that Macc-os are whackos to start with.

[Eduardo Rolon]

I received my G5 2x2.5 with the 23" Cinema about a week ago. And I a still trying to get used to the Display since I have been working using laptops for the past two years. No complains up to now. AC moves great and renderings that used to take 45 min in my PB are now down to 5 (in C4D). I did ask for the lower Nvidea 256mg card and got bumped to the Ultra model with no additional cost . I did order it with 1Gb from apple and bought an extra 1Gb from Kingston. No regrets here...