Move over iMac, even for casual AfterEffects use you're okay but bigger fish are waiting to fry!

[Deja Q]

* 2.93GHz CPU (Xeon, Nehalem)
* 8GB RAM (the upgrade cost was $200 and if After Effects needs it I can upgrade to 16 for only $650...)
* 640GB hard drive
* ATi 4870HD video
* 18x DVD/CD-RW drive (with bay for another)



:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9:9


Yup. 10 minutes to render a 90 second clip on the iMac was good - until how often I stopped, made a minute adjustment, then re-started... I have exams to pass -- and I passed the first one where it counts the most! With more time, I'd do better.

Note: 8 core (dual quads) are wasted material; Macs and PCs have so few apps that will make use of them... that and a dual 2.93GHz quad would kill me financially... The low-end 8-core costs as much, but still needs various improvements (mostly the video card)




http://www.barefeats.com/nehal04.html
(complete rundown)

Great OVERALL example of comparing multiple cores with higher RAM quantities on various Mac Pro processors... all I know is, the one site that bothered to do an iMac used the 3.1GHz model and, oh yes indeed, it's upgrade time. But dollar-for-power, the 8-core systems are sheer overkill unless I was Pixar(tm)... and even its top chart shows that the 2.26GHz 8-core prospers from more RAM after a certain point... the iMac is great for MOST, but especially for school and work and real life, the performance improvements from a quad with 8GB alone are formidable enough. I know more RAM will still help, but many After Effects forums claim After Effects has to struggle with more cores too. 8 is overkill.