Recommended Mac Pro Configuration

[davisstudio]

I want to get a new Mac Pro and am trying to determine the best configuration, processor, memory, RAM etc., to run ArchiCAD 10.
Suggestions, recommendations??

[TomWaltz]

That's a little vague... we'd need to know a little more, like what other applications you might be running, how much rendering you do, how big your projects are, and what games you might play afterhours before we can really give you more specific advice.

[davisstudio]

The projects are mainly single family residential (file size 13 - 15MB). We don't do alot of rendering at the moment, mainly Lightworks, though it would be good to allow for more. No games would be played, and also no other large applications are used. The main use for this computer will be for ArchiCAD, and I would like it to run as quickly as possible.

[Dwight]

The rule of thumb is get all the ram and processor speed one step down from the fastest, but in the case of the 15" the extra $500 gets you way better graphics and double the RAM. Might be worth it.

With any laptiop, you should be concerned for how you'll manage the screen and the palettes, but since either model will power a second display, why worry? Just assume you'll get a decent extra display. Like a 30" Dell....

BTW: 15" model way easier to carry and work on airplane. Apple got it right in their ad when they gave the big guy the 12" laptop and the little guy the big laptop.

The size of your projects are irrelevant since the real choker is OpenGL rendering of polygons - and a detailed house can have as many polygons as a city block, so the 256 mg grafix is the way to go.

I've talked myself into the top-of-the-line 15" machine, then....

Matthew "Mr. 17 inch" Lohden can wax rhapsodically about the mobility of the 17" laptop.

[Dwight]

What an idiot. NOW i see that you want a REAL machine, not a toy.

This is the configuration page for Apple machines:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6354001/wo/92TU3pJ79mLK2anZSaWUtKIV9...

Pretend to be student and get a discount.

Here's my suggestion:

2x2.66 - can't really appreciate the extra chip speed unless constantly rendering.

2 RAM slots have RAM - 6 slots left - start with four x 1Gb chips = total of 4.5 Gb with room to move, later. Get your RAM at Crucial.com. Installation easy if you are not an idiot. Fan blows full and little red lite comes on if RAM install error. How do i know this?

No comment on hard drive capacity altho aftermarket buys - Provantage for example - have way better prices. Want to consider how Applecare works for the overall machine if you elect to get it and NOT get Aplle hard drives.

$249 a fairly safe gamble when combined with a display purchase made at the same time...

Grafix: The basic card is 256 and can drive a 30" display and a smaller one. This is enough for now.

Get the second optical drive for when the first one craps out. And it will. For $99, who needs to be hauling the machine out?

I would encourage you to go for the wireless keyboard so i can ask you if it is any good.

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
I would encourage you to go for the wireless keyboard so i can ask you if it is any good.

It works fine for me (when I'm not using the built-in).

Same goes for the cordless Mighty Mouse which I use all the time when working in ArchiCAD (except when running WinXP since the scroll doesn't do it's zoom-pan magic).