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  #11  
Old 03-11-2021, 11:43 AM
Darryl Ramm Darryl Ramm is online now
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

While I'm a big fan of SSD, especially NVMe SSD, I would not assume that will fix your CPU errors... you can do some quick testing by making sure your sessions fully load into disk cache, you have to set disk cache to a size (not "normal") and watching the disk cache meter turn green before doing anything. That will help mitigate many, but not all potential storage issues. If that does not solve CPU errors then I'd suspect adding SSD probably won't help.

But if you do add SATA SSD: motherboard SATA on the Cheesegrater classics is only SATA II, so you get better performance with a SATA III PCIe card, and either using a card with on board SATA drive mounts, or replacing the optical drive with a mount kit or an install kit in the existing SATA bay space. I suspect you may be out of PCIe slots so this is not an option. ... and still all slower than going with M.2 NVMe drives, but yes that needs an upgrade.

If you are getting CPU errors, plugins should be the main suspect and other folk report issues with waves, including in recent threads. It's also not clear through this whole thread what version of Pro Tools or macOS you are running. I hope you are on Pro Tools 2019.5 or later with the plugin processing improvements, not clear that will solve this problem, but I'd want to at least be running with those improvements.

Last edited by Darryl Ramm; 03-11-2021 at 12:03 PM.
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  #12  
Old 03-11-2021, 12:02 PM
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MARVINBASS MARVINBASS is offline
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm View Post
While I'm a big fan of SSD, especially NVMe SSD, you can do a lot of testing by making sure your sessions fully load into disk cache, you have to set disk cache to a size (not "normal") and watching the disk cache meter turn green before doing anything. That will help mitigate many, but not all potential storage issues.

Motherboard SATA on the Cheesegrater classics is only SATA II, so you get better performance with a SATA III PCIe card, and tehr using a card with on board SATA drive mounts, or replacing the optical drive with a mount kit or an install kit in the existing SATA bay space. ... but still much slower than going with M.2 NVMe drives, but yes that needs an upgrade.
I'll check on the disk cache, I thought I set it much larger than default years back.
After you mentioned the SATA III PCIe Card, I looked into these OWC
Accelsior PCIe Cards, but they don't mention that it's SATA III. Do yo know?
__________________
My System is:
Mac Pro 3.2GHz 6 Core
32GB RAM
1- HDX
1 - Apogee Symphony Mk2 8x8
1 - HD 16x16 Interface
MOTU MTP/AV
------------------------------
Second System
Mac Pro 2013 3.5GHz 6-core Xeon E5-1650v2
32GB RAM
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  #13  
Old 03-11-2021, 12:08 PM
Darryl Ramm Darryl Ramm is online now
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Cards like this: https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDACL6G.S/

Yes SATA III and probably good cards, OWC make nice stuff, but I'd have a preference to use a Samsung SSDs not OWC SSDs with them, like a Samsung SSD 860 EVO.. and get a large capacity one (which gives better performance and just fantastic wear life).

Sonnet also make nice SATA III adapters: https://www.sonnettech.com/product/tempossd.html

Yes that all SATA III aka SATA 6 Gbps. OWC and Sonnet talk SATA speeds so their "6" in the description means SATA III.

SATA I == 1.5 Gbps
SATA II == 3 Gbps
SATA III == 6 Gbps

---

I was having network dropouts while trying to edit this poset and the post above, so see additional comments that were added.
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  #14  
Old 03-11-2021, 12:29 PM
Darryl Ramm Darryl Ramm is online now
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Oh and reminded from other threads about spindump and tailspin work arounds on Mac for CPU errors... if you are having issues and say disk cache checks don't solve them then maybe it's worth describing exactly what they are, when they are happening, all the versions of stuff, sample rates, IO buffer sizes, etc. and what troubleshooting you have done.
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  #15  
Old 03-11-2021, 12:32 PM
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm View Post
Cards like this: https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDACL6G.S/

Yes SATA III and probably good cards, OWC make nice stuff, but I'd have a preference to use a Samsung SSDs not OWC SSDs with them, like a Samsung SSD 860 EVO.. and get a large capacity one (which gives better performance and just fantastic wear life).

Sonnet also make nice SATA III adapters: https://www.sonnettech.com/product/tempossd.html

Yes that all SATA III aka SATA 6 Gbps. OWC and Sonnet talk SATA speeds so their "6" in the description means SATA III.

SATA I == 1.5 Gbps
SATA II == 3 Gbps
SATA III == 6 Gbps

---

I was having network dropouts while trying to edit this poset and the post above, so see additional comments that were added.

Well then, that's most informative. You sound more like an I.T person than an Audio Engineer! LOL

OK, I just called OWC to return my SSD order which included the sled into the Mac Pro. I will go with your advice on the Card that I can add my own SSD to it. It makes more sense than the all in one NVMe PCIe Card I was looking at.
Thank You for your input!
Cheers!
__________________
My System is:
Mac Pro 3.2GHz 6 Core
32GB RAM
1- HDX
1 - Apogee Symphony Mk2 8x8
1 - HD 16x16 Interface
MOTU MTP/AV
------------------------------
Second System
Mac Pro 2013 3.5GHz 6-core Xeon E5-1650v2
32GB RAM
1 - HDX
1 - Avid Thunderbolt 3 Expansion Chassis
1 - HD 8X8 Interface

MARVINBASS Digital Audio, LLC
Ex PT Beta Tester
Woodland Hills, CA.
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  #16  
Old 03-11-2021, 07:53 PM
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dr sound dr sound is offline
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Marvin,
I am slammed right now but I have done a recent video card update.
Please call me at work and in 5 minutes I can set you straight.
I strongly prefer OWC SSD's vs Samsung. I have both in 7 machines.
They wear better. I also have a long list of things I have found out over the years that I can share . Just way too busy to post here.
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  #17  
Old 03-12-2021, 10:43 AM
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MARVINBASS MARVINBASS is offline
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dr sound View Post
Marvin,
I am slammed right now but I have done a recent video card update.
Please call me at work and in 5 minutes I can set you straight.
I strongly prefer OWC SSD's vs Samsung. I have both in 7 machines.
They wear better. I also have a long list of things I have found out over the years that I can share . Just way too busy to post here.
Hi Marti,

Just read your post. Can I call you some time today??
Thank You for Responding.
I did order the drive and PCIe Card from OWC BTW
__________________
My System is:
Mac Pro 3.2GHz 6 Core
32GB RAM
1- HDX
1 - Apogee Symphony Mk2 8x8
1 - HD 16x16 Interface
MOTU MTP/AV
------------------------------
Second System
Mac Pro 2013 3.5GHz 6-core Xeon E5-1650v2
32GB RAM
1 - HDX
1 - Avid Thunderbolt 3 Expansion Chassis
1 - HD 8X8 Interface

MARVINBASS Digital Audio, LLC
Ex PT Beta Tester
Woodland Hills, CA.
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  #18  
Old 03-12-2021, 03:44 PM
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dr sound dr sound is offline
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Default Re: MacPro Late 2012-Is it worth upgrading the Video Card?

Marvin,
Check your PM.
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www.thedubstage.com
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401937/
Like everything in life, there are no guarantees just opportunities.
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