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2.6ghz to 3.0ghz...worth $700+

illegalprelude

illegalprelude

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 10, 2005
1,583
121
Los Angeles, California
Hey guys and gals, a question for you, im slowing starting to eye a BigMac again and I had a question for you.

Do you think going from the 2.6ghz to the 3.0ghz is worth the extra $700? The things I do is everyday stuff (lots of iPhoto and music) but more so, i do editing jobs (although my current G5 is fine, i feel like with iWeb and iPhoto 08, its starting to feel slugish and with Final Cut Studio, rendering can take forever).

So far, my G5 is on year 4 and over all, the machine is being a beast but im the person who would rather pay more now so ill be happier for a longer time but having said that, I dont wanna burn cash either if it dosent merit it. So that brings us to the idea of is .4ghz difference really worth the cost? Both short term performance and long term.
 
When I bought my G4 (second generation, Sawtooth era), I spoke with a tech at my old job, and he explained it like this (note that the options were 400mHz, 450mHz, and 500mHz):

"The difference between 400mHz and 500mHz is the same as 40mHz to 50mHz. It's 20%, and it will always be 20%."

So even though the numbers SEEM big, the real difference is around 15%. Chances are that, for the average user, you're not going to notice any difference until you're at a point where you'd want to replace either system anyway. High end machines are really for people who are going to be working the hell out of them, like movie studios and scientists...
 
Also, as you mentioned doing Final Cut work, investing that $700 in a decent RAID setup (if you don't already have one) will pay off a lot more than the extra 15% processing power.
 
I'd go with the 2.66 and spend the money on ram and HDs. Pricey for the small speed difference, when you can spend that money elsewhere.

Don't listen to the whole 'new ones are coming next week' scheme. If you need it, or want it now, go for it.
 
I'd wait. The OP still has a G5 to make due with in the meantime. These mac pros are over a year old with no updates or price drops.
 
bld44 said:
I'd go with the 2.66 and spend the money on ram and HDs. Pricey for the small speed difference, when you can spend that money elsewhere.

Don't listen to the whole 'new ones are coming next week' scheme. If you need it, or want it now, go for it.
Click to expand...

I don't see how letting someone know the Mac Pro is outdated and may be updated soon is a scheme. Not to mention, no one said "next week," instead you injected that to make the claim sound absurd. So who is it with the scheme.

OP, it is not worth it to go with the $700 upgrade. In fact, the Mac Pro is outdated I would recommend not buying one. Of course if you need it or have to have it now, go for it. There should be some good stuff around the corner though, so buy with caution.
 
thanks for the input so far! :)

as far as goes, the earliest I would be buying is after Leopard and yea, i keep hearing rumors of new machines....so as it is, im in no hurry to buy anything, just doing some research because once the next gen editions come out, this question will still hold water but you guys also feel like the extra $700 is best spent else where or parked in the bank huh?

Because either way, ill be upgrading to 3GB ram or 4GB (not through Apple though) and getting some extra hard drives and such.

But even in terms of long gevity, you guys dont feel like the .4ghz or 15% speed increase is something your going to notice huh?

cause ill be jumping from a single core 1.6ghz G5 :D and like i said for almost everything, its really fine and for the average person, its still more then enough of a machine but i tend to expect a tad more out of my comps.
 
The jump from your machine to the low or mid end Mac Pro will be more than noticeable. Personally, I'd say that money is better spent elsewhere (or saved). But it's really up to you, it all depends on what makes you happiest ultimately; if you feel like you'll regret not spending that $700, then by all means spend it. It just seems unnecessary to me...
 
QCassidy352 said:
I'd wait. The OP still has a G5 to make due with in the meantime. These mac pros are over a year old with no updates or price drops.
Click to expand...

Yea, while patience is not my virtue, that is my feeling to in regards that indeed, I do have a fully functional unit and id hate to get this, just to have something new come out in 2 weeks of it (its what happened with this baby, it was my first mac, after i got it, the following Tuesday "Dual Core G5's")......I died a little inside lol

dukebound85 said:
keep in mind the new ones may come out after leopard. if so, do you want to chnace it that your software may be broken? just a thought
Click to expand...

im not sure what you mean by this

disconap said:
The jump from your machine to the low or mid end Mac Pro will be more than noticeable.
Click to expand...

So brings me to the point of, you feel that even for everyday stuff, there should be a nice bump in performance?
 
illegalprelude said:
So brings me to the point of, you feel that even for everyday stuff, there should be a nice bump in performance?
Click to expand...

Of course you'll feel a slight bump in performance, but lets just be smart about this decision.

I bought my Mac Pro back in June, and I thought I was kinda stupid for doing it because the Mac Pro was coming up on its 1 year anniversary and it was on the verge of some updates. WWDC would end up bringing no updates so I went ahead and bought the Quad 2.66. The Quad 2.66 is the fastest Macintosh I've ever used, NO doubt, it just sucks that there could be something better down the road, and not so far away.

It is October, and the Mac Pro updates haven't come yet. WAIT patiently, and you will get a OCTO Mac Pro with Leopard.

It is not worth it to buy now, you'll be kicking yourself if you buy now.
 
illegalprelude said:
So brings me to the point of, you feel that even for everyday stuff, there should be a nice bump in performance?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. No matter what you get, it will be a next-gen machine, so you will notice better performance in most areas, especially once Leopard comes out.

That said, I would likely wait were it my money, but then I tend to make huge jumps in generations of computers (I went from a performa 6200 to a G4 Sawtooth 400mHz, then from that to this dual 2.0gHz G5; I was going to skip G5 altogether as I'd modded my G4 quite well, but my roommate sold me his cheap). I'll probably wait another 2 years before replacing the G5.

My general philosophy is if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you need a new computer, get one; if you don't, wait. :)
 
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