11-19-2011, 04:07 PM

Hi

I have a MacBook Pro (mid 2009) and a decent PC I built myself (core i7 930 2.8 GHz, 6GB DDR3, ATI Radeon HD 5870, 1TB HDD 7200rpm) however I’ve decided I would like to go down to having 1 machine and would like that to be a Mac as I enjoy using them and work with them at university doing programming and other things for computer science. The problem is I like to game on a PC despite owning Xbox360 and PS3 due to enjoying the classics (Quake, Doom, etc) and the better quality PC gaming offers so need to update my PC every so often to maintain the requirements to play on highest settings. I am therefore considering a Mac Pro as it lets me go down to just 1 machine using OS X for most things then reboot into Windows if I wish to play a game. I could just keep my MacBook Pro and attach it to a big display but then I don’t have the option to upgrade in the future to keep on top of the latest games demanding hardware requirements. I’ve also used Mac Pro and like how powerful they are. The only thing holding me back (besides trying to sell these 2 machines) is wondering if it is worth it and would like some other people’s opinions or suggestions.

Thanks

11-19-2011, 06:22 PM

The Mac Pro is a fantastic machine. Very configurable, and very expensive if you load it down with options. Also, there is some talk (and right now it's a rumor) that Apple is thinking about discontinuing the Mac Pro series. However, no one knows anything for sure.

I would personally love to own one even if it should be discontinued. If you have an opportunity to buy one and the $$, you can't go wrong.

11-19-2011, 06:41 PM

Why not get an iMac? You would have to buy a screen in addition to your Mac Pro, and you would end up paying a lot more than even a high-end 27', full-specs iMac. For around the same price as the bottom-line Mac Pro, you get a better processor (3.4 GHz quadcore i7 vs 2.8 GHz quadcore Xeon, which will be 2 generations behind in a few months), an extra 1 GB of RAM, an extra 1 GB of GPU memory, not to mention a huge 27' screen. I don't know how the GPUs compare, but I'll assume the HD 5770/5870 is better than the HD 6970M.

If you really need upgradeability down the road, put your money elsewhere. I'd just stick with your current setup, a very nice laptop and a very nice desktop you can upgrade whenever you feel like. Going down to a single machine would be a lot of cash going down the drain, and paying for an overpriced setup whose specs you can match with your current desktop.

11-20-2011, 02:54 AM

The iMac just doen't have enough graphics power for my needs but the current Mac Pros are a bit old now if I am right? like no sandybridge i7s. Maybe I will get a 120Hz 3D monitor and hook my PC and Macbook Pro up to it. Would a Macbook Pro look ok on one of them and wont be too much of an impact on performance?

11-20-2011, 08:38 AM

With Thunderbolt eGPUs coming out, upgrading graphics performance on an iMac will be possible, right?

11-20-2011, 12:28 PM

I'm not the most informed when it comes to Mac so not sure there although with it being Mac they don't usually let you mess around with the internals apart from the Mac Pro even then the CPU is off limits I think. Then again if the Mac Pro IS being discontinued maybe they will open the iMac a bit for upgrades to some components.

11-20-2011, 12:34 PM

No, I mean an external GPU, not messing with the internals. Like what is currently being done with Sandy Bridge laptops with mini PCIe ports.

11-20-2011, 03:54 PM

Nothing is off limits if you invest in a Mac Pro. Have upgraded Intel CPU's, graphics, memory, SSD, and with four hard drive bays plenty of options. That is the reason Mac Pros keep on keeping on ~ they are upgradeable.