Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > should i get the dual 2.0 or dual 2.5?

should i get the dual 2.0 or dual 2.5?
Thread Tools
thecavin
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 04:43 PM
 
I am buying a g5 system right now, and am in debate between the dual 2.0 and the dual 2.5. My concerns are...is it worth the money for the step up to 2.5ghz from 2.0? also, is it worth the step up for the graphics card the dual 2.5 comes with, as well as the increased frontside bus (and while we're there...what exactly does that bigger frontside bus do?).
I've heard some say that for editing, you should save the $$$, get the dual 2.0 and spend the extra money on more RAM. I don't know.

I'll be using the system for everyday stuff (email, internet, itunes, etc.) and then for editing DV on FCP HD, and maybe editing HD-V when that's available. I don't do a lot of intense motion graphics, really just stuff inside FCP (with the motion tabs within in the clip) and use FCP video filters as well. I'll explore livetype more and a little soundtrack. Also, will use iDVD to build simple dvds, just to give clients rough draft stuff...MAY step up to DVD Studio Pro at some point. any suggestions?
just a note, i HAVE to buy it this month, for 2004 tax reasons, so i can't wait it out for other machines to be released.
     
striker100
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 04:54 PM
 
Originally posted by thecavin:
I am buying a g5 system right now, and am in debate between the dual 2.0 and the dual 2.5. My concerns are...is it worth the money for the step up to 2.5ghz from 2.0? also, is it worth the step up for the graphics card the dual 2.5 comes with, as well as the increased frontside bus (and while we're there...what exactly does that bigger frontside bus do?).
I've heard some say that for editing, you should save the $$$, get the dual 2.0 and spend the extra money on more RAM. I don't know.

I'll be using the system for everyday stuff (email, internet, itunes, etc.) and then for editing DV on FCP HD, and maybe editing HD-V when that's available. I don't do a lot of intense motion graphics, really just stuff inside FCP (with the motion tabs within in the clip) and use FCP video filters as well. I'll explore livetype more and a little soundtrack. Also, will use iDVD to build simple dvds, just to give clients rough draft stuff...MAY step up to DVD Studio Pro at some point. any suggestions?
just a note, i HAVE to buy it this month, for 2004 tax reasons, so i can't wait it out for other machines to be released.
Just from all the reviews I've read every review says for the difference in price the dual 2.5ghz is the way to go. There is an all around 12% increase in performance over the dual 2 GHz. G5 In video rendering and certain Photoshop filters the difference is even greater. Also consider that you are getting a superior video card with the dual 2.5 GHz machine, it's not just the increase in processor speed. I purchased my dual 2 Ghz in August 2003 and it's still blazingly fast but for the difference in price between the two and considering what you're getting my choice would be the dual 2.5 GHz G5. Just my 2 cents of course.
     
power142
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Apr 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 05:29 PM
 
If money is not the deal breaker, by all means go for the 2.5DP. While there have been a few 2.5DP horror stories, everybody else who has them seems to keep quiet about it. I have experience with both the 2.0DP and 2.5DP and quite frankly the 2.5DP is the quieter machine and we've had no problems with it so far.

For most things, you won't notice the speed difference, but once you start doing some heavy lifting, it might be a little more worth the investment.

Either way, you will want to spend some more $$$ on memory (not from Apple) to bump it up to 1GB or more, and the FX5200 isn't everyone's favorite gfx card.

Just my 2c too
     
thecavin  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 08:44 PM
 
"While there have been a few 2.5DP horror stories..."

What horror stories have there been? I've heard some stuff about maybe overheating, etc...
     
Westfoto
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New Orleans, La. USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 09:30 PM
 
Originally posted by power142:

Either way, you will want to spend some more $$$ on memory (not from Apple) to bump it up to 1GB or more, and the FX5200 isn't everyone's favorite gfx card.

Just my 2c too
Do budget into the system monies for extra RAM. This is the second most important thing after the chip speed.

West
Mac Pro - 12 GB RAM - 30" & 23" Displays - 10.7.1
MacBook Pro - 2 GB RAM - 10.6.8
Airport Extreme • Canon iPF5000 • PIXMA Pro9000 • Xerox N2125
     
awcopus
Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 09:37 PM
 
Two months into working on the dual 2.5 and my experience is that it's a high-performance machine for the most part, but really is unimpressive to me in Motion, which is more dependent on the GPU. But in FCP and Livetype and Photoshop, the time savings are appreciable. I'm a happy camper with 4GB of RAM and (hopefully) an ATI X800 in the relatively near future.

Also psyched about the storage options made possible by:
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/tempo-x_sata44.html
and
http://www.macgurus.com/productpages/sata/satakits.php

2 cents.
Liberty lover since birth. Mac devotee since 1986.
     
filmmaker2002
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Dec 4, 2004, 09:53 PM
 
If the need for speed is what you crave, it's no contest. I've worked on a Dual 2Ghz for the past 8 months and just got my Dual 2.5 on Friday. The thing screams and with the 6800, iteasily blows away the Dual 2Ghz with a Radeon 9800. Motion runs beautifully on it, not 100% smooth yet, but we'll get there. Games are...well...FRIGGIN AWESOME on it. And as mentioned before, Final Cut Pro and associated apps run smashingly. It is noticeably snappier and faster than then the dual 2.0.
It's just an ordinary day and it's all your
state of mind, at the end of the day, you
just gotta say it's alright!
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:52 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,