$1500 Workhorse

[capt_cope]

I don't know anything about video editing, but if it relies on harddisk speed at all, and video editing is all you'll be doing, get a mac.

For whatever reason, the harddrive speeds on hackintoshes are terrible. Not to mention if you're intending to house anything valuable on this hack, I'd advise you to get the real thing. As it has been said before, hacks are for fun, Macs are for work. Don't try to do real work on a mac, or you'll likely get burned eventually.

[Fruchtprickler]

I recommend any Core2Duo like E6600 or above and Intel Chipset I975X or above like P35.

If Mac OSX fully supports Quad Core Technoligy- the 6600 Quad is a very cheap one.

 

Harddisk i recommend a RAID (Stripe) of 2x 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (ST3250410AS)

Atm it is the fastest SATA Drive on "earth" becuase of some new magnetic technology.

The Raptor X is the other choice, which points in access time.

Overall a Raptor RAID will beat the Seagate RAID for about 25%, but at double price.

Graphics i recommend a 8800GT which is "default" of the Mac Pro, or go for the 8800GTS.

 

Mainboard should be Abit or Asus for easy and stable Overclocking or the XFX 680 SLI which is at about 79 USD atm and it is an awesome board !

On DDR2 you can save a lots of money. No need to get Gskill, Cosair..because working on latency or Mhz makes system unstable and only brings about 5% performance.

So get a 4GB pair of 2 DDR2 Modules 800 (6400) and you will be fine.

 

Quadcore or Dual core can be easily overclocked to 30% on air cooling at default voltage (yes i'm serious).

 

So you will have a Mac Pro for about 1000 USD and beat it in every Bit

 

Why: Better Raid Performance, faster CPU, higher Bus Speed -> FSB, more Ram, better graphics and individual design.

My System: Abit AW9D-Max (Intel I975X), Core2Duo Quad E6600 @ 3186 Mhz (air cooled), 4GB Corsair Ram (waiste of money), Stripe Raid of 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (ST3250410AS) which gives me 2600 MB/s Burst speed and a NVIDIA 8800GTS. Atm i can run Crysis at 1280x1024 max Details and 8x FSAA and AA.

There is no other game or Application which requires more CPU / HDD / gfx load. So you are ready to rumble.

You have probably one of the most powerful systems except the SLI of 2x 8800GTS.

But for Video editing, 3D rendering it is the best system you can have. If you want more HDD power- go for 3 disks and set up a raid 1. This will give you about 3200MB/s Burst Speed and a average of 300MB/s on read and write.

 

 

Go on holidays for the 1000 USD or more you

 

BTW: anybody knows which Mainbaord the Mac Pro is usung plus Graphics Card ?

So it would be easy to clone it. Bios of mainboard and Graphics card if "modified" from Apple would also be good to have

[brojo]

Thanks for this imput, all of you.

@ Daddy Phats: that's a nice piece, epecially the comments about the trickle down evntually encouraging programmers to write programmes to make use of the extra power of multiple cores. What do you mean by bump?

@ Fruchtprickler: Good to know I should not worry about small latency differences. I could imagine that perhaps not your mobo but the p35 chipset does allow for speedier memory above PC2-800 to give a significant difference, given its larger FSB... I've been told in the PC shop that the Seagate 7200.11 in the end allows about the same amount of data transfer/sec. as the Raptor 10000 due to its cache size of 32. I was likewise told that if not overckolcking the preference between Asus and Gigabyte is just personal, tue? I've read elsewhere that the Mac Pro migth just use Intels 5000x workstation motherboard (a variant of the S5000VNX I mentioned above for 373€, ->go to intelwebsite to check their workstation motherboards out).

 

@ All: Before I go out and order my hardware one of the next days, does anybody know whether, beside the difference in features (differences in ports and slots to which to connect devices), there is a difference in quality between the ga-p35-ds3p and the ga-p35c-ds3r? I've seen on the pictures that the latter has a whole area on the board that is not covered with any electronics, it has just the name of the model imprinted. This gives me the impression that there might be a difference in quality... perhaps differences in unofficial support for higher FSB than 1333, or anything else?

 

Which board best to buy (e.g. p35-ds3p or p35c-ds3r)? Is the x38 with DDR2 for 50€ extra worth the buy in the long run?

 

Thanks again for your imput!

[Synaesthesia]

Which board best to buy (e.g. p35-ds3p or p35c-ds3r)? Is the x38 with DDR2 for 50€ extra worth the buy in the long run?

Are you not overclocking? Then it makes little difference. They seem very similar, looking at the Newegg specifications...The ds3r has two firewire ports, the ds3p has one. They are both similar in build quality, overclocking etc. Both are "Solid Capicitor" S-series boards, which are reliable.

 

My recommendation: The Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4, it has 6-phase power supply, and heatpipes everywhere. In my opinion the x38 isn't worth it, it's not any better, or worth the money over a P35 board. The P35's are awesome.

[brojo]

Are you not overclocking? Then it makes little difference. They seem very similar, looking at the Newegg specifications...The ds3r has two firewire ports, the ds3p has one. They are both similar in build quality, overclocking etc. Both are "Solid Capicitor" S-series boards, which are reliable.

 

My recommendation: The Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4, it has 6-phase power supply, and heatpipes everywhere. In my opinion the x38 isn't worth it, it's not any better, or worth the money over a P35 board. The P35's are awesome.

 

Hi Syneasthesia,

Thank you very much for your advice, that is very much appreciated!

(If I am away for a while it is because i am ruminating what I researched on the net or focussing on my work )

I just wanted to ask:

 

1. If I were overcklocking what difference would that make what would you reccomend then? =>For example I might go overcklocking in a few years time if that were necessary for keeping up with evolving computational demands without buying all new hardware. I would then try for example just put in a processor and/or memory which would require much more bandwith than the official frontside bus of this mobo, su just overclock according to the rules of prudence or does it not work like that and would I by then have to buy a new motherboard anyway?)

 

2. I could only find a few years old references of info on the internet about these six-phase power suply things and stability... Are they also on the ds3p/r's and what difference would it make if they were not.

 

3. I have also seen the substantial difference in the look of heathpipes arround the mobo with the ds4 what are the implications for the more modest passivce cooling on the ds3p(/r)? (cf. also my remarks on durability and overcklocking under 1.)

 

 

thanks a lot for your reaction and to the whole insanelyforumcommunity for their 'engagement'!

[Synaesthesia]

1. It's an excellent overclocking board. Runs great at regular speeds but can overclock if you need it to, really well...

2. Basically a more stable and efficient power supply = good thing.

3. It's not a huge difference, but the extra heatpipes make it run cooler, particularly when overclocking. The ds3p is a fantastic motherboard, I just recommended the DS4 because I figured you wanna spend more, but I don't quite think the X38/48 is worth it... They are both quite durable, and I think any motherboard in the Gigabyte range is worth getting at this moment, so you can buy with confidence.

 

My advice: check the newegg reviews.

[brojo]

Cheers Synaesthesia,

Thanks for your reaction! I'd say I'll go with the ds3p then. Thanks a lot!!!

(yep I did read some of these neweggs mobo reviews i/t past weeks)

One of the next days (or weeks - because it were better if I first finish my thesis if I can hold out that long) I'll order the hardware and keep you all posted how OSX went for me...

[luh3417]

Best Hard Disk: new 320GB/platter WD started shipping February 2008, 2 platters = 640GB. Samsung has drives with 320GB platters but, according to newegg reviews, there are questions about reliability. Hopefully WD is planning a 3 platter version, that will be the holy grail.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16822136218

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16822152102