!Restored: Time for a new Mac?

[Rick Thompson]

I have been reading the new speed results in Macworld regarding the newest Mac Pro desktops, and I am wondering if it is that time again. I am still on a G5 (2Ghz). It seems the new ones overall score are from 294 (basic) to 327 (all the way). My G5 is rated overall at 166, so that says it is time. However, with AC, I just don't know if the "overall" has much meaning or not. My guess is running AC would not see that percent increase.

My main areas I could benefit would be opening files, updating externally linked drawings, publishing etc. Renderings are not as important, but of course, they count too. I might open and close quite a few files each day, so updating is where I tend to get impatient.

And, then there is the G5 and the intel factor. I think there is not that much difference there, if anyone knows, i would appreciate hearing your experience. I think processor speed is the biggest factor (?).

Assuming (haha) GS is busy making AC multi-processor enabled, then the 8 core would be worth the extra few hundred.

Oh well, any feedback would be appreciated.


thanks

[Rick Thompson]

Well, you guts have not been much help lately

However, thanks for the earlier useful info. I did order one last night.. the basic 2.8 - 4 core, and also 2 gig more ram.. so 4 slots will be filled. I'll wait to add more based on what the usage seems to be. I don't run Parallel, etc.. so maybe I can get away with 4 total. I'll time a few things so I can give some feedback on it.

It has been years since I have done a clean move, so I think I will reinstall everything rather than the usual firewire OS move everything over mode. Any opinions on that would be appreciated. It is a lot more work, but I assume potentially worth it?

[Anonymous]

yay! a fearless leader, we are looking forward to seeing the path you forge, - through the snow , had to add that.

[Erich]

Hey Rick,

Sorry for devolving. Several folks in my office recently purchased the the same machine and love it. They are not yet on AC, poor sods, but the machines run very well.

[Ralph Wessel]

Rick wrote:
It has been years since I have done a clean move, so I think I will reinstall everything rather than the usual firewire OS move everything over mode. Any opinions on that would be appreciated. It is a lot more work, but I assume potentially worth it?

I don't think a clean install is worthwhile unless you strongly suspect something is wrong with your current installation. I've upgraded my machine and OS without a clean install all the way from 10.2 through to 10.5 without any problems.

The usual precautions apply of course: make good backups, check permissions and verify your source/destination drives with Disk Utility.

[Anonymous]

Rick wrote:
Well, you guts have not been much help lately

However, thanks for the earlier useful info. I did order one last night.. the basic 2.8 - 4 core, and also 2 gig more ram.. so 4 slots will be filled. I'll wait to add more based on what the usage seems to be. I don't run Parallel, etc.. so maybe I can get away with 4 total. I'll time a few things so I can give some feedback on it.

It has been years since I have done a clean move, so I think I will reinstall everything rather than the usual firewire OS move everything over mode. Any opinions on that would be appreciated. It is a lot more work, but I assume potentially worth it?

Being that ArchiCad has separate PPC and Intel versions that would be a good choice unless you want to run under Rosetta. If you don't want to have to transfer everything in one shot connect the 2 via Firewire over IP and not Target Disk Mode.

Go to System preferences on both machines

Network > Show: Built-in FireWire >TCP/IP > Configure IPv4: Manually > IP Address: 192.168.3.?? > Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 You can leave the rest blank. (?? being any number just different on each machine)

In the Finder Menu go to Connect to Server and type in the IP address you assigned to the G5. This way you can be up and running with everything quickly and easily and transfer over only what you need to when your ready but still have access to everything. It is fast and you should be able to work on files you don't transfer as if they were local.

Note: On the G5 if Built-in FireWire isn't already in the "Show:" list the Show: Network Port Configurations and check it in the list. Move it up the list above the types of networks you don't use.

This is a direct connect and should not have any effect on your internet or other networks unless you connect them through Sharing.

Another thing to note is that a G5 Running 10.4+ no longer generates any graphics without a display connected so you may want to invest in a switch for your display. It only needs to be connected and does not need to be live.

[Rick Thompson]

Ok.. thanks for all the feedback, it was helpful and appreciated. The new unit is very fast, much more so than I expected.

I started a new thread since other people not following this.. or searching.. might see it.

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=111065#111065

[Anonymous]

Rick, thanks for the post and speed results.

I just saw the numbers concerning the new Mac Pro. Which graphics card do you have? I see that many people are waiting for the unit to ship with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 - why is that important?

[Rick Thompson]

I have the "normal" one, no upgrade, but it seems just fine with me. I drive 2 - 23" Cinemas and with those speed numbers, I'm very happy. Karl was expressing that wish, but I don't do renderings of huge files, so my needs are satisfied. The card is a Radeon HD 2600 w/ 256 MB. It is totally quite. The old G5 had an upgraded (at that time) Radeon X800 w/ 256 MB and you could hear that thing out side. I wonder if the new upgrade with 512 MB is quite or if they have to cool it constantly.

Maybe if you are driving 2 - 30" Cinemas, then it would be necessary. The new Macs allow for an additional card anyway, so you can expand. It was not important to me, but I don't think about this too much. I save that obsessive compulsive behavior for other things:) (stereos unfortunately)

[Dwight]

Reason for a 512 Mg card is not only for more pixels on displays. It is for improved navigating: better smoothness, complexity and size of OpenGL 3D views in Archicad.

[Anonymous]

Burginger wrote:
Rick, thanks for the post and speed results.

I just saw the numbers concerning the new Mac Pro. Which graphics card do you have? I see that many people are waiting for the unit to ship with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 - why is that important?

It may be so as to avoid the problems that seem endemic to the ATI cards.


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