MacPro buying advice please?

Hi

I use a Macbook Pro 16gb Ram, 2.8ghz quad core, eveything seems fine, though I would think about upgrading at some point.

However, I have just seen a  Mac Pro 6 core 64gb RAM 512 Flash storage as new with 3 year warranty, only 12 months old for £2700

 

will the warranty still be valid if I wasnt the first buyer?

 

Should I go for it or just wait a couple of years and probably pay twice the price? or just stick with my Macbook Pro?

Wait for the next modular Mac Pro that Apple will come out with next year and see.

Keep enjoying your laptop.

I understand triplets, but I dont want a computer with USB C /Thunderbolt 3 ports, and have to get adaptors etc,  and find my Pro Tools system and other hardware isnt compatible with the OS that next years new Macpro comes with!

What about an iMac?

On the Mac Pros you're paying for 2 high-flying video cards that you don't need in Logic.

What about an iMac?

On the Mac Pros you're paying for 2 high-flying video cards that you don't need in Logic.

Hi triplets, I dont want an all in one computer, I prefer a separate tower/ screen,

If you're doing audio only, you can get the older Mac Pros and add a USB 3 PCIe card.

That's what I use myself and in the studio.

You can find an 8-core from 2009/2010 or even a 6-core for a 1000 bucks.

Unless you really need Thunderbolt, that's also an option.

What about an iMac?

On the Mac Pros you're paying for 2 high-flying video cards that you don't need in Logic.

This X 100. The current iMac is Apple's best computer for realtime audio. It's constrained by 64GB of RAM (vs a maximum of 128GB on the Mac Pro), but other than that it's a far better machine.

The previous gen (2015) model with the 4.0 6700k is practically the same computer. A refurb from Apple would be possibly $1000 under your price limit. (If you can get that CPU with 8GB of RAM, the OWC upgrade is waaay cheaper.)

 

Now, if you plan on using your laptop as your main computer and the Mac Pro as a VEPro server for Kontakt, and you don't mind spending that much money, sure, go for it.

But if this is in place of your laptop and you use lots of soft synths and FX plugins, there's a good argument for your current machine being better.

If you're doing audio only, you can get the older Mac Pros and add a USB 3 PCIe card.

That's what I use myself and in the studio.

You can find an 8-core from 2009/2010 or even a 6-core for a 1000 bucks.

Unless you really need Thunderbolt, that's also an option.

 

I do need Thunderbolt tbh triplets, anyways, I have decided to take your advice and stick with the MacBook Pro for now for, will look at whats available in about a year, I am still learning stuff anyway!

 I have decided to take your advice and stick with the MacBook Pro for now for, will look at whats available in about a year, I am still learning stuff anyway!

Excellent choice!

Hi

I use a Macbook Pro 16gb Ram, 2.8ghz quad core, eveything seems fine, though I would think about upgrading at some point.

If you aren't having any obvious issues, there's no need to ditch the MacBook. I have the same laptop, still going strong. If you are hitting bottlenecks with core overloads using VI's, I highly recommend hosting your VI's inside VEPro, as it evens out the load. 

Hi

I use a Macbook Pro 16gb Ram, 2.8ghz quad core, eveything seems fine, though I would think about upgrading at some point.

If you aren't having any obvious issues, there's no need to ditch the MacBook. I have the same laptop, still going strong. If you are hitting bottlenecks with core overloads using VI's, I highly recommend hosting your VI's inside VEPro, as it evens out the load. 

Yep, your money goes further the longer you wait. VEPro (with or without a server PC) is also a good idea.

I dont want an all in one computer, I prefer a separate tower/ screen,

Just out of curiosity... why?

Also consider upgrading the memory of the machine that you have:  "how much RAM will it hold?"

 

In any "real-time data processing" situation (such as this one), memory, not raw processing-power, is always the "ruling constraint."  Because a Ferrari can be "stuck in traffic" behind a Yugo if there isn't enough room on the highway to allow every car on that highway to operate at full speed.