Need Mac Pro config for Dummies!

[cparktd]

Sorry, yet another 2010 Mac Pro config request!

Requirements:
For home (serious hobby) photography D.A.M. workstation. To organize years worth of digital photos and hopefully later scan my 35mm negs or their prints. Then manage all new work. FAST, Hi-quality preview generation and display a priority. I intend to organize, keyword then keep online so I can actually find and use my work.
Might want a windows 7 install for whatever…. Also got to stick an iTunes library somewhere (low priority)

Current hardware:
Shoot a 7D Canon jpegs but would likely convert to Raw workflow now that I will have the horsepower to process. Currently G4 867, 10.3.9, PS CS. 4x6 300 dpi prints ordered online or, up to 13”x19” 300 dpi printed on an Epson 2200. I have a Quad interface HDD dock now used for BU. I already have a 24” wide gamut display.

Decided:
Ordering 3.3 Hex with GPU upgrade
24GB ram (3x8 transintl)

Considering…
OZC vertex 2, SSD for OSX and Apps. Optical Bay.
2x1TB WD Blacks RAID 0 short stroked 100GB for 200Gb of scratch space, and 1.8TB left for Aperture library, BU (or vault) to external 2 TB WD Green.
2 more 1 TB WD Blacks RAID 0 short stroked 250 GB for 500GB of working files space, 1.5TB remainder for Windows, iTunes library and other files.

This SEEMS like a fairly simple setup that should provide considerably better performance that a stock 1 drive box..... provided I can RAID 0 the two short stroked partitions on the second set of drives and leave the remaining partition on each drive not in RAID, or is it all or nothing?

Or
OZC vertex 2, SSD for OSX and Apps.
2x1TB WD Blacks RAID 0 short stroked 100GB for 200Gb scratch space, and 1.8TB for Aperture library, BU (or vault) to external 2 TB WD Green
1 TB WD Black or Green partitioned for Windows, iTunes library and other files.
1 WD 300GB velociraptor for Working files.

Also is it OK, or smart, option to partition a 120 MB SSD and put OSX and Windows on it?

I’m not sold yet on SSD for scratch.

Option to replace the 2x 1 TB WD blacks holding Aperture library with 2x2TB for more space.

Does ANY of this make sense???

It's late, hope I conveyed my thoughts well enough.
thanks

 

[sboerup]

Well the 3.33 hexacore and 24GB ram is completely overkill for a serious hobbyist . . . but if you have money then I guess its the fastest you can buy (and will be an incredible upgrade from what you have).

As for any hobbyist, I think that ANY implementation of RAID is simply not worth the added risk and hassle of working with RAID arrays.

Seriously, ANY setup of HD is going to be leap years ahead of what you are using . . .

 

[cparktd]

Yes it's overkill. I could do with an iMac. But so was my G4 when I bought it the week they were announced... and so was the 225 MHz 604e before that! And I could ride my bicycle to work, a car could be considered overkill. LOL!!
I tend to buy the best I can and just use it till it will no longer serve my needs.
This is really the only hobbie I have.

I do think you might be right about the RAID. But that adds no cost, I need the space anyway I do wonder if I would not see a difference in speed as I estimate my aperture library to surpass 200,000 photos.
Thanks for your input.