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macfamily

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
20
14
Hi everyone… I have had my new iMac i7 (2.93 gig ) with 4 megs of RAM for about a month. I opted for the 2TB drive upgrade but not any SSD options. I download a lot of .rar files and use MacPar to process them. My internal drive is half full and I back up (Time Machine) onto an external drive via FW800.

As with the iMac I replaced (24” 2.4 gig ,Core 2 Duo, 4 megs of RAM), when Time Machine is running or downloads/uploads are in process, the iMac. MacPar almost always brings it to its knees. I have made sure that the directory is okay and I cleared the PRAM. Activity monitor shows MacPar at 100% when it’s running. And of course the disk activity is through the roof. Other .rar processing software has a similar effect.

After reading other posts in the forums… sounds like moving the OS to an internal SSD would do the trick, but that I should leave the user accounts on the 2TB internal. Sound right?

Since it’s costly to go inside and doing it myself would void the warranty. Any advantage to a FW800 external with an OCZ 120 Gig SSD for the OS? If it makes more sense to go inside, I have a local authorized dealer that I have worked with in the past that may not charge as much as Apple, but I understand the SSD slot is tricky to get at.

Looking for advice on how to handle what appears to be too much read/write activity to the internal 2TB drive.

Thanks in advance
 

WardC

macrumors 68030
Oct 17, 2007
2,726
213
Fort Worth, TX
I have a Mac Pro 2.93GHz machine, and I have a 120GB SSD installed as well as two 1TB drives that I have setup as a RAID 0 array. I run all my OS off the SSD, but have my downloads folder set the RAID array and download files and save all my movies and iTunes files to the 2TB array. This way, it gives you maximum performance from your operating system but gives you the most space for saving your large files. I believe the new iMacs can accomodate both an internal SSD and an internal 2TB HD. This might be your best option, to add an internal SSD (a 120GB or 80GB) and run your operating system off the SSD> Good luck!
 

macfamily

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
20
14
WardC,

Thanks very much, great info. You have an internal SSD and two 1TB set up in an external RAID configuration? Or did you pull the optical drive and have two 3.5 drives in the iMac?

Thinking I can put an SSD in the SSD slot, leave the 2TB inside for the downloads and user accounts/iTunes and TimeMachine both over FW800 to an external drive. To save cash I was wonder what people thought of putting the SSD into a FW800 external box. But I have to factor in the cost of the external enclosure as well.

Thank you again.
 

WardC

macrumors 68030
Oct 17, 2007
2,726
213
Fort Worth, TX
Yes, it's a Mac Pro tower...2009 model 2.93GHz quad-core. I have two Seagate Barracuda LP 7200rpm 1TB drives installed in two of the internal drive bays, I have a 120GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD in another bay, and the stock HD in the 4th bay. The two Seagates are in a software RAID 0 as a 2TB Striped Array. I boot off the SSD, but store all my large files, iTunes, movies, and downloads onto the RAID array.
 

tears2040

macrumors 6502
Aug 27, 2010
401
1
Hi everyone… I have had my new iMac i7 (2.93 gig ) with 4 megs of RAM for about a month. I opted for the 2TB drive upgrade but not any SSD options. I download a lot of .rar files and use MacPar to process them. My internal drive is half full and I back up (Time Machine) onto an external drive via FW800.

As with the iMac I replaced (24” 2.4 gig ,Core 2 Duo, 4 megs of RAM), when Time Machine is running or downloads/uploads are in process, the iMac. MacPar almost always brings it to its knees. I have made sure that the directory is okay and I cleared the PRAM. Activity monitor shows MacPar at 100% when it’s running. And of course the disk activity is through the roof. Other .rar processing software has a similar effect.

After reading other posts in the forums… sounds like moving the OS to an internal SSD would do the trick, but that I should leave the user accounts on the 2TB internal. Sound right?

Since it’s costly to go inside and doing it myself would void the warranty. Any advantage to a FW800 external with an OCZ 120 Gig SSD for the OS? If it makes more sense to go inside, I have a local authorized dealer that I have worked with in the past that may not charge as much as Apple, but I understand the SSD slot is tricky to get at.

Looking for advice on how to handle what appears to be too much read/write activity to the internal 2TB drive.

Thanks in advance

First of all is not megs of ram it's gigs of ram. Second do not run time machine while you are using your machine. Why are you even using time machine in the first place? Horrible program that's not needed.
 

DannyBres

macrumors 65816
Oct 30, 2007
1,412
6
UK
First of all is not megs of ram it's gigs of ram. Second do not run time machine while you are using your machine. Why are you even using time machine in the first place? Horrible program that's not needed.

How do you back-up your data?
 

aliensporebomb

macrumors 68000
Jun 19, 2005
1,907
332
Minneapolis, MN, USA, Urth
Also

You might consider doing backups at a time when you wouldn't be using the computer.

Example - you hit the hay around around 11 p.m. and you kick off your backup around midnight.

Then you set it so the computer sleeps afterwards if you like.

Like set the display sleep to 10 minutes and set the computer sleep to whatever setting you prefer (I sleep the display after 10 minutes but never sleep the computer since I run a webserver).
 

macfamily

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
20
14
First of all is not megs of ram it's gigs of ram. Second do not run time machine while you are using your machine. Why are you even using time machine in the first place? Horrible program that's not needed.

And you would suggest?
 

macfamily

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
20
14
Yes, it's a Mac Pro tower...2009 model 2.93GHz quad-core. I have two Seagate Barracuda LP 7200rpm 1TB drives installed in two of the internal drive bays, I have a 120GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD in another bay, and the stock HD in the 4th bay. The two Seagates are in a software RAID 0 as a 2TB Striped Array. I boot off the SSD, but store all my large files, iTunes, movies, and downloads onto the RAID array.

Sorry, missed that you were on a Mac Pro.
 

macfamily

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
20
14
You might consider doing backups at a time when you wouldn't be using the computer.

Example - you hit the hay around around 11 p.m. and you kick off your backup around midnight.

Then you set it so the computer sleeps afterwards if you like.

Like set the display sleep to 10 minutes and set the computer sleep to whatever setting you prefer (I sleep the display after 10 minutes but never sleep the computer since I run a webserver).

This makes sense. What program are you using to manage back-ups?

Thanks much for your suggestion.
 
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