What MP is right for my usage... Please advise

[l0nd0n]

I've been waiting for the new models of MP's to be released but am now wondering if there's any need? I've been reading that most users never utilize all processing cores anyway/

My reason for waiting is due to the fact that my last 2 macs were all updated shortly after my purchase. The first was a G5 MP that was updated to the intel chip about 2 months after I bought. The machine rendered almost useless nearly 18 months after I bought, simply due to the software upgrades that I required. My 2nd purchase was a 2007 MBP 2.2 duel core, which was updated with new processors shortly after.

I'm after new a desktop due to stability and connectivity and increased performance. I currently use my MBP as a desktop attached to a external monitor and a farm of drives which act as a variety of RAID setups. The stability concern is because the MBP has already been in for a new logic board and also a new top case and trackpad in it's 1st two years. The superdrive has also recently stopped writing.

I'm a photographer and my usages are mainly CS4 and Capture One Pro 4 and 5. I shoot my camera tethered into the machine via either USB or Firewire and use either a 45MB or 60MB Phaseone back and also the Canon 5DII, depending on job requirements.

Files, when being retouched in CS4, usually hover around the 600MB mark but easily reach the 1.5 - 3GB mark. Multiple images are sometimes open in CS4 at the same time. Job folders hover around the 20-40GB mark, which are readily being read and processed out, by Capture one pro.

I'm hoping that the new machine will last at least 3-4 years, with just upgrades needed to the RAM, drives and video card as software updates come along.

What advice can you give me?

Thanks in advance.

Robert

 

[l0nd0n]

What Mac Pro...

Sorry just needed to bump this up a bit as it was getting lost.

 

[jbrenn]

Since you current computer is still working I would wait for the next release. The Next mac pro should not be to far away. When the next one comes out i would get the bottom model

 

[macgrl]

If you don't need a new one immediately then I would wait and see what is released

 

[l0nd0n]

Thanks for the suggestions but to clarify my original post a bit.

Even by waiting for the new lineup, will I benefit from the increase in processor speed or will it be excess to my needs? Would it be just as good to buy a previous years model to save a bit of cash or will I gain from the new processors with my usage?

Thanks

 

[chaosbunny]

Thanks for the suggestions but to clarify my original post a bit.

Even by waiting for the new lineup, will I benefit from the increase in processor speed or will it be excess to my needs? Would it be just as good to buy a previous years model to save a bit of cash or will I gain from the new processors with my usage?

Thanks

For now, with CS4 I think you will not notice much difference between the current Mac pros and the next generation in real-life situations. But with CS5 and 6 and propper multicore support sooner or later you will be glad you waited. I'd get the cheapest processor configuration and use the rest for a lot of ram and a ssd for the boot drive.

 

[l0nd0n]

Thanks, good advice in regards to CS5 and 6.

SSD for the boot drive, great advice, hadn't thought of that.