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8-core MacPro and Fincal Cut Studio

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PowerMike G5

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 22, 2005
555
241
New York, NY
Hey all,

I have been contemplating getting a new 8-core MacPro (assuming one will come out eventually). Does anyone know whether Final Cut Pro will really benefit from 8 cores. If I was just using that application alone and nothing else ... would FCP distribute renders between all eight cores? I do some heavy rendering with my Quad 3.0Ghz MacPro now in FCP, but when I use the application alone without doing anything else in the background, I don't seem to max out my CPU usage, despite heavy filtering of multilayer HD video.

I mainly use Final Cut Studio for all my work. Will an 8-core Mac Pro really show a difference? Is it worth the upgrade?
 
pdpfilms

pdpfilms

macrumors 68020
Jun 29, 2004
2,382
1
Vermontana
PowerMike G5 said:
Will an 8-core Mac Pro really show a difference? Is it worth the upgrade?
Click to expand...

Well we're talking about both theoretical hardware and theoretical software, here. (By the time an 8 core comes out, if it does come out, we'll most likely be on FCP 6.)

So, theoretically, sure. What else would you like it to do?
 
bigbossbmb

bigbossbmb

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2004
1,759
0
Pasadena/Hollywood
8-core MacPro's should be coming in the next 3 months. As of right now, FCP does not take advantage of more than 2 cores (AFAIK). I'm sure (or maybe just hopeful) that they will release 5.1.3 with support for more than two cores. Nobody knows when this will happen except Apple. But it is bound to happen since people will soon start realizing that upgrading from a 2 or 4 proc mac will not result in a speed bump for individual apps.
 
MovieCutter

MovieCutter

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2005
3,342
2
Washington, DC
Yeah, an 8-core Mac Pro is ONLY good in Final Cut Studio if you're rendering in FCP, encoding in Compressor, rendering in Shake, AND working in Motion AT THE SAME TIME.
 
spicyapple

spicyapple

macrumors 68000
Jul 20, 2006
1,724
1
FCP needs background rendering and exporting, so one can continue cutting. I think that would speed up FCP immensely for people working with HDV. Maybe next version? :)
 
MovieCutter

MovieCutter

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2005
3,342
2
Washington, DC
spicyapple said:
FCP needs background rendering and exporting, so one can continue cutting. I think that would speed up FCP immensely for people working with HDV. Maybe next version? :)
Click to expand...


One can only hope. I am constantly going on render walks while I could be working on other projects, especially since most of my work is HD now.
 
T

TheNightPhoenix

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2005
498
5
spicyapple said:
FCP needs background rendering and exporting, so one can continue cutting. I think that would speed up FCP immensely for people working with HDV. Maybe next version? :)
Click to expand...

Oh Please!!!! Apple Please!!!! 48 Hours to render a project after some IDIOT (the filters won't let me say what i really think) deleted the render files to make some space. All i had to do was add the credits, but it took almost 3 days. :rolleyes:
 
H

howinson

macrumors member
Sep 12, 2005
53
0
TheNightPhoenix said:
Oh Please!!!! Apple Please!!!! 48 Hours to render a project after some IDIOT (the filters won't let me say what i really think) deleted the render files to make some space. All i had to do was add the credits, but it took almost 3 days. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Just throw some cash to buy back your time and get yourself an avid editing suite like adrenaline ? :D
 
C

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,561
1,672
Redondo Beach, California
PowerMike G5 said:
... I don't seem to max out my CPU usage,.... Will an 8-core Mac Pro really show a difference? Is it worth the upgrade?
Click to expand...

Seems like you have answered your own question: If your task is not being bottle necked by lack of CPU power, then adding more CPU power will not make it go faster.

8-cores will help in only a few specialized cases where you are doing much computation but not much data movement.

The key is to watch the activity meter. something is the performance bottle neck, typically either the disk or the CPU. Addressing a non-bottle neck will not help
 
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TheNightPhoenix

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2005
498
5
FF_productions said:
Are the renders slow?
Click to expand...

HDV can be very slow no matter what system you use cause of the i-frames.

My experience has been bad cause i worked on a very heavy grade with lots of effects. Some shot shaving maybe 20 filters on it.

But for the most part renders are alright they just don't take full advantage of the hardware.
 
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