Last minute decision help!

[Brandhaus]

Well I was trying to decide between the older 2.0 and newer 2.3,
but now it's between the 2.3 or the 2.5 in the sale section of apples site. I have read posts between the two, but I am not satisfied with the responses, so maybe I can get some better help.

I read that the 2.3 was faster because of the hard drive, so if I upgrade the HD in the 2.5, it will be faster correct?

I plan on putting 2.5 gb of ram in whichever model I choose. Someone mentioned that is where the big difference will be noticable between the 2 systems.

Does the 2.5 on the sale site come with tiger installed? and I thought I read that the 2.5 is liquid cooled, which sounds right, but I thought that the 2.3 was too?

Can I later add the 16x superdrive to the 2.5?

Also, does the 2.5 have pci-x slots like the 2.3. I plan on ordering probably tomorrow, so I am trying to get all of these answered.

I guess it comes down to: will i notice any speed difference in the two models if I put in 2.5 gigs of ram, and a 250 gig hd?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to spend my money wisely.

Thanks!

 

[wiseguy27]

decisions are never easy...

Well I was trying to decide between the older 2.0 and newer 2.3,
but now it's between the 2.3 or the 2.5 in the sale section of apples site. I have read posts between the two, but I am not satisfied with the responses, so maybe I can get some better help.

I read that the 2.3 was faster because of the hard drive, so if I upgrade the HD in the 2.5, it will be faster correct?

Yes, it should be. But it depends on your usage. With 2.5GB RAM, it probably may not make much of a difference if the HDD is slightly faster. If you're into a lot of video stuff, it would make a difference.

I plan on putting 2.5 gb of ram in whichever model I choose. Someone mentioned that is where the big difference will be noticable between the 2 systems.

Well, it could be, depending on what you use it for. For normal usage (non-video editing/rendering) you wouldn't notice much of a difference between the two with 2.5GB RAM.

Does the 2.5 on the sale site come with tiger installed? and I thought I read that the 2.5 is liquid cooled, which sounds right, but I thought that the 2.3 was too?

I'm not 100% sure about this one - I guess it comes with Panther and that you'd have the option of getting Tiger for an additional $10.
On the liquid cooling side - only the Rev B 2.5GHz and the recent 2.7GHz models are liquid cooled. The 2.3GHz DOES NOT have liquid cooling.

Can I later add the 16x superdrive to the 2.5?

Definitely! I don't see any reason why you can't do that!

Also, does the 2.5 have pci-x slots like the 2.3. I plan on ordering probably tomorrow, so I am trying to get all of these answered.

Yes, it does.

I guess it comes down to: will i notice any speed difference in the two models if I put in 2.5 gigs of ram, and a 250 gig hd?

I seriously doubt it, unless you're into professional video editing/rendering and heavy duty stuff like that.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to spend my money wisely.

Thanks!

Well, from the configuration you're talking about, it looks like you do have a good (high) amount of money you can spend. So go for whatever pleases you. Since you haven't mentioned which video card you're going for, I would recommend going for the 2.3GHz with the stock ATI 9600 and use the $200 (base) price difference between the 2.3GHz and the 2.5GHz towards upgrading the video card to an ATI X800XT (costing around $400). This would boost your performance much more for heavy duty graphics/video work.

 

[Abulia]

Since you haven't mentioned which video card you're going for, I would recommend going for the 2.3GHz with the stock ATI 9600 and use the $200 (base) price difference between the 2.3GHz and the 2.5GHz towards upgrading the video card to an ATI X800XT (costing around $400). This would boost your performance much more for heavy duty graphics/video work.

I agree. I went through a similiar process, and after running the numbers it's just most cost effective (and easier) to go with the "new" model.

 

[cmvsm]

As has been said, the speed increase will not be noticeable when comparing the 2.3 to the 2.5, unless you are looking at a program like Xbench or something, but no practical apps.

With that said, I'd go with the 2.3 instead, as it is fan cooled and not water cooled. I'm still not completely sold on the water cooling until it has been completely perfected. I think we'll see a cooler chip such as the cell processor in future models and water cooling will be obsolete.

 

[Brandhaus]

Thanks guys! exactly the responses I needed!