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jebjeb · Nov 25, 2005, 08:20 AM

I have been unable to find some recent benchmarks. I have just been asked to do some work on a presentation. It sounds as though we need to use Motion. I have a little experience with it and will pick it up quickly. I am not yet sure if I will take it on (I would like to but it depends what my director, who I contract to, wants to do).

The deadline is quite tight. I will need to have a product by the first week on January. This creates my dilemma.

I need the fasted machine for doing this work possible (it looks like they may need some live updating of the work during a meeting if variables need to be changed, therefore we don't want to be waiting while it is rendering stuff).

As you can see, I need the machine quickly. I only have my own personal iMac G5 1.8 at the moment. That will let me do start the project at least but will not do for later on. I am hoping that I will be able to get work to pay me an extra consulting fee that I can put towards the new machine. As you can tell from my previous thread (comparing a new DC 2.0 and an older DP 2.5), I was looking at getting a new machine anyway.

So, finally, to the question. Keeping in mind the timescales, do I get a new Quad 2.5 but with the standard 6600 graphics card (which I can get in 8-11 days) or an older Dual Processor 2.7 with an ATI X800 XT card (which I can get in the next few days)? I would load either machine with RAM (Recommendations on realistically how much I should get - 4GB, 6GB or 8GB).

It is too long to wait for the NVIDIA 7800 to be available separately or built-to-order so that shouldn't be taken into account except that I can upgrade to that later on (but after this project).

Is the much faster machine (Quad 2.5) with a not-so-great graphics card (NVIDIA 6600) going to be faster than a slower machine (DP 2.7) with a better graphics card (ATI X800 XT)?

ism · Nov 25, 2005, 10:13 AM

Graphics card first for Motion. Then probably RAM, then CPU.

Amount of RAM dependent on length of Motion Sequence. 1Mb of RAM per 1frame (SD)
1 minute (PAL)= 1 x 60 x 25 x 1 megabyte per SD frame = 1500Mb

Motion gets slow when it has to page and can't use RAM

So that's the slower machine (DP 2.7) with a better graphics card (ATI X800 XT). Definitely.

angelmb · Nov 25, 2005, 04:45 PM

My apologies for use the 'jebjeb' topic to ask some kinda related question.

A friend has a Sawtooth upgraded with a 1 GHz CPU, he is thinking about to get a G5 Power Mac because every time the Mac is creating (rendering?) a DVD with iDVD (or maybe iMovie?) it takes a long long time. So he would like to know what model of G5 Power Mac is 'good enough' to get the work done in a matter of hours instead the whole night. Buying a used G5 is a valid option here.

So I guess he would be well served with a Dual CPU, lots of RAM but I am not that sure about the speed-factor the GPU is going to have here. Any input is welcome.

P.S. 'jebjeb', your new signature is awesome, the AMG that is

One man, one engine… second to no one.

ism · Nov 25, 2005, 06:14 PM

For DVD encoding the CPU is doing the work. Any G5 will nail a G4. So whatever he can afford.

mduell · Nov 26, 2005, 03:38 AM

One of the new dualcores with the 7800GT. Spend the money on more RAM (4GB+, not from Apple) instead of the quad.

Apple has done the benchmarking for you:

new newton · Nov 26, 2005, 05:15 AM

Of course, the 7800GT will be delivered a month or so after his deadline, but you knew that, right Mark?

jebjeb · Nov 26, 2005, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by angelmb

P.S. 'jebjeb', your new signature is awesome, the AMG that is

One man, one engine… second to no one.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with it! Now all I need is a machin as fast as the AMG!

jebjeb · Nov 26, 2005, 09:35 AM

It is a difficult decision. I know that when I have done this good bit of work, other areas of the business will want me to do similar things for them. If I got the quad now, chucked an extra 6GB RAM (to take it to 6.5GB) into it, then it would do a decent job this first time around. Then when the 7800 is available retail, the machine will be extremely quick for all subsequent work. From what I have seen, the memory functions are much quicker on the new machines compared to the older DDR machines.

I am leaning towards the Quad as it should still do a great job this first time around (when it still only has the standard 6600 GPU) and then will be unreal once I get a 7800 in it in a couple of months time.

Does that sound like a sensible decision?

ism · Nov 26, 2005, 11:55 AM

I don't know. It's up to you (obviously), but beware that the GPU is really everything to Motion. The new quad will be slower with that card. It really depends on your expectations and the type of work you will be doing. Is there any chance you could try a machine out first and see what you think of it? For long term upgrading then the quad makes more sense. Just depends if you can get by now.

OogaBooga · Nov 26, 2005, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by jebjeb

It is a difficult decision. I know that when I have done this good bit of work, other areas of the business will want me to do similar things for them. If I got the quad now, chucked an extra 6GB RAM (to take it to 6.5GB) into it, then it would do a decent job this first time around. Then when the 7800 is available retail, the machine will be extremely quick for all subsequent work. From what I have seen, the memory functions are much quicker on the new machines compared to the older DDR machines.

I am leaning towards the Quad as it should still do a great job this first time around (when it still only has the standard 6600 GPU) and then will be unreal once I get a 7800 in it in a couple of months time.

Does that sound like a sensible decision?

That's what I was going to suggest. A 6600 should be fast enough for most operations in Motion. Besides, you can always upgrade the video card, but never the CPU. And this time the CPU is a Quad at 2.5Ghz, which I wouldn't want to miss out on.

jebjeb · Nov 26, 2005, 02:05 PM

For this project, I won't be using much video or particle effects. For later projects, there may be more video and effects but by that time I would have upgraded to the 7800.

I have only done a small amount of work in Motion before so these earlier projects won't be stretching its capabilities. This is something I want to get into further though and if work is going to pay then I might as well go for the best for the future.

mduell · Nov 26, 2005, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by new newton

Of course, the 7800GT will be delivered a month or so after his deadline, but you knew that, right Mark?

Last I knew they are supposed to be delivered in December, ahead of your January deadline.

It's a computer for work, go for the Quadro!

jebjeb · Nov 26, 2005, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

It's a computer for work, go for the Quadro!

You never know! I will have a better idea what we can do on Monday.

Still looks like there is a bit of a wait on the Quadro's as well, not as long as the 7800's though.