Mac Pro :: Deciding Between 4 - Core And 8 - Core MP For Gaming In Windows
Jun 4, 2009
I'm considering upgrading my iMac to a Mac Pro using my ADC discount late this summer. I have to have a Mac for my major, as I use a lot of OSX-only programs. However, when looking at all the benchmarks available for the programs I'll use, it seems that half do better with the higher-clocked 2.66 4.core, and half do better with the lower-clocked 2.26 8-core. I'm a pretty big gamer, and so if I'm buying this computer anyway, it'll probably be replacing a PC as my "gaming rig."
And, so, I'm thinking of letting that be my deciding factor. Now, I know that the workstation processors aren't meant for gaming. But, that's not my question. What I'm wondering is, while it seems 99% of games out right now prefer a higher clocks to anything else, would it be wise to purchase the 8-core (thus, even more cores than the currently underutilized 4-cores) model to future proof my system for gaming? Other than GTA IV, will we start to see games in the next year or two that really start pushing 4+ cores?
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Jul 27, 2010
Debating whether or not to get the core i5 for 1999 or i7 for 200 more.. Will I see a difference in gaming between the two processors? It seems like everyone is getting the i7 to future proof but is there really that big of a difference in the two CPUs ?
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Dec 4, 2010
I see the numbers of everything from Core 2 Duo, to the slightly faster and cooler Core i3, to the supposedly faster core i5s and i7s. The benchmarks go up accordingly, but I found this does not always equate in a faster experience on most tasks.
Here's my experience so far on processor upgrade:
In one computer trade school re-certification class I am in, we are working with Windows Server 2003 on a Quad Xeon platform and it's incredibly slow.
But in a previous class we had the previous generation server edition on older Xeons, and while not fast, it was much better. On paper the newer multi-core Xeons should have made a difference, but could 2003 server software be that much more bloated than the previous Windows server edition that it would stall like that and make us wish we had the older setup?
I am going to try out the Adobe CS lab and put the new high end Dells to the test there and see if they work better than when we had an older CS version on older Xeon equipped Dells.
I don't know if this is something to do with Dell, or if Apple's increasing processor bumps/generations are going to similarly not make a difference in the speed things appear to go at, whether it's Adobe stuff, server stuff, or anything else that needs power.
I know somebody who plans on a Core 2 Duo, i5 or i7 MBP and I was wondering if the higher end processor is worth it in that case (iMovie being the main program of use).
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Aug 3, 2009
Just curious as to how much of an improvement in performance I would see upgrading my system as it states above, since my 2006 machine is 3 years old and getting close to the end of my apple care, figured I would trade it in and upgrade.
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Oct 21, 2009
I do alot of photography with a canon dslr, I also plan to edit short HD videos as well as some photoshop and flash animation work.
Will I benefit greatly from the Quad Core Imac over the Dual Core Imac?
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Oct 4, 2010
Has anyone that know if it's possible to upgrade MacPro Nehalem 2.26 to 2.66 Ghz Westmare with the following processors : Intel Hexa Core Xeon? Processor X5650 12M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel? QPI part #:BX80614X5650 ? Could you help me telling if it?s possible to upgrading MacPro Nehalem octa core 2.26 Ghz to Mac Pro Westmare hexa core 2.66 Ghz ?
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Mar 6, 2008
I have an opportunity to get a single 3.0 GHz quad core Clovertown.
Should I go for it? There's no advantage to having two cores in two sockets versus having four cores in one socket, right?
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Apr 1, 2008
is it even possible to upgrade an old dual core powermac g5 to a quad core or even an 8 core.
I have a dual core one and i really need to upgrade to a quad or even 8 but it is so expensive to buy a whole brand new one and i was wondering if there was a way to just get a new processor and more ram or what not.
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Feb 2, 2009
[URL]
What you say guys?
I know the same article is on main page
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Oct 22, 2009
So the older Mac Pro's from 2008 have 2 2.8ghz Quad Core Intel Xeon processors, without hyperthreading, for a total of 8 cores, and the top of the line iMac has a Quar Core i7 2,8ghz with hyperthreading for a total of 8 (virtual) cores.
With the ghz being the same but less "real" cores, but probably newer CPU architecture, which CPU will actually be faster?
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Apr 18, 2010
There's a lot of people wondering if the 13" MBPs would have been a lot better with a Core i3 processor, but everything has been just hangups over perceived old vs. new technology, and really the only thing the Core i3 adds is Hyper-Threading, but it doesn't have Turbo Boost, which helps the Core i5/i7s tremendously. Let's compare using Geekbench since it is cross-platform and one of the few available sources of info...
Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz (~3362)
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vs.
Core i3 330m 2.13GHz (~3472)
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Core 2 Duo P8800 2.66GHz (~3700)
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vs.
Core i3 350m 2.26GHz (~3680)
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As you can see in both cases, the difference is pretty minimal indeed, and in single threaded applications, the C2D will easily outdo the Core i3 which lacks Turbo Boost and runs at lower clock rates.
And you get a 320M instead of Intel HD graphics with the new 13".
The Geekbench results from the old 15/17" to the new 15/17" are quite an order of magnitude better.
So unless people are expecting Core i5 processors in the 13", sticking to the C2D was actually a good decision, and given the differences between 2.4 and 2.53 isn't so large, one is far better buying the base 13" and then putting the money saved towards a good 7.2k HDD or SSD.
Note - I took averages of the 32-bit numbers and added them.
Note 2 - The C2D Pxxxx are 25W TDP processors, which are more efficient than the Core i3 which are 35W TDP processors. Less heat, better battery life from C2Ds.
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Apr 29, 2010
I've been debating whether or not to upgrade my 3 year old 15" Macbook Pro that has a 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo (Santa Rosa) to the new 13" 2.4Ghz Macbook Pro. FYI... My current system also has 4GB of RAM. Since both systems are Core 2 Duo, what kind of speed bump am I going to see? Would this be a substantial upgrade?
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May 28, 2012
I'm buying a new MacBookPro but can't decide, due to lack of knowledge, wich one to choose and if there's a noticeble difference between, 15.4" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core4GB of DDR3 RAM500GB 5400rpm Hard DriveAMD Radeon HD 6750M 512MB Graphics15.4" LED-Backlit Glossy Display1400 x 900 Native ResolutionSlot-Loading SuperDrive802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDRFaceTime HD Camera, Built-in MicrophoneMac OS X 10.7 Lion (64-bit)
and the 13.3" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 Dual-Core8GB of DDR3 RAM (2x4GB)750GB 5400rpm Hard DriveIntel HD 3000 Graphics13.3" Glossy Widescreen Display1280 x 800 Native ResolutionSuperDrive, Secure Digital Card SlotFaceTime HD Camera, Omnidirectional Mic802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDRMac OS X 10.7 Lion
Besides the screen size, one would be considerable faster?
I use Photoshop and beeing a photographer I deal with large files.
Info:
MacBookPro 2.66GHz 4GB 1067MHz DDR3, Mac OS X (10.6.2)
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May 29, 2012
The ivy bridge processors are coming out soon (or may already be out). I have heard that macbook pro 13" models might be able to use the new processers due to their lower energy useage. I presume that I will be able to take my mac to an apple store and have it installed. Is this information true?
Info:
MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4)
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Jan 8, 2011
Just in case Apple surprise us with a Sandybridge Quad core, and even if they don't I was wondering the following.
1 ) During sustained use in 3D gaming does a Quadcore with lower clock speeds beat a dual core with higher clock speeds.
2) Can the quoted turbo speeds be achieved in sustained use (ie 3D gaming where maximal load can be applied for a couple of hours).
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i7-2630QM
Base Frequency 2.0GHz
Max SC Turbo 2.9GHz
Max DC Turbo 2.8GHz
Max QC Turbo 2.6GHz
i7-2620M
Base Frequency 2.7GHz
Max SC Turbo 3.4GHz
Max DC Turbo 3.2GHz
Max QC Turbo N/A
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Jul 28, 2010
I know other threads exist, but they don't have responses specific to me so what's the harm in one more?
So, I am going to be selling my late 2008 15" MacBook Pro this week to get a new 27" iMac and I just need some legitimate advice from those "in the know" on processors.
I plan on having this iMac for about 3 years to do the following tasks:
1.) Record and edit HD cable (1080i) from an Elgato EyeTV HD - will include some encoding of 2+ hour sports game recordings
2.) Some light editing of 720p iPhone 4 clips in iMovie
3.) Surf the web, iTunes, iPhoto, Mail, and all the other standard stuff
Assuming budget is an issue, would you recommend me spending the extra money for a Quad Core i5 iMac or would I be ok based on the info above just going with the base Dual Core i3 model?
Like, will there be a considerable difference in the two machines (factoring in processor and graphics card) that will really be worth the extra $300 - $400 for 3 years of use?
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Aug 5, 2010
I have been offered a 2008 3.2GHz 8 Core with 10GB RAM, ATI 4870, 320HD, no warranty/applecare left.
Or, I can buy a new 2009 2.93GHz 4 Core, 3GB RAM, 640HD, GT120
Both about the same price: $2850.00 USD
Which would you choose, and why?
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Aug 10, 2010
I'm one of the many many people who are juggling mac pro options in my head.
is the 3.33GHz Westmere worth the extra 640? Probably not, but now much faster will be it? 20%....30%?
I think I'm set on either of these two options, mainly using FCP and photoshop and a bit of motion. maybe a bit of gaming
Also I can max out them four RAM slots and get a 5870 with the extra cash.
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Jun 12, 2012
I've upgraded my iMac 4,1 to a core 2 duo processor in order to install Lion although I still get a message from App Store saying that Lion cant be installed on my computer - I have all the basic system requirments - RAM - free space - latest version of Snow Leopard and processor ...
Info:
iMac
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Nov 13, 2009
The first Core i7 and Core i5 benchmarks are available. Quite amazing to see how much faster the Core i7 is even compared to the Core i5. (via digg) I'll definitely go for the Core i7 now that I've seen these results.
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Oct 7, 2010
As I see the new Speedmark 6.5 test scores come out, I''m taken back somewhat.
I'm buying an iMac for my office which is used for internet, email, heavy excel and word. I like to get 4 to 5 years out of my computer so I'm switching to an iMac. That being said I'm buying a refurbished unit, but am wondering if it's worth the extra 4-500 bucks to upgrade from the 3.06 Core i3 to the 2.66 Quad-core i5??
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Oct 8, 2010
They're both Intel Xeon Westmere's, but I was planning on buying the 8-core today. However, another commentator mentioned the 3.33GHz 6-core Westmere being a faster/better choice than the 2.4GHz 8-Core Westmere. Is this due to the 1 6-Core processor versus 2 Quad-Core processors and how the system utilizes threading, etc of each?
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Feb 13, 2007
If you have the guts and a few thousand dollars, why wait for Apple to release it?
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Feb 2, 2010
I have a Macbook Pro Core Duo that I use Compressor and it literally takes forever to compress FCP files. I know an upgrade to a Mac Pro would make the compression go faster and I know the 8 Core would make it go extremely fast, but can I do just as good with a Quad Core 2.66ghz. Would that cut my compression time down? An 8 core is a little out of my price range, but i'm pulling toward a Quad Core.
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Apr 13, 2010
Although i'm hardly impressed by the prices and specs of these 'new' machines I need one so I'm buying!
Just need to know before I make the plunge. Is the i7 variant with the extra GPU ram really worth it? I would use the extra power in my work but I honestly need to know if I'd notice any difference as for a few seconds less waiting it would hardly justify the price.
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Jun 8, 2010
So I was talking to my friend about the new MPs and that they should have two 6 core processors in it.
I plan on getting one for rendering scenes with Maya and doing stuff on AE, FCP, and the CS5 master collection. We were talking about his computer, which is one quad core processor.
He was saying that render times on Maya wouldn't be very different when comparing a quad core versus two hexa cores. I don't agree with him but would like someone elses opinion on this.
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Aug 10, 2010
I had to pull the trigger today at the retail store and could not wait any longer. Can someone tell me what I will really be missing between these two systems:2.26 8-core Nehalem vs 2.4 8-core WestmereBesides the obvious 12MB L3 Cache, 1 TB HD, 1 GB GPU and built-in WI-FI What about the 2.26 to 2.4 GHz bump? Anything there?I am using CS5, FCP, XCode, and performing some data analysis.Do I need to be concerned about this anything at all I am missing out on?
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Jan 7, 2010
I'm in desperate need for a new computer, for Gaming/school work.
I Am very interested in the New 27" Imac quad core-i7...but I'm scared.
I have read threads upon threads about the screen flickering/yellow glow and such and my question to you all is, when to buy my new imac?
I want to buy it without these problems of course.
Does anyone know when Apple will be fixing all these problems? (If they havint already)
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Oct 16, 2010
I keep reading that 6 core is better choice over the 8 core one but do you think it is true for rendering as well? I have 8core 2008 and I'm debating whether or not to get the new 8 core one.
My main usage is Maya and rendering is mainly mental ray.
The reason why I want to buy the new one is that the 5870 gpu as it would speed up my viewport drastically over the 8800gt I have now.
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Jun 11, 2009
I currently have a 24" iMac with a 2.8 Ghz Dual Core but I'm looking at buying a Mac Pro.I have been looking at the 2.26 Ghz Dual Quad, will this be faster than the iMac? I'm not really all that hot on clock speed vs cores, could someone with the relevant knowledge inform me which is better?
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