IS A DUAL QUAD 3.2 Xeon a good computer?

[darknlight]

SOMEBODY (ANYBODY) PLEASE HELP AND ANSWER!

Someone is selling the computer below for $1400.

Is this fast enough to edit Final Cut PRO X?

(Right now, I have a 2009 iMac - 3.06 Ghz iNtel Core 2 DUO w 16 gb and its just not fast enough)

Will i see a big difference if i switch to this?


Dual Quad 3.2 GHz Xeon processors
16 Gb RAM
Two NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT graphics cards - will support 4 monitors
Two 1Tb hard drives

 

[The-Pro]

great computer, but too expensive. its a 2008 model. u cant upgrade anything on it o newer conponents and the ram is very expensive.

try looking for a 2009 model, they go for the same price, sometimes less, are a lot more powerful, easy to upgrade to the same processors the 2012 versions have and the ram is cheap

 

[darknlight]

really? he had is listed for 1700 and i lowered it to 1400

It doesnt seem like 1400 is too much (with the keyboard, mouse, monitor, 16 gb of ram)

Isn't 16 gm of ram enough? why do i need to upgrade?

 

[The-Pro]

where is it being sold?

what kind of monitor?

16GB is enough yes, more then enough. but its a 4 year old machine, the ram could break. its a possibilty. replacements are expensive.

have a look on ebay for dual 2.66 mac pro from 2009, see what they go for

its not toooo expensive, just not an excellent deal

 

[darknlight]

got it. thanks for your help!

i havent been able to find a better deal yet. but looking

 

[G4DP]

great computer, but too expensive. its a 2008 model. u cant upgrade anything on it o newer conponents and the ram is very expensive.

try looking for a 2009 model, they go for the same price, sometimes less, are a lot more powerful, easy to upgrade to the same processors the 2012 versions have and the ram is cheap

What?

You can upgrade everything apart from the CPU. nVidia latest cards work in 2008 models. The RAM is more expensive for a reason. it is ECC RAM, something that is not the case with 2009 versions onwards. Anyway, the ram is not expensive anymore. I've never understood people complaining about the RAM being expensive. You are prepared to spend $3,000 on a computer but are too cheap to spend 10% of that on more RAM?

OP, they are still great machines, try to get it for $1000.

 

[Umbongo]

really? he had is listed for 1700 and i lowered it to 1400

It doesnt seem like 1400 is too much (with the keyboard, mouse, monitor, 16 gb of ram)

Isn't 16 gm of ram enough? why do i need to upgrade?

You can find a 2.66GHz 4-core 2009 system for $1,000 that has about 90% of the total CPU performance due to hyper-threading and is faster on single-threaded performance. You also get the option to upgrade to a 3.2GHz quad-core CPU for $200 or 6-cores for $500. Making this older model, with it's slower architecture and 5 years of age expensive. The age on it would be the main reason I'd avoid it. If that logic board goes it's an expensive part to replace at over $500.

 

[thekev]

really? he had is listed for 1700 and i lowered it to 1400

It doesnt seem like 1400 is too much (with the keyboard, mouse, monitor, 16 gb of ram)

Isn't 16 gm of ram enough? why do i need to upgrade?

16GB is plenty for a lot of things, but it varies. Some applications can use more if it is available. It really doesn't matter how high he lists it. He could have listed it for any price. It's $1400 now because no one who viewed his listing was willing to spend $1700 on it. The extra gpu obviously cost something. 16GB for that model probably set him back a bit. That still doesn't make it a strong price.

What?

You can upgrade everything apart from the CPU. nVidia latest cards work in 2008 models. The RAM is more expensive for a reason. it is ECC RAM, something that is not the case with 2009 versions onwards. Anyway, the ram is not expensive anymore. I've never understood people complaining about the RAM being expensive. You are prepared to spend $3,000 on a computer but are too cheap to spend 10% of that on more RAM?

OP, they are still great machines, try to get it for $1000.

You sir need to pay attention to specifications.

From Apple's site

Memory

The single-processor Mac Pro supports up to 32GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory in four slots. Choose more memory to improve overall system performance.

Because accessing data from memory is much faster than accessing data from a hard drive, the more memory your system has, the faster it can manipulate your data. The result is greater application performance, especially when working with large files and memory-intensive applications such as graphics, audio, video, and scientific applications.

Depending on the processor you choose, the single-processor Mac Pro uses the following types of memory:

3.2GHz quad-core processor: 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM
3.33GHz 6-core processor: 1333MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM
8GB DIMMs (24GB or 32GB configurations): 1333MHz DDR3 ECC R-DIMM SDRAM

The SDRAM in the Mac Pro uses an advanced memory technology that is not only fast, but also reliable. ECC provides this added layer of reliability by automatically correcting memory errors if they occur.

Mac Pro supports 8GB registered DIMMs (R-DIMMs) for up to 32GB of memory in Quad-Core and 6-Core systems. R-DIMMs cannot be mixed with unregistered DIMMs.

The difference is those machine no longer use fully buffered dimms. You also neglect to mention the fact that ram is a commodity. Older specs are often available in limited quantities. Even then if we're talking about used older models, they aren't being purchased for $3000 today. If the OP is looking at used machines, it's a matrix of options and a matter of what offers the best value for their requirements. The 2009 model is likely to receive up to date software support significantly longer as they still use that same logic board and one of the cpu options in the current offering. That alone really counts against the 2008 model when looking at used purchases.