Mac heads: i3 or MacPro Xeon...any big issues with Protools?

[trupro]

So what's your take on these two macs and how they interact with an MboxPro 2, LE or just protools systems in general?

I'm stuck on the fence about a new Mac and cant decide on an i3 chipset or the Xeon chipset. Wondering if I should skip those and get the ol' reliable (Intelcore2Duo) in a slightly older refurb imac. Any of these will be enough power for me for a while, so im more concerned about serious known issues with the Mbox2 or other systems.

Thanks for your input!

[albee1952]

The i3 is a budget processor and mostly an update of the old Celeron, so I would avoid it myself. What Mac are you considering with a XEON? as long as its a quad core, get at least 4 gig of RAM and it should run PT very nicely. Mac Pro is best as it allows you to install up to 4 internal drives(that will net the best performance). The new iMacs are now being modified by OWC to have a second SSD drive(perfect for system) and eSATA ports, so that's another alternative with an i5.

[guitarhead]

I am looking at getting a mac pro but I am on the fence as to which one. In my budget I am looking at the Quad 2.93 for $2,049 vs an octo 2.26 for $2349

I run some VI's while i am composing, usually 2 superiors, 1 sampletank, some NI stuff and a couple of amplitube 3 plugs. My macbook pro starts to choke when i try to track guitar at 64 buffer and hear all the vi's at the same time.
My current setup is a mbp 2.5 core2duo with 4gigs or ram 667mhz
when mixing i have no problems but it is when I am composing and trying to keep the latency low with the vi's

I figured a mac pro should fix my probs but in my case would it be better to go with the faster quad vs the slower 8 core machine
The quad also has the better graphics card. They both have 1tb HD and 6 gigs of ram
any advice would be great

[Dism]

Comparing the i3 to a Xeon is like comparing a Cobalt to a Corvette. There's no comparison.

A Xeon is a server-grade processor and is no joke. Powerful, reliable and oodles for a Pro Tools system.

There is a lot of debate over 4, 6, 8 or 12 cores to chose from... but realistically... get what you can afford. Even the lowest model of Mac Pro will be miles above what your Macbook can do, hands down, but obviously the more cores and speed you get, the more "future proof" your system will be. The video card doesn't matter so much, as Pro Tools isn't exactly GPU heavy unless you do a lot of film/tv work. RAM and HDs can be purchased quite inexpensively afterwards, so I wouldn't worry about those. Apple charges too much for extra RAM and disk space anyway.

While 8-cores can be a little much without full 64bit support... it will definitely be a system you won't regret for years to come.

[trupro]

Great responses, thanx!!

So seems alot of you would actually recommend a non-warranteed, used Xeon based machine, far and above a fancy new i3 iMac fresh from the factory?

This is the 'on the fence' issue. Cant afford brand new macpro right now, yet I was trying to avoid a non-warranteed machine, and could use the applecare on a new i3 to get my chops up to par on Snow Leapord and some inner workings that i need under my belt...

Still, what he brought up about the i3 being a somewhat glorified rendition of the Celeron seems something I'd really like to avoid, and it seems the main point is the leap in performance will more than pay for itself.

In that case, riddle me this: are there any model numbers of the older Xeon machines to litterally stay away from? For instance, the MB871LL/A
machines versus similar models? I am using an Mbox Pro 2 so I want to stay current as possible without breaking the bank. Lol "dont we all"...

anyway, thanx to everyone for your great input!

[nst7]

B & H still has some of the previous generation Mac Pro's for sale brand new at good prices. Which means it will come with the 1 year warranty, and you can buy the Applecare extended warranty:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...850+4293918132

[Dism]

Even the newest, shiniest i3 won't hold a candle to an older Xeon quad. The only iMac that really holds its own to the lowest end Mac Pro is the i7.

But it ain't a Mac Pro. You can't stack 4 hard drives in an iMac, or swap em in 30 seconds. PCIe slots, more RAM slots, potential for up to 10 screens... a Mac Pro is truly a Pro machine.

Apple knows how to make a tower well. I mean, just look at all the HD guys clinging to G5s with dear life even though the last one came off the production line 5 years ago. Find me another PC tower from 5+ years ago that someone refuses to give up.

You won't regret a Mac Pro over any version of iMac.

[trupro]

ns and dism, thanx again!!