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Copywriter · May 11, 2007, 06:06 PM

Hi all,

I'm about to buy (2-3 weeks) a new Mac Pro. I have a Titanium G4 PowerBook and a Mac Mini now.

Anyway, I can't figure out what graphics card to get (or to get one elsewhere).

I want to have at least 2 monitors (I prefer the 3-monitor setup though). I have the monitors, which are Samsung 22's.

First, would I buy 2 graphics cards? If so, which ones? I'm not gaming really on the Mac--too much. I think I've killed off the WoW addiction.

I mainly do graphics design, web site building, writing, client-type programs and so forth. So, I need a card that will do a stellar job (thinking of the graphics design element).

I'd appreciate any link(s) if there's something not on Apple's site.

As to Ram, I want to start with 4 Gigs. Am I right in buying (2) 2-gig sticks from some other source? And, can I leave the 1 gig in there--for 5 total?

If it matters, I qualify for the educational discount.

I think I'm going to buy the dual Two 2.66 Dual model, because going to 3.0 isn't worth $720 IMHO. I'd rather spend that on ram. I've been reading the forums and it seems like this is the best course of action.

Thanks!

rehoot · May 11, 2007, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Copywriter

I want to have at least 2 monitors (I prefer the 3-monitor setup though). I have the monitors, which are Samsung 22's.

First, would I buy 2 graphics cards? If so, which ones? I'm not gaming really on the Mac--too much. I think I've killed off the WoW addiction.

Read the specs on the graphic card that you are getting. You'll need two adapter cables (Mac cables are different from others), but a high-end graphics card should run two 22" monitors. For comparison on dual monitors: my G4 PowerBook can run on its screen plus on my 23" Cinema screen. The NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT has two DVI connections and can run two screens, but I can't find that in writing. There has been some talk about this:
http://forums.macnn.com/65/power-mac...rs-windows-xp/

Originally Posted by Copywriter

As to Ram, I want to start with 4 Gigs. Am I right in buying (2) 2-gig sticks from some other source? And, can I leave the 1 gig in there--for 5 total?

If you are not positive that mixed RAM will work, I would avoid it. Be sure to verify this and verify the exact specs of all RAM before buying it.

Now here are my standard suggestions. Be sure to have an external hard drive or other system for making full backups plus incremental backups. Consider getting an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). If you will be working with large graphics files, consider getting extra hard drives and running a software RAID. I posted a few RAID tips the other day:
http://forums.macnn.com/65/power-mac...uad-g5-8-core/

Think about your electric bill and heat: the Mac Pro, two monitors (with the graphics card working overtime), multiple hard drives, the UPS (which might burn 70 watts even when nothing is plugged into it), your iSight (not included with the base system), external hard drive, and DSL modem = lots of electricity. Will you then need airconditioning or fans to keep the system cool?

Copywriter · May 11, 2007, 07:17 PM

Thanks.

I have a Powerbook running its screen plus one Samsung 22 just fine. Nothing is hot and my power bill is just fine, so that's not an issue.

As to the external drive, yes, I have a few already. The Mac Pro is basically coming in to replace the PowerBook. I use the laptop for everything I mentioned.

I could get away with 2 monitors, but I really like the 3 monitor setup.

As to the graphics cards, I got confused on one, because Apple said it could be used to run a 23 and a 30. I wasn't sure if that meant it had to run a 23 and a 30 or if a 22/22 was okay.

Thanks for the links. I read the thread with the 8 monitor guy (wow). I know the 7300s can do the job monitor-wise. But, I don't know how good of a job they'll do for graphics.

I was looking at the ATI.

mduell · May 11, 2007, 08:51 PM

While you may need color accuracy, it doesn't sound like you actually need much graphics performance. I'd go with a pair of 7300GTs; each can support one monitor at up to 1920x1200 and one monitor at up to 2560x1600, so a pair of monitors at 1680x1050 is fine. But I can't say for certain unless you tell us what apps you use (is it Photoshop and Flash, or Aperture and Motion?).

You have 4 memory slot pairs to use any way you see fit. Adding 2x2GB or 4x1GB to the stock 2x512MB is fine. Remember that the Mac Pro needs 'special' FB-DIMMs with oversized heatsinks (a few vendors have them, including Crucial and OWC) and it's generally good practice to put the larger modules closer to the logic board.

I agree on the 2.66+RAM over 3.0; I'd consider a fast (10000 RPM) hard drive for a scratch disk for graphics design.

chris v · May 11, 2007, 09:20 PM

A pair of 22s on one vid card and a third one on a seperate card should not be a problem. Basically, if Apple is saying the card will handle a 23 & a 30, that's the max it's capable of handling, and will handle anything below that just fine. 2 of the 7300s is really the only BTO option if you want three displays. You'd only need the X1900 if you intended to drive 2 30" displays with one card.

I also have to second the motion that adding a ton of RAM to a 2.66 will probably give you more oomph that a 3.0 with minimal RAM.

Copywriter · May 11, 2007, 11:15 PM

I use traditional apps like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, inDesign, Daylite, some Nikon stuff, Word, Quicktime, and so forth. In about 6-9 months I expect to being getting into video editing. It's been a few years since I did it and it was on a Windoze machine, so not sure what I'll need (final cut or something).

I'm going to get 4 gigs to start--nothing less. I plan to add 2-4 gigs monthly until I'm at max.

I don't mind going for two X1900s. Quality is more important than price.

Anyone have a link for a good place to get a solid price then? I was going to get the 750gig, but it sounds like I'm better off taking the stock one on the build and getting another one.

mduell · May 12, 2007, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Copywriter

I use traditional apps like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, inDesign, Daylite, some Nikon stuff, Word, Quicktime, and so forth. In about 6-9 months I expect to being getting into video editing. It's been a few years since I did it and it was on a Windoze machine, so not sure what I'll need (final cut or something).

I'm going to get 4 gigs to start--nothing less. I plan to add 2-4 gigs monthly until I'm at max.

I don't mind going for two X1900s. Quality is more important than price.

Anyone have a link for a good place to get a solid price then? I was going to get the 750gig, but it sounds like I'm better off taking the stock one on the build and getting another one.

None of those apps really need graphics performance, except for Final Cut Sudio. I'd go with 2 7300GT for now and when you start seriously using FCS in a year or so, buy the hot graphics card at the time and punt one of your 7300GTs.
There's no difference in image quality between different graphics cards.

Take the stock model from Amazon (~$150 rebate) and add a 750GB drive from Newegg.

Unless you need to upgrade now, I'd hold off another month or two. The base Mac Pro system hasn't changed in 9 months, so it's overdue for a refresh (at least doubling the RAM/disk/faster graphics card and readjusting prices on the upgrades).

Copywriter · May 12, 2007, 11:51 AM

That sounds like a plan for the graphics card. I'll get two 7300GTs then, which is a pinch cheaper than one 1900. I'll just plan to upgrade them within a year, which is no big deal.

As to waiting, I might be able to wait a few weeks, but two months is a bit much. It's summer and my work load is increasing and I need to get off the powerbook and get more power.

If the changes will be stuff I can upgrade later (like ram), I don't mind. I'd only be mad if I had to buy a whole new system.

I qualify for the educational discount, so my Apple price is the same or less than Amazon.