Computer Purchase Decision

I have been a Windows user my entire life, but after experimenting with Ubuntu and experiencing its simplicity and sustainability, I am considering making my next purchase a Mac. There are essentially three options that I am looking at, and I would appreciate any input. I have searched the forums and found similar situations to myself, but not exactly the same. The three options are as follows:

1) One 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon –Nehalem-, 19 GB ram, 2 TB 7200-rpm SATA hard drive, One 18 x SuperDrive, ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB.
Price with taxes and Apple care: $ 3892 Canadian Dollars
2) 2.94 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16 GB ram, 2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive, 8X double-layer SuperDrive, ATI Radeon HD 5750 1gb
Price with taxes and Apple care: $3943.52 Canadian Dollars
3) Two 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon –Westmere-, 6 GB ram, 1 TB Serial ATA Drive, ATI Radeon HD 5770 1 GB, one 18 x SuperDrive
Price with taxes and Apple care: $3936.8 Canadian Dollars

The computer I currently have is an HP Pavilion Elite M9450F, equipped with Intel Core 2 Quad @ 2.5ghz, 8 GB ram, 750 GB Hard Drive, and 9800 GT. When the computer works, I have no complaints; however, there are times when it will barely work, and there are times when it screams.
On a typical day, I will have the following programs open: Mozilla Firefox (x6-7), Internet Explorer (x2), Microsoft Word (x8-9), Microsoft Powerpoint (x2), Media Monkey, Maple 14, Mathematica, Evernote, VLC Media Player, Mariam Webster’s dictionary software, Collins-Robert French Dictionary, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, and UTorrent.

I am as well getting into recording using Pro Tools M-Powered 8, and an M-Audio Project Mix. The computer I have works great with four or five tracks, but as soon as I try to invert or reverse the audio track using Audiosuite, I get the dreaded –Not Responding- message. I will eventually be mixing around 20 audio tracks, several AUX tracks, and maybe several of the included virtual instruments, as well as EZ Drummer.

I am looking to have this computer last at least five years throughout my Undergraduates degree; is this an impossible thing to ask of any computer?
What of these three options would you purchase and why?

Thanks in advance, Guys!

Some paragraphs would help. No one likes reading a wall of text.

Get the fastest processor you can afford. You can always upgrade the rest afterward.

CrimsonRequiem said:

Some paragraphs would help. No one likes reading a wall of text.

Click to expand...

I hope that the way I have edited it now is better.

I hope it's ok that I piggyback on this thread since I am also in the market to buy one of these as a Xmas gift for my other half who is impressed by my Imac. The desktop we have is super slow and sounds like an airplane taking off so it's time to upgrade. I have tried to compare a couple off the refurbished store but can't find identical matches. Are those used ones an older model? Sorry but I am somewhat computer illiterate.

1 - buy your RAM after market - already checked today and the 16GB kit from Apple for the iMac is $1,000 vs after market from Crucial for $280. Have not checked, but ECC for the Mac Pro is probably close to the same difference.

2 - there is not enough difference between the processors in the first 2 machines to make it worth talking about. If you're planning on doing much writing/burning, the optical drive in the iMac is a dog - by comparison. Non-upgradeable video card sitting in it. Sorry, but I can't justify the cost of that machine.

3. the W5580 Nehalem scores almost 2500 points higher on a CPU PassMark than the E5620 Westmere. The advantage of the Westmere being able to use faster memory will never make up for that. I couldn't in good conscience recommend that 3rd machine at all by comparison. You'll be disappointed with any of your apps that can't make use of all those cores with the 2.4Ghz. It's really down to, can the apps you intend to run use those 8 cores or not. It'll probably take 6 of them to catch the 3.2 Ghz chip.

Here's a comparison of those chips.

Between those first 2 machines - have a hard time convincing myself that an all-in-one, nothing in it is upgradeable basically, is worth that sort of money. But you're into personal preference territory here.

Taylor810 said:

I have tried to compare a couple off the refurbished store but can't find identical matches. Are those used ones an older model?

Click to expand...

That's fine you're joining, and no, they are not from the refurbished store-neither an older model. I am a University Student, and I would purchase through Apple's education store.

bobtomay said:

1 - buy your RAM after market - already checked today and the 16GB kit from Apple for the iMac is $1,000 vs after market from Crucial for $280. Have not checked, but ECC for the Mac Pro is probably close to the same difference.

2 - there is not enough difference between the processors in the first 2 machines to make it worth talking about. If you're planning on doing much writing/burning, the optical drive in the iMac is a dog - by comparison. Non-upgradeable video card sitting in it. Sorry, but I can't justify the cost of that machine.

3. the W5580 Nehalem scores almost 2500 points higher on a CPU PassMark than the E5620 Westmere. The advantage of the Westmere being able to use faster memory will never make up for that. I couldn't in good conscience recommend that 3rd machine at all by comparison. You'll be disappointed with any of your apps that can't make use of all those cores with the 2.4Ghz. It's really down to, can the apps you intend to run use those 8 cores or not. It'll probably take 6 of them to catch the 3.2 Ghz chip.

Here's a comparison of those chips.

Between those first 2 machines - have a hard time convincing myself that an all-in-one, nothing in it is upgradeable basically, is worth that sort of money. But you're into personal preference territory here.

Click to expand...

1) This is the price with after market ram.
2) I never thought of it that why, and considering I have a display, I am mainly paying for the display, if my thinking is correct, and at such a price, you should be able to upgrade it.
3) Judging by the tests, the Nehelem Xeon is the fastest processor out of the three, right? Then the i7, then the Westmere. I think I get what you're saying with the 8 core machine. Is it like with a 4x4 SUV. If I'm going to be using it for outback riding, I'll love it, but if I'm just going to be driving flat in town I will be disappointed in its lack of speed. (Forgive me if I've got this wrong.)

Would the Nehelem be capable of doing what I want it do as listed above? Thanks for your help!

1) I figured this out after I went and priced the iMac when I got to item 2, but was too lazy to go back and rewrite - wanted to keep it there just to make sure.

All the stuff in your first paragraph, I think you'd be happier with the Nehalem.

I'm not into the audio stuff, so really can't speak to that. I think there are some good ProTools forums out there. You might want to check in with some of those to find out which would be better for that software - the speed or moving to 8 cores vs 4. The things you're saying you do with it, I would guess that to be memory intensive, so you're handling that side of it. I just don't know how processor intensive those things are nor how well the software has been developed to use multi-cores.

We have a lot of folks here using ProTools, but it seems most of them are using their MB or MBP, so you're stepping a league above those machines with any of them.

Looks like you may have a couple of Win only apps there also, so I'd put a copy of Windows in your budget. You'll need to find out whether those Math apps will run just fine in a VM or if you need to reboot into Windows - my guess is that would be a pitr for you. One thing to consider here, is that with the 8 cores and they will run in a VM just fine, you could assign 4 cores to OS X and 4 cores to your VM.

A lot to consider with that sort of money on a computer and I've probably made it harder instead of easier. Your homework should pay off though in at least having some idea what you can expect from the machine when you get it.