Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

SSD or i7?

tigersoul said:
I heard that FCPX indeed uses the gpu for alot of things, but this was not references in any way so I have no idea if it is true or not and what kind of gpu level is required.
Click to expand...

You heard wrong..... Also FCPX is still behind it's professional application FCP7. FCPX is more like an advanced iMovie and many professionals continue to use FCP7.


While yes in a sense a pro graphics card would allow you to output your source to multiple monitors and allow for certain plug-ins to be used, in all of my professional experience the most important thing is 1) Cpu and 2)Data transfer speeds for reading and writing data. 3) Memory 4) Everything else


Having a monster of a cpu with a fast way to read and write data is what allows for the best final cut pro system.
 
You are right, the SSD only makes it "seem" faster but still the thing that has nagged me most has been those small waits that makes it FEEL slower than what it really is. Still very valid point, it won't BE faster and the i7 helps in the real work where SSD won't do jack. So it feels more like i7, but it's a hard decision indeed!
 
Given a day's lot of tasks, I think on the whole it will be quicker with the i7 than the SSD. The i7 is a serious boost to processing power, which is what video editing mainly requires. And as others said, you won't be able to change CPUs, but you can put in an SSD.

Also, some others have stated that the GPU doesn't matter to FCP X - that's not true as FCP X supports OpenCL, so the GPU can be used to do processing.

However it really comes down to the fact that the i7 canes, and that FCP X is designed to use your computer to the max. Go i7! That's what I've done, still waiting for my 21.5" i7 to arrive - I will be using it for FCP X.
 
For video editing, max out the processor because that will deliver consistently faster render times. 7,200 RPM drives work fine for editing video, but it would be smoother with an SSD.. however they will fill up quickly with HD video.
 
Go with the i7...

I posted a question similar last week as I was looking at a 27" with either i7 and/or SSD and if SSD was really worth it. My use was running multiple VM's. One member sent me a PM giving me the following advice.

First choice - If you can swing it, get both (i7 and SSD). Even though the apple SSD's are slower than 3rd party, they're still faster than the standard drive in the machine.

2nd Choice - Go i7 and possibly upgrade to the SSD drive later. When it comes down to number crunching and flat out raw horsepower, the i7 spanks the i5 hands down. That will help with the overall processing time and having hyper-threading on the i7 doesn't hurt at all. When it's time to upgrade to the SD, get a 3rd party one and install it (yourself or an authorized service person). OR... Save up for a bootable Thunderbolt device (Promise Pegasus R4 for $999). There are devices that are starting to pop up with SSD's in the thunderbolt device and are bootable. You can then configure the internal drive as a scratch drive, backup bootable drive, data drive, etc. Thunderbolt has a lot of potential. Plus if you get a bootable one, when you upgrade the machine in the future you should just be able to plug it into the new machine and off you go. Thunderbolt is pricey right now but it should start coming down as more products come out.

3rd Choice - i5 with a SSD. It will appear and feel faster, but under heavy processor intensive tasks it will still struggle.

Once I started thinking about it again, I think I would opt for the 2nd choice.

Also, I know many people with refurbs and they have 0 (ZERO) issues with them. Majority of Refurbs are customer returns and not because of a hardware issue. Customer changed their minds, wanted something different, etc. All refurbs go through testing to make sure they are as good if not better as a new product. If there is something wrong, the part is fixed/replaced. Just like if you bought one off the store shelf and had to get the motherboard replaced at the store 6 months later. They carry the same warranty as a new Mac and you can get Applecare to extend the warranty to 3 years. Really for me, there is no reason for not getting a refurb unless you just have to have new. And sometimes they'll get a "free upgrade" like 8GB of RAM, etc. Speaking of RAM, max out your RAM when you get it. You can get 16GB kits for under $150, no brainer especially for what you're doing. Or you can drop 32GB of RAM into it for $1400... :)

Hope this helps. I now know which way I'm leaning once the boss approves!!
 
why dont you get the i7 and fit your own ssd? if you cant do that then I'd go with the ssd, it will give the nippier speeds and the processor wont help you edit, it will just reduce the compressing and exporting times, which is something i go for a coffee during anyways!
 
devincco said:
I posted a question similar last week as I was looking at a 27" with either i7 and/or SSD and if SSD was really worth it. My use was running multiple VM's. One member sent me a PM giving me the following advice.

First choice - If you can swing it, get both (i7 and SSD). Even though the apple SSD's are slower than 3rd party, they're still faster than the standard drive in the machine.

2nd Choice - Go i7 and possibly upgrade to the SSD drive later. When it comes down to number crunching and flat out raw horsepower, the i7 spanks the i5 hands down. That will help with the overall processing time and having hyper-threading on the i7 doesn't hurt at all. When it's time to upgrade to the SD, get a 3rd party one and install it (yourself or an authorized service person). OR... Save up for a bootable Thunderbolt device (Promise Pegasus R4 for $999). There are devices that are starting to pop up with SSD's in the thunderbolt device and are bootable. You can then configure the internal drive as a scratch drive, backup bootable drive, data drive, etc. Thunderbolt has a lot of potential. Plus if you get a bootable one, when you upgrade the machine in the future you should just be able to plug it into the new machine and off you go. Thunderbolt is pricey right now but it should start coming down as more products come out.

3rd Choice - i5 with a SSD. It will appear and feel faster, but under heavy processor intensive tasks it will still struggle.

Once I started thinking about it again, I think I would opt for the 2nd choice.

Also, I know many people with refurbs and they have 0 (ZERO) issues with them. Majority of Refurbs are customer returns and not because of a hardware issue. Customer changed their minds, wanted something different, etc. All refurbs go through testing to make sure they are as good if not better as a new product. If there is something wrong, the part is fixed/replaced. Just like if you bought one off the store shelf and had to get the motherboard replaced at the store 6 months later. They carry the same warranty as a new Mac and you can get Applecare to extend the warranty to 3 years. Really for me, there is no reason for not getting a refurb unless you just have to have new. And sometimes they'll get a "free upgrade" like 8GB of RAM, etc. Speaking of RAM, max out your RAM when you get it. You can get 16GB kits for under $150, no brainer especially for what you're doing. Or you can drop 32GB of RAM into it for $1400... :)

Hope this helps. I now know which way I'm leaning once the boss approves!!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I wasn't aware of the TB SSD drives, well they aren't here yet I bet but they will arrive most likely. That's another option, too many options on the mac with not so many options ;)
 
Thunderbolt

tigersoul said:
Thanks for the advice! I wasn't aware of the TB SSD drives, well they aren't here yet I bet but they will arrive most likely. That's another option, too many options on the mac with not so many options ;)
Click to expand...

LaCie announced their TB SSD drive and last I heard they should be available "mid October". So hopefully anytime now. Not sure what the cost will be but probably a fairly hefty price.

The Promise Pegasus R6 (12TB of space) at $1999 offers over 600MB/s write speeds and that is using traditional 7200RPM drives in a RAID 5 configuration out of the box. I'm not sure if I've seen a single SSD reach those speeds. They do offer a R4 (4TB of space) at $1000 which I think would probably offer up speeds around the same, maybe a bit slower. Still being able to pump that much data is sick. The reviewer also put in 4 SSD's into the R6 and got over 1000MB/s write speeds. Here is a to a review on the R6. They are pricey because it is new technology, but if you can save up maybe in 6 months or so the price will drop some as more units will be out on the market. Plus it gives you a good amount of storage which you'll need for your video editing without compromising on performance.

----------
tigersoul said:
Thanks for the advice! I wasn't aware of the TB SSD drives, well they aren't here yet I bet but they will arrive most likely. That's another option, too many options on the mac with not so many options ;)
Click to expand...

LaCie announced their TB SSD drive and last I heard they should be available "mid October". So hopefully anytime now. Not sure what the cost will be but probably a fairly hefty price.

The Promise Pegasus R6 (12TB of space) at $1999 offers over 600MB/s write speeds and that is using traditional 7200RPM drives in a RAID 5 configuration out of the box. I'm not sure if I've seen a single SSD reach those speeds. They do offer a R4 (4TB of space) at $1000 which I think would probably offer up speeds around the same, maybe a bit slower. Still being able to pump that much data is sick. The reviewer also put in 4 SSD's into the R6 and got over 1000MB/s write speeds. Here is a to a review on the R6. They are pricey because it is new technology, but if you can save up maybe in 6 months or so the price will drop some as more units will be out on the market. Plus it gives you a good amount of storage which you'll need for your video editing without compromising on performance.
 
it all depends

It all depends on what you are doing with your computer. If you have an application that is continously writing to the HDD then a SSD is best. You have to determine where YOUR bottleneck is - in my case it is the memory IO on my Mac mini 2010. As such I can go to the 2.3 Ghz Mac mini and get a substantial improvement, more than the 30 % synthetic benchmarks.

( once had a Pentium IV and there was a hidden (or was it a hack?) registry option to enable hyper threading: my database suddenly ran about 6 times as fast.... )

If you are running some CPU or Graphics intensive job using 100% utilisation of the GPU/CPU for hours and hardly ever save then the HDD speed makes zilch difference and the CPU/GPU is all important.

I like SSD because of the no noise factor and longer life expectancy.
 
TB SSD drives are likely to be pricey for some time. I personally went for the SSD on the 2.7 for several reasons.

1. The 2.7 has a lower TDP than the 3.1/3.4 so it runs much cooler.
2. I wanted the speed of the drive for OS, boots, App launches, and some data.
3. I knew the read/write speed would be better than the i7 speed which would sit idle most of the time. Most of what I (and I think most of us) do doesn't require longer term sustained CPU speed.
4. I'm not a gamer, so the GPU wasn't really a concern.
 
Have Apple install the SSD. Then you don't have to worry about running any clean wires throughout an already super tight layout. If you want... buy your drive you want, the aftermarket one... then put the other away in a electrostatic bag somewhere safe and cool. Then if anything happens, you have the original drive in original working order.
 
I Agree

Skiniftz said:
i7.

You can always add SSD later.
Click to expand...

256 won't take you very far, and you'll be moving stuff to backup all the time. I have the iMac 27" i7 2gb graphics (essential) 16GB Ram (depends on what you do really...essential for me)

From my friends at Apple new, larger SSD kit will appear over the next 6 months. I have an MBA and MBP (new) the air is fantastically fast for studio work, when I get home it all gets transferred to my iMac.

Serious work is done on the iMac, and the MBP (17") the air is a studio tool, and a damn good one.

I'd go with the iMac, and if you want to save a little the i5...It's a little slower, but my i7 really hits when I multi-task.
 
Macman45 said:
256 won't take you very far, and you'll be moving stuff to backup all the time. I have the iMac 27" i7 2gb graphics (essential) 16GB Ram (depends on what you do really...essential for me)

From my friends at Apple new, larger SSD kit will appear over the next 6 months. I have an MBA and MBP (new) the air is fantastically fast for studio work, when I get home it all gets transferred to my iMac.

Serious work is done on the iMac, and the MBP (17") the air is a studio tool, and a damn good one.

I'd go with the iMac, and if you want to save a little the i5...It's a little slower, but my i7 really hits when I multi-task.
Click to expand...

I think for the 200$ extra, it's hands down worth it!
 
Agreed

IC3D said:
I think for the 200$ extra, it's hands down worth it!
Click to expand...

It was more than $200 in the UK....Even with my discount...More like $ for £. It's a flying machine though, and I do often multi-task. Typically, rendering a video as I type, with aperture archiving photo work.

Doesn't even get hot. It's you across the pond that have the upper hand in cost. I have friends in high places @ Apple, but still pay a lot more for my stuff.

I never scrimp on capacity or spec. I'd rather wait a while than buy a compromise.
 
SSD, no doubt. I have an i5 (2009) model, and I is ONLY when i play games or convert video files that I can give the i5 a good run. Almost always I'm waiting on the HDD - opening programs, copying/saving photos, updating iTunes libraries etc.

When I have enough money, and find someone willing to help me, I'll upgrade the HDD - but in your situation, I'd go with the SSD from the start!
 
The quad core i5 is still a very very fast capable processor. You will notice the SSD from day one. I have an iMac with an Apple SSD in it and a MBP with a Crucial M4 in it.

According to benchmarking programs the M4 is *twice* the speed of the Apple one in my iMac - but I cannot tell the difference! The simple fact is that *any* SSD is such a big upgrade from a hard drive that it makes an unbelievable difference to using the machine.

i5 + SSD definitely
 
Especially for heavy photoshop and video editing, I'd go with the Core i7 too. Just keep in mind that adding a SSD afterwards will get you even more happy.
Like others said, don't go the Apple way for SSD options. Choose 3rd party, not only for speed but for money too.

Almost a year ago, I did the same thing with my 15-inch MBP. I got the fastest i7 they had, and upgraded to 2 SSD's myself afterwards. I know a MBP is not the same as an iMac, but it's very doable yourself I think.

Anyhow, who says you are breaking warranty rules if you open things up? I'm not sure for the iMac, but I've opened up my MBP several times. When I would have an issue, I just replace the SSD with the original HDD, screw things together, and take it to an Apple Store. There is no way they can tell I opened it up, right?

Ps: If you're willing to go the aftermarket route, do the RAM upgrade yourself too. The price Apple is using for RAM is just ridiculous.
 
roland.g said:
TB SSD drives are likely to be pricey for some time. I personally went for the SSD on the 2.7 for several reasons.

1. The 2.7 has a lower TDP than the 3.1/3.4 so it runs much cooler.
Click to expand...

Hi roland.g
Do you have the tdp numbers somewhere? I like your approach and wish to know more
Thanks
 
mankymanning said:
I have an iMac with an Apple SSD in it and a MBP with a Crucial M4 in it.
Click to expand...

Off Topic: how is the crucial m4 doing in there? I'm currently looking around for an SSD upgrade, and the crucial looked as a fine option. Any general issues with it? Does it support TRIM in your MBP? Just any comments on it are welcome.
 
AcesHigh87 said:
Actually iMacs can only run on up to 16GB of RAM so dropping that much money on RAM is literally useless.
Click to expand...

Wrong information. From the 2010 iMac onward they support up to 32GB of RAM. I'm currently running a 2010 27" 2.93GHz with 32GB RAM, OWC 256GB SSD and 1TB WD Scorpio Black. This was all off a base 2.93GHz refurb. This machine is still a beast. The total RAM upgrade was $800.00 USD through Newegg.com. FWIW, the fastest system I own is the MBP in my signature. This is in large part due to SNB chipset with SATA III. Although the processor clock speed is slower than the iMac, SNB architecture gives the 2.3GHz i7 quad a boost plus the SATA III allows for 500 MB/s read/write speeds from the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G. Apple's SSD never reached near those heights. In fact, I re-sold my Apple SSD because I was disappointed with its performance. Fortunately, Apple SSDs fetch a nice premium on eBay because people like native trim support.
 
shortcut3d said:
Wrong information. From the 2010 iMac onward they support up to 32GB of RAM. I'm currently running a 2010 27" 2.93GHz with 32GB RAM, OWC 256GB SSD and 1TB WD Scorpio Black. This was all off a base 2.93GHz refurb. This machine is still a beast. The total RAM upgrade was $800.00 USD through Newegg.com. FWIW, the fastest system I own is the MBP in my signature. This is in large part due to SNB chipset with SATA III. Although the processor clock speed is slower than the iMac, SNB architecture gives the 2.3GHz i7 quad a boost plus the SATA III allows for 500 MB/s read/write speeds from the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G. Apple's SSD never reached near those heights. In fact, I re-sold my Apple SSD because I was disappointed with its performance. Fortunately, Apple SSDs fetch a nice premium on eBay because people like native trim support.
Click to expand...

Alright then, I stand corrected. I was going based off what apple says in regard to upgrading RAM which states that the iMac can only hold up to 16GB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back