Which Mac Pro 5,1 to buy?

[supersoundie]

Hey Folks,

So I am finally gonna buy a MP and upgrade from using my MBP for work.

I work in film post production as a sound editor and re-recording mixer. I will use the MP only for sound editing and design, and maybe for pre-mixes. I've narrowed my selection down to these two configurations:

6 Core 3.33GHz - 32GB RAM - ATI 5770 1GB
OR
12 Core 2.66Ghz - 16GB RAM - ATI 5770 1GB

They are almost at the same price but at the far end of my budget and I'm really confused as to which one it will be. I will be primarily running PT 10HD and sometimes PT 11HD. Using plugins is a huge part of my workflow and there might be several plugins on different aux tracks at a given time and considering that PT10HD does not have the dynamic plugin processing, I am thinking the system might slow down.

Also, I am not running any HD hardware at the moment, will be using a focusrite saffire pro 24 DSP as my interface. I will not be recording anything live like ADR/instruments, just some occasional sound effects.

Please Help!

[Drew Mazurek]

Can't say definitively but I own the 6 core machine and it's pretty darn powerful.

Considering PT hasn't historically been so great at using cores, likes CPU cycles, and likes a good bit of RAM, I'd go for the 6 core.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

Can't say definitively but I own the 6 cores machine and it's pretty darn powerful.

Considering PT hasn't historically been so great at using cores, likes CPU cycles, and likes a good bit of RAM, I'd go for the 6 core.

Agreed. That particular 6 core has gotten good reviews from various end users and the bang for the buck is one of the best.

[Abomb97]

Man you gotta bite the bullet and go big like I did. You won't regret it when you see 24 CPU meters in PT.

Good extra upgrades for the 5,1:
get a pci SSD system drive
USB 3.0 card
plenty of ram

my system's Geekbench score is higher than the the Mac Pros. I was doing a large mix the other day with mastering plugs on and everything and only after I was done did I notice I had the buffer at 32 the entire time! Not a hiccup.

[john1192]

i own the 6-core 3.33ghz .. if i had to do it again i would have bought the 12-core 3.33 or 3.46 ...

www.ipowerresale.com great deals on 5,1 macs

go get one ..

[Abomb97]

Originally Posted by john1192

i own the 6-core 3.33ghz .. if i had to do it again i would have bought the 12-core 3.33 or 3.46 ...

www.ipowerresale.com great deals on 5,1 macs

go get one ..

I agree completely John. Funny story, I found ipower guys on ebay and when I called them to order I found out they are located 2 blocks from my house! small world. Great people to buy from.

[john1192]

sweet .. !!

[kurt]

Originally Posted by supersoundie

6 Core 3.33GHz - 32GB RAM - ATI 5770 1GB
OR
12 Core 2.66Ghz - 16GB RAM - ATI 5770 1GB
Please Help!

12 Core.

[supersoundie]

Cant say if all the posts have made me think clearer or has put me in more of a dilemma. Can the people recommending the 12 core tell me why they are saying so?

I dont really need a very low buffer size as its not very crucial to my workflow. I am never recording live and only performing sound edits and a little bit of mixing. Also, the 12 core 3.33 rig is too far out of my budget and the max I will be able to go for is the 2.66.

[Stig Eliassen]

I don't know how well a 12-core will perform over a 6-core, but my 3.33 has been very, very good to me.