I'm really doubting about swapping my G4 Dual 876 (Great Machine!) for a Powerbook 15" 1.5 GHz. I can get a good deal as I work in an AppleStore (20% off). But how would the speed compare to my Dual 876. I use it for live VJ-ing and I really need the speed, but also portability.
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G4 Dual 876 vs Powerbook 15" 1.5 GHz
- Thread starter Doerak
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Doerak said:
You shouldn't notice much of a speed decrease if you go with the PowerBook G4 1.5 Ghz, especially if you max out or at least upgrade the RAM.
Trust me, you'll love the portability, and the ease at which you can "pick up sticks" and run. Think about it: you're at a VJ gig which you've just finished, you're tired, and ready to go home. With the PowerBook, you can just close the lid, unplug a few wires, and go, whereas with the Dually, it's a lot heavier to carry, and will probably have a few more wires to unplug. Not to mention the monitor you have to lug around.....
My advice: get the PowerBook!
As much as PowerBooks are great for portability, etc...I would have to say you should wait this revision out. I would get a PowerBook in Dec/Jan, when Apple releases newer, really fast PowerBooks with either a G5 or an e700 processor. It's a waste of money to buy one now, only because you already have a capable machine.
I did an XBench test on my 1Ghz Rev. B 12 PB and compared it to a dual 867Mhz G4 and they were just about exact. My PB beat it in more areas than it beat me, and when it did, it was only by a little bit.
The way I see it, a 1.5 Ghz G4 shoud be noticeably faster than a dual 867Mhz G4.
Best wishes,
JOD8FY
The way I see it, a 1.5 Ghz G4 shoud be noticeably faster than a dual 867Mhz G4.
Best wishes,
JOD8FY
One thing to consider is how you will be working with the machine; consider things like many applications you are working on simultaneously. The powerbook at 1.5 GHz is faster than your current desktop. However, if you are working on several different programs simultaneously, the desktop will be better because it does not have to "fake" the multitasking. If you go with the powerbook, the single processor can only execute one thread at a time, hence you may see some performance degradation if you are running several programs simultaneously or a single program with many threads. I'm not really familiar with VJ software, so I cannot give you a definitive answer. They are both really good machines and I don't think you can really go wrong either way.
Actually the Dual has 256KB of L2 cache and 1MB of L3 cache and the the Powerbook 1.5 has 512KB of L2 cache.Doerak said:
In a general mix of applications, having 512KB of L2 cache seems to be as effective as having 2MB of L3 cache. So, in this case, the L2 cache on the OB 1.5 might be more effective than the cache on the dual.
Since the Powerbook is almost twice as fast as each processor in the dual the PB should be able to run even properly multithreaded applications at about the same speed as the dual. The only place where the powerbook suffers is the issue of disk I/O. you only have one disk in the powerbook. It is a 5400RPM drive, you can put multiple drives at up to 7200RPM in the Powermac. So depending on what you are running, the disk could make a difference, or it might not.
you won't be dissapointed
i had a dual 867 at work and i bought a 1ghz ti when they first came out. i maxed it to one gig of ram and i could not tell a difference except on a very few things, and i am a designer (heavy graphics apps) i also do some sound editing and make (bad) music on my pb, and have suffered very little. i am sure the 1.5 with a 128 MB graphics card as well as faster ram (and more) than my ti, will have no problem comparing and perhaps will make the dual seem a bit slower. I would wait for the revisions (but i'm an extreme apple geek) so if you want it now, i say GO FOR IT! and enjoy.
technocoy
i had a dual 867 at work and i bought a 1ghz ti when they first came out. i maxed it to one gig of ram and i could not tell a difference except on a very few things, and i am a designer (heavy graphics apps) i also do some sound editing and make (bad) music on my pb, and have suffered very little. i am sure the 1.5 with a 128 MB graphics card as well as faster ram (and more) than my ti, will have no problem comparing and perhaps will make the dual seem a bit slower. I would wait for the revisions (but i'm an extreme apple geek) so if you want it now, i say GO FOR IT! and enjoy.
technocoy
Doerak said:
Dual 867, not Dual 876.
Now, don't forget that the 15 inch "one point five" gig monster uses DDR-RAM, PC2700, at 333MHz while your dual PowerMac has PC2100 RAM running at 266MHz. That's still an increase in bus speed and is worth it, especially for simple tasks and gaming. BTW: Your PowerMac uses somewhere around 400W, and even higher with your monitor, altogether much more than the Powerbook's power.
Recommendation: Trade.
wide said:
i believe it. unless apps are dual processor aware, having two processors running at 867 MHz does not mean its maximum computing power is equivalent to 1.6+ GHz.
for apps that aren't dual aware, it's simply 867 MHz vs. 1.5 GHz - so i don't doubt that PB scores better on xBench, like you implied.