Getting a MacPro, how many hard drives?

[adjuster]

I want to thank all of you who have contributed to this forum. Based on the comments made, because I am on a tight budget, I have ordered a quad 2.8 ghz, 320g drive, 2gb ram, ATI 2600 card. Also bought additional 4gb ram.

Reasons for this configuration are statements that quad is very fast, and Barefeats tests showing 2600 card faster than NVIDEA 8800 card for programs based on Apple graphics core. The 8800 appears to be faster for games, but I don't play them.

I am using the MacPro for Microsoft Office, Firefox, Aperture and Photoshop. Also use Fusion to run Quickbooks and a variety of important PC software not available on the Mac.

QUESTION: Statements have been made regarding a "boot disk". I now have an iMac so I am not familiar with a boot disk. Do you load the applications on a boot disk and the files on another? I plan to get a Robo when it has a firewire interface. It would serve as my Time Machine back up and file storage.

What would you recommend?

 

[downhillski1]

Well, figure one drive as your system drive that will hold all your apps and such. If your files are not too big you can store them on your system drive, otherwise get another hard drive for your files. Your computer will run the fastest if you have a lot, or at least a decent amount of free space on your system dive, so you want to keep that as free as possible. Also, it would be a good idea to get a third drive just for time machine back ups, that way you never lose anything. Your time machine drive should be as big as you can afford. Time machine does use a lot of space, even if you don't back up everything. Of course, you might want to get an external drive for time machine so that you can leave another slot free for another internal drive later. I am a photographer, and I have a two internal drive set up on my mac pro, with about 4 external hard drives for time machine back ups.

 

[adjuster]

Thank you

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[GotPro]

Here's how I've configured my Quad 2.8 + 8800:

1st Drive: 1TB Boot Drive (ONLY System File, Apps, and Home Folder)
2nd Drive: Original Stock 320 GB Drive as Media Drive (Set iTunes Folder, Misc. Manual Backups, Safari Downloads, etc.)
3rd Drive: 500GB WD Drive I had laying around I use for Time Machine Backups
4th Drive: 400GB WD Drive I had laying around I have partitioned into two drives: A 200GB Partition called "Virtual Machines" that I store all my VMWARE Virtual Machines on (Linux, XP, etc. etc. ) and a 200GB Boot Camp Partition that I use for Native Windows Gaming.

I'm almost out of space on my Stock 320... so I'll be looking to sell that soon and replace it with the Western Digital 1TB Drive for Media that Best Buy has on sale for $229 (External... but I'll use the drive inside as it's $100 cheaper than most 1TB drives I've seen... and as it's only used for storing media, I won't need any performance from the drive)... plus with a 10% off Coupon you can get online for Best Buy... it comes in at $206!!!

So... thats how mine is configured. Of course, I think it's the ULTIMATE setup

I personally like LOTS of free space on the boot drive to ENSURE it NEVER gets slow ;-)

 

[treehorn]

Mine's similar (so I'm seconding it

Swapped out the stock 320GB drive for a 750GB Samsung for the boot drive

Used the 320GB for my ITunes/Photo/Movie library

Have another 750GB Samsung for my work files (I'm a video editor)

I like having an external drive for my Time Machine back up, as if something happens to the Mac Pro to zap one drive, it might just take them all. So I have a 1TB WD drive (as well as 3 other 500GB drives that are holdovers from my IMac days...one month ago!)

 

[aibo]

boot/apps drive:
640GB WD6400AAKS (the fast one)
drive 2:
1TB WD10EACS (storage)
drive 3:
1TB WD10EACS (storage)
drive 4:
(empty)

external: FW800 800GB (Time machine).

the stock 320GB is too small/slow to bother with, so I gave it away. I'll add another 1TB to bay 4 when I get around to it.

 

[big dainjerus]

Which would be a faster boot drive;

samsung spinpoint 1 TB with a lot of free space on it

or

the WD6400aak?

 

[adjuster]

Fastest boot drive

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