Need advice : dual 867 or dual 1 GHz ?

kali · August 21, 2002 4:33PM

Hi folks,

I'm having a big headache trying to figure out what to buy : the new 867 MHz dual or the new 1 GHz dual ? I have the money to buy the 1 GHz dual, but I'm afraid it will be like killing a fly with an ICBM.

I'm NOT interested in doing video stuff, recording or editing. I want to watch DVD's but not to record or edit anything (well, I don't think so).

I need to do lots of Mathematica calculations, scientific word processing, lots of schematics, diagrams and drawings. Some pictures editing with Photoshop. I need to surf the web, listen to music and do my personnal CDs. Watch DVDs. I want to play 3D games (Quake, Doom ?). And I hate jerkiness, choppy animations and lags on a computer (especially with OS X).

So is the new 867 MHz G4 enough (with a full 1 GB RAM), or should I get the new 1 GHz ?

In other words, is the dual 1 GHz overkill ?

I may save a lot of money if I get the 867 MHz, but I don't want to have a lagging computer. I'm unable to compare these computers and learn which one fits my needs.

Please, help!

kecksy · August 21, 2002 5:08PM

The low-end PowerMac gives you the most bang for your buck. If you don't need a SuperDrive or a 64MB graphics card, save yourself $800 and use the savings to upgrade to 1GB of memory.

kali · August 21, 2002 5:54PM

Thanks for the reply.

I've already planned for the RAM. I have the cash for it. I'll putt 1 GB, whatever the machine I'll choose.

What are the uses of the SuperDrive ? I mean, if you don't edit video movies, why a SuperDrive ?

The video card is important to me, because I'll play 3D games on the machine.

But for all other things, is the dual 867MHz powerfull enough ? Any OS X jerkiness, laggs, etc, ?

kecksy · August 21, 2002 6:11PM

Hey, if you can afford a dual 1GHz, by all means get it. It may be overkill now, but some day it won't be.

The dual 1GHz is at best 10-20% faster than the dual 867MHz which is overkill itself (for evey day computing).

[ 08-21-2002: Message edited by: Son of Pismo ]</p>

kali · August 21, 2002 6:46PM

Your reply doesn't convince me.

What is annoying me, are the DDR and 167 MHz bus which doesn't seems to be very usefull, over the old ram and bus. I feel like cheated by Apple with the new 1 GHz dual.

I don't think I'll need the SuperDrive. The Combo appears to be faster (is that true ?).

It's hard to explain, but the way I'll buy the machine doesn't allow me to choose options. I can only have the dual 867 MHz or the dual 1 GHz, vanilla, basic configuration. I can't choose the 1 GHz with the Combo drive, for example, and I can't choose the 867MHz with the ATI 9000 card. Only the default config.

That's why it's hard for me to choose.

If only I could take the 1 GHz with the combo drive.

squash · August 21, 2002 6:52PM

Kali to be honest if you want an in-between ..get the old Dual Ghz and you'll have a better machine than the 867 and still save money over the new Dual.

Plus if you get it from macmall it will come with a gig or ram..with only a 40 dollar fee to install. Just a thought!!!

kali · August 21, 2002 7:07PM

Thanks for the suggestion.

But here's the constraint :

The best price I can have in Montreal, is from an university shop. They can sell the new G4 and only them, at a very good educationnal price (they are offering the iMac and eMac too, but I'm not interested in them). All previous G4 are discontinued. They do NOT offer any options. They said : we offer the default config only, but we have the best price.

So I have to choose between the stock dual 867 MHz with the 32 MB GF4MX (which I don't want) and Combo drive (which I want), OR the dual 1 GHz with the ATI 9000 card (which I want) and the SuperDrive (which I don't want).

If I buy the 1 GHz, I'll be fine but with less money in the pocket and a slow SuperDrive.

If I buy the 867 MHz, I'll have some money in the pocket, but with a crappy vid card and a slower computer.

I guess I'll have to flip a coin.

As far as speed is concerned, I don't know if I'll see any major differences between these two choices.

What do you think ?

serrano · August 21, 2002 7:13PM

I can get the 'old' dual ghz w/superdrive and 64mb gf4mx for $1999 American.

Anyways... get the 867 and overclock it later, yes, the bus too.

[ 08-21-2002: Message edited by: serrano ]</p>

squash · August 21, 2002 7:25PM

I'd say buy the 867 ....save a little money and then buy a new card after the fact. I hear the new ATI card the 9700 is supposed to be great.

kali · August 21, 2002 7:40PM

AAAARRRRGHHHhhh!

Why is it so painfull to choose a damn computer ?

I'm depressed !

paul · August 21, 2002 7:57PM

get the 867...

with the $ you save get a top of the line vid card and sell the stock one on ebay....

are you going to use ADC?

kali · August 21, 2002 8:04PM

ADC, most probably, because I'll have the Apple 17" with the machine.

I'm now looking at that option, tell me what you think :

New dual 867 MHz, GF4MX, 1 GB ram. 60 GB HD. ComboDrive.

After some months, I'll buy the ATI Radeon 9700.

squash · August 21, 2002 8:09PM

It's a good machine........just do it!!!!!

I have the older dual ghz with the 64mb mx and it's an ok card for now. I'll wait awhile to upgrade my card.

In OS X nothing is better than a dual...that's my opinion of course.

kali · August 21, 2002 8:23PM

I think you are right about the dual processor principle.

The Mac futur is multiprocessing. I'm sure of this. Processor speed is not the only important thing. True multitasking is a major benefit. The work flow must be smooth. So there's no doubt in my head, my next Mac will have two processors.

I just need to be sure about the 867 MHz dual. I want to see everything fly on it.

I totally hate to see any lags or jerkiness while doing day to day stuff on my computer. I hate to see chopiness while I dragg or resize some window. I hate to see my cursor jumping on screen because of some background process. It pisses me off to see a window slowly updating on screen, may be that in the Finder or elswhere. I can wait to see some Photoshop filter rendering a picture, or I can wait my 3D renderer finishing its model, but I can't stand lags and chopiness in any normal operation.

s2 · August 22, 2002 10:24PM

I'm in the exact same boat as you Kali. I have to choose from default configs, even have the same lovely Canadian $ as you

I don't plan on burning DVDs, and I want fast CD burning, so no Superdrive is OK. Plus I can add one later with that second optical drive bay if I decide I do want that feature!

I can move my 100 gig HD over, keep one of my VGAs and add an Apple 17" ADC and be right at home I think..

I work at home where I'm mostly doing plain vanilla HTML in my paid daily work, with some Photoshop thrown in, all while listening to iTunes of course. The PS files I work with are pretty light-weight. I'm pretty sure that the dual 867 should handle those tasks fairly well (my current Sawtooth G4 350 is even 'OK' for this). If I get a digital video camera in the near future it would only be for hobby level stuff, nothing pro, same with 3D. Rendering things at top speed isn't too important to me, but I want a snappy feel around the Finder etc.

I'd like to play some Wolfenstein or other online game in the next year, so I'm also thinking of an upgrade from the GF4mx sometime in 2003, maybe. I do play most games on Xbox these days ( I'm a freak for driving games). Maybe I'll wait for the price to drop on the current 'top' cards instead of the next crop of top cards at the hefty price.

I think the amount saved by getting an 867 should be worthwhile, helps to pay for the LCD 17". Right now I'm running 2 17" CRTs, and cutting down on the radiation a bit would be nice.

I hope running dual displays is OK for Quartz Extreme.

(I think the full moon is messing with my posting abilities)

[ 08-22-2002: Message edited by: s2 ] <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />

[ 08-22-2002: Message edited by: s2 ]</p>

Need advice : dual 867 or dual 1 GHz ?

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