11-26-2010, 04:35 AM

I'm looking at buying a new mac for work (I work as a graphic designer) and I'm looking at the following machines as I really could do with upgrading my old G5 to an Intel, but it needs to be one which will still run Leopard (Snow Leopard doesn't agree with my printer and a few of the applications I need).

2009 Mac Mini
Apple Mac mini 2.53GHz 320GB Desktop Computer - Jigsaw Systems Ltd

or

Mac Pro 2006 Model with dual core 3.0Ghz, 4Gb ram (8x512mb) New 1TB Hard drive and 1 years warranty @ £1295.


I mainly work with Adobe CS3, quark etc. I appreciate I'll be giving up the expandability and storage if I buy a Mini, but is the Mac Pro going to be that much better in terms of speed and useability?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Simon

11-26-2010, 06:02 AM

Welcome to Mac-Forums
I think the only difference you will see between the two, especially in your line of work, is between the graphics cards, you didn't list what the mac pro has. Personally I would go for the Mac Mini, you may be losing out on expandability and storage, but you can always attach an external HD to it, plus the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics arn't too shabby at all.

- Simon

11-26-2010, 06:28 AM

Thanks for the quick answer, much appreciated. The graphics card on the Mac Pro is an NVidia 7300GT I think.

11-26-2010, 06:34 AM

Obviously the 9400m is a mobile graphics card as used in laptops (hence the 'm' at the end) and the 7300GT is a desktop graphics card, looking through benchmark test the 7300GT does come out on top, but not by alot.

In this case it really comes down to money, what you will have to spend for each device, i.e monitor for the mac mini extra storage space etc.

- Simon

11-26-2010, 06:54 AM

I've already got a monitor, keboard and mouse etc as I've currently got a G5. The 320gb storage on the mini will probably be enough as well as i can always back up old work files to DVD if necessary to save space on the hard drive. My dual 2.5ghz G5 with 5gb ram and 2 x 150gb hard drives is currently doing the biz perfectly well, except I'd like to go to an intel mac now before the G5 suddenly wets itself like the rest!. I presume the macmini or mac pro is going to be better than my G5?

11-26-2010, 07:46 AM

The intel structure provides better speed overall, so on a whole Yes would be the answer.

- Simon

11-26-2010, 04:45 PM

And if you go the Mac Pro route, which IMHO is better, upgrade the graphics to at least a GeForce 8800GT, or better, and you can boost memory. Also an SSD will improve things even further, and having gone from a 2.3GHz Dual Core to a 2007 2.66GHz Mac Pro, speed boost is huge.