[RJGill842]

I have the option of using a Dual 1.25ghz G4 with 2gb RAM and an ATI Radeon 9600 with 256mb, or an iMac G5 1.7ghz with 768mb RAM and standard video (which Im not exactly sure what it is). Would it be better to install more RAM in the iMac and use it, or use the Dual G4?

I will be doing Flash, audio, and video (Final Cut Pro) as well as the normal routine tasks. I am a PC user and just now getting back into the Mac scene (I left after using a Quadra in the early 90s, lol) so equipment comparison is difficult for me. Any help would be appreciated!

[imitchellg5]

I believe you mean an iMac G5 1.8 or 1.6. My iMac G5 1.8GHz with 768Mb of RAM runs Final Cut Pro pretty good. I would just get the iMac and max out RAM.

[waxcrash]

If the G5 is 1.6GHz and the dual G4 has 2 MB of L3 cache, I'd use the G4.

[RJGill842]

I dont have the machine in front of me...but I believe it said 1.76ghz (which is why I said 1.7, however I probably should have rounded UP to 1.8 ) I actually own both of these machines (infact, we own about 13 iMac G5s, 2 PowerBook G4s, and 3 PowerMac G4s (one QuickSilver 800, a Dual 1ghz MDD, and the Dual 1.25ghz MDD - we also have about 10 OLD 450mhz PowerMac G4s that we dont use - we run an animation program in a prison in Ohio) I'm just trying to figure out in real world performance which machine would be the best...I notice a speed difference in the Dual 1.25, it seems quite a bit quicker than the G5, BUT it could just be in my head.

And yes, the Dual G4 does have 2mb L3 cache.