MAC PRO / Photoshop CS5

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Sooo @ work, i am ordering a new MAC. Ive been researching online, but cant find an answer to my question. Does CS5 utilize more than 2 cores? Im not sure if I should stick with a 4-core or jump up to the 6-core or 8-core macs.... I plan on getting 16 gb of ram & a 2nd HD for a scratch disk, but I see no need in having 8 cores if I will only use 2 or 4. any help is appreciated.
(Im a graphic desginer, using PS, ILL, INDD, FLASH)
 
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I have an 8 core mac pro at work, I'll try and max out photoshop and tell you what happens
 

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Sooo @ work, i am ordering a new MAC. Ive been researching online, but cant find an answer to my question. Does CS5 utilize more than 2 cores? Im not sure if I should stick with a 4-core or jump up to the 6-core or 8-core macs.... I plan on getting 16 gb of ram & a 2nd HD for a scratch disk, but I see no need in having 8 cores if I will only use 2 or 4. any help is appreciated.
(Im a graphic desginer, using PS, ILL, INDD, FLASH)

Look at this list of Macintosh applications...regarding use of multiple cores:

MPG - Mac Performance 101: Cores, Processes, Memory - Application support for multiple CPU cores

..as you can see...the first applications in the list are CS4 & CS5...and according to the author of the article/list...CS4 & CS5 don't do a very good job of using multiple cores.

HTH,

- Nick
 

chscag

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..as you can see...the first applications in the list are CS4 & CS5...and according to the author of the article/list...CS4 & CS5 don't do a very good job of using multiple cores.

Can someone explain why Adobe is always behind the power curve? You would think with a costly top of line software package such as CS5, it would do everything everywhere including your laundry!
 

pigoo3

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Can someone explain why Adobe is always behind the power curve? You would think with a costly top of line software package such as CS5, it would do everything everywhere including your laundry!

Lately I've been trying to find more info into how many applications there are that truly take advantage of multi-core Macintosh computers....and the link above is the best I have found so far. If that list is in anyway accurate...it's not very encouraging info for owning any Macintosh computer beyond a core 2 duo.

Ever since Apple released the dual-processor Powermac 9500/180 back in 1996...we've been hearing the same "song" from Apple regarding multi-processors/multi-cores. First it's a rewrite of the OS that is needed to take advantage of multi-cpu's...then it's rewrite's of applications to take advantage of multi-cpu's. And this "story" seems to go back & forth between the OS & applications.

Now it is 15 years later (and unless someone can find better info)...according to the link above...not even the Mac OS (Finder), Safari, etc. seems to be taking much advantage of multi-core Macintosh's.

It would be interesting to hear how the latest games do in regards to multi-core Mac's. There have been quantum leaps of improvement when it comes to graphics hardware...but the potential of multi-core Mac's doesn't seem to have scratched the surface yet. Thus you have to wonder what is the real value of owning a quad-core (iMac or MacBook Pro)...or a quad-core, 6-core, 8-core, or 12 core Mac Pro...when for most applications hardly more than 2 cores are really being taken advantage of???

- Nick
 
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Have always thought Adobe want the world to conform to their ideas rather than they change their software.
 

pigoo3

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pigoo3

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Another link discussing the performance increase (yes or no) of multi-core Mac's:

Mac Intel Quad Core Vs. 2 Dual Core Processors | eHow.com

Quote from the final paragraph:

"Since Mac OS X 10.6 has been re-engineered to utilize multiple cores, users should notice a speed increase, as well as the quad core's added power management benefit. Many everyday applications, including word processing, email, web browsing, have not been rewritten to fully utilize the presence of multiple processors (dual or quad core). This will result in little to no noticeable speed increase."

I've been digging into this topic...since I recently purchased a used 2009 8-core (16 virtual cores) Mac Pro...and was questioning whether or not it was really a smart purchase since most software either doesn't or only minimally takes advantage of multiple cores.

Yet another interesting article discussing multiple cpu-cores in Mac's:

http://macperformanceguide.com/Optimizing-Cores.html

- Nick
 
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One App I can definitively tell you will use ever ounce of every core it can get: Handbrake.
 
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Look at this list of Macintosh applications...regarding use of multiple cores:

MPG - Mac Performance 101: Cores, Processes, Memory - Application support for multiple CPU cores

..as you can see...the first applications in the list are CS4 & CS5...and according to the author of the article/list...CS4 & CS5 don't do a very good job of using multiple cores.

HTH,

- Nick

Thanks for this link too! I have been searching last night and today for info about this since the iMac 2011 update. I thought from the first MacWorld benchmarks on i5 iMac 3.1GHz that there wasn't any big differences in scores.
 

pigoo3

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Thanks for this link too! I have been searching last night and today for info about this since the iMac 2011 update. I thought from the first ...that there wasn't any big differences in scores.

You're welcome. Thanks for your link as well (newest iMac scores).:)

- Nick
 
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well, i priced out the 6-core machine with 16gb of ram. I think it will be fine.
thanks guys!
 

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