What's the performance gap b/w a single G5 and a dual?

dferigmu

I'm talking about the single 1.6 G5 and dual 1.8 G5. Is there a big performance leap, or is it minor? What is the purpose of dual processors anyway? What programs benefit? Who would need them?



I?m asking b/c I?m planning on buying a pro tower for the first time when the G5 gets updated in January and I?m not sure of the difference b/w a single and a dual. I know there?s a huge price leap but what about performance?

powerdoc

Any people interested by raw performance should take the dual. Anyway if you are concerned by web browsing, basic photoshop, personal video edition, bureautic software ... the G5 1,6 is more than enough.



But for power angry applications the dual 1,8 will be way ahead.



Before buying a computer, ask what you intend to do with it.

yevgeny

Also, a dual 1.8 would have much better longevity than a single 1.6. How long do you want to keep your machine? Personally, I would reccommend the dual 1.8 if it isn't too expensive for you because it has better legs than the 1.6. If you aren't going to be a power user, then the 1.6 will be more than adequate.

dferigmu

My first computer purchase was a G3 iMac about 2 years ago. I bought it right before the G4 iMac came out and it got outdated really quickly. I love the design of the new iMac but I would rather pay more to be able to have more options, to be able to upgrade, and choose my own monitor. I would also like to buy a G5 so it will last a lot longer. Maybe 4-5 years.



I do all kinds of stuff on computers, but I don't really use power-hungry programs. I'll wait till the January revisions when I might be able to get a 2.0 G5 or dual 1.8 for a lower price.