2009 Mac Pro or New Mac Mini

I've been wanting to learn FCP X 2 and have the option of loading it onto:
An Mac Pro Early 2009 2.66 Quad Core CPU/16GB RAM/NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 w/512MB running Yosemite 10.10.5

(or)

Selling that Mac Pro, and buying a new Mac Mini.

Any thoughts on which machine it perform better?

I have another Mac Pro I use day-to-day exclusively for audio editing w/Pro Tools and after fighting with PT GUI problems in Yosemite & El Capitan, downgraded that machine to 10.8.5. So I can't run the latest FCP X on that unless I install it on another partition--hence the old computer being dragged out of mothballs.

Thanks!

Upgrade the graphics card of the old Mac Pro to something with 2GB + of VRAM. That's going to run circles around the GPUs in the new Mac Minis...

It's not worth getting too spendy on the GPU for the Mac Pro because the CPU is too slow to get the best from a higher end GPU.

The GTX 960 or 970 are pretty much a drop in replacement for a GTX680 with a bit more performance.

NoahK wrote: … That's going to run circles around the GPUs in the new Mac Minis...

with all respect:
you make my Mini sad, Noah....
a ) minis have no designated GPU at all ...
b) in all those 'speed' discussion - what speed? With a smart 'distribution' of Libs, caches, clips on several platters, my Mini handles multicam very well. OK, when it comes to 'render', optimizing, export, it demands a nightshift :lol:


consd. prices of a maxed out Mini (>2k$ ... Apple, hello??I love my tuppperbox, but really??) , I'd take into consideration a used/refurbished iMac, the pre2014 allowed customer installed RAM .....

I've often wondered why Apple have refused to do a 'Pro' Mac Mini?

I would've thought a Mac Mini with the specs of the Macbook Pro with dGPU or even an iMac level without the screen (obv) would be a very popular little Mac. Quad core CPU + dGPU + Flash Drive + External SSD would be a sweet FCPX machine.

Maybe it would be too popular...

Hi,
The 2009 Mac Pro is very easy to upgrade :

1. Firmware upgrade from 4,1 to 5,1
2. CPU upgrade to 6 x 3,46 Ghz (Xeon W3690)
3. GPU upgrade to a moderm AMD card.

It will cost less than a MacMini and will be much faster.
Thoses upgrades are esay : don't be afraid by a CPU upgrade

Unfenswinger wrote: … Quad core CPU + dGPU + Flash Drive + External SSD would be a sweet FCPX machine....

I would see that as a miniTube! :woohoo:

... Apples frontpage tellsfor the actual Mini "starting at 560" .... but with some notsouptodatefancy extras, 16GB Ram, 500 int.SSD and a monitor and a keyboard and a MagicTrackpad and a bu-drive price goes instantly ballistic!! Compared to iMac (excellent monitor, KB/MTP incl) ....

No, for a kiddies-own-Mac or hobbyists like me, the tupperbox should be 100bucks cheaper, at least offer a 16GB/SSD option way below 1grand ...

And a nMP-mini with your specs .... hmmm, that would be my dreammachine .... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks for all the suggestions!

For the time being, I've decided to keep the 2009 Mac Pro & start w/some simple upgrades. I swapped out the stock Nvidia card with a used ATI 5770, and popped in a Samsung SSD 850 EVO loaded with Yosemite 10.10.5. Ram is currently maxed at 16GB, we'll see how that goes (the machine is set-up to do nothing but edit & Photoshop).

Looks to be running pretty smooth, hopefully I'll get a chance to put it through it's paces this w/e.

I'm set-up to watch my FCP X "How-To" vids on an iPad with Duet Display whilst I try to learn this software

You have the option of adding another 5770 which would be a good option if you could find a cheap used one.

I've often wondered about that. Is there any advantage to adding a second GPU?
Does the Mac recognize the "extra" power? For example, if I left the Nvidia card in with the ATI, do I now have more VRAM to use? Would one card be the default?

Only a few apps will be accelerate by a second GPU, especially FCP X.
You have to use the same two GPU (two Radeon 5770 or better...), be careful with the power needed by the cards.
If your main software is FCPX, forgot Nvidia cards.

WS_LA wrote: I've often wondered about that. Is there any advantage to adding a second GPU?
Does the Mac recognize the "extra" power? For example, if I left the Nvidia card in with the ATI, do I now have more VRAM to use? Would one card be the default?

FCPX certainly makes use of ALL computational assets you have in the system. I'm not sure how mixing nVidia and AMD will work out but dual GPUs of the same provider work together for much improved performance. Bare feats has some benchmarks of single and dual cards.

I think the arrival of Thunderbolt3 will give rise to multiple GPUs in external enclosures for a massive increase in compute performance and probably kill the need for a Mac Pro. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple brought their own eGPU solution to market this year along with TB3 Macs.

Dual GPUs off different models will NOT work.
FCPX and Motion will take advantage of them, which is enough for me.

But this alone will be a slight advantage. If your CPU is too slow, and/or you have minimal RAM, and/or your secondary media drive bottlenecks, you'll be wasting money on dual GPUs. The whole system needs to be balanced out, treated as a whole, or improving one pert without the others will be frustrating. But all things in harmony, dual GPUs, same make/model, will be an noticeable boost.