Buying a new G5

[BigToe]

Ok, so I am buying a new G5 soon and want to make sure the options I get are best for my needs. I am getting it basically to edit videos. I will be using Avid DV Express and possibly Final Cut Pro as well (I prefer Avid however). I am going to get the dual 2GHz processor and was wondering which option for memory I should get. Should I go ahead and get like 2 or 4 G or stay with like 1G? I won't be saving the stuff on the computer but on external firewire hard drives so that I can carry it back and forth to the school/work editing labs and home.

Also for the hard drive- which option is best? 150, 250 or 2X250?

I am going to go ahead and get the bigger graphics support unless there is a reason I shouldn't.

I haven't decided which display to get- I really want to get two but thats the "least" of my concerns seeing as what I get depends on how much the rest of it costs.

IF there are any other options you guys feel I should opt for or against please let me know!

And don't turn it into a mac v pc debate. I already have a pc and need a mac for what i want to do with the software i like best. its decided for me by industry standards basically. THANKS

 

[Stryper]

Great decision! my pastor recently got the 2.0ghz dual g5. he does professional video editing for comapanies. and let me tell you, with a 20inch cinema display, this is a good looking device too.

you should be fine wiht a gig of ram, but more power to you if you have the money.
the most internal storage this mac can have is 500gb. so thats ur limit. if you have a lot of external storage then you dont need the big internal hard drive. you probably know that 1hour of DV is 12gigabytes. so if your doing very very long videos then get a larger hard drive. I personally prefer to edit on my local hdd because its just right there, connected wtih the computer then i store my finished videos or finished raw DV on my external. you should be perfectly fine with the default video card. it offers 64mb of ddr ram. i edit video on a pc laptop with a video card of 8mb of ddr ram and it runs fine. 20in cinema display is the best! its sooo beautiful.

save the $29 if you dont need the 56k modem. (thats what i'd do)


Mac's rule. this is the fastest personal computer.
Kudos for your decision

 

[Durelen]

Graphics/video editing? Obviously you want to get the very best display you can possibly get if you are on a budget. It’s the thing you stare at for countless hours. At least your primary display should be impeccable. I’m not current with G5 hardware so I’ll leave that to someone else to answer.

 

[BigToe]

heh if i had the money i'd even go for teh 23 inch- but i use the 20 inch in the labs so its what i am aimin for- guess i will save up for that second one seeing as avid and movie magic stuff alone is another 2100

 

[rmills]

The G-5 is quite defiantly the best choice for video or music production on the market today. My profession dictates that I take video to extremes that are out of most end users league. I have learned a few things over the years doing hard core video editing and that is the old saying, never enough RAM, never enough hard drive. Video is by far the biggest space consuming and processor-consuming information most will ever encounter. Depending on what MPEG ratios you use, hard drive space is critical. I use 4.48 terabyte Hard Drives from Kalatel, (currently 86 in use). The cost is worth it when you get into hours and hours of video storage.

I would use the highest processor value and highest HD value that you can get, you will quickly outgrow 250GB if you seriously use video. Also, find out now what the maximum allowable RAM size is, the computer will typically come with half that value, you run to newegg or egghead and buy enough to max it out immediately. Digital video processing is still new stuff for the end user, thus the reason computers are not likely to facilitate your needs as well as they could.

Spend huge money on a real video card, throw out the one it came with, get multiple monitor support, but consider carefully if your direction is wide screen or standard NTSC format or any resolutions in between.

 

[PennylessZ28]

Well ****, I want one too.

 

[Jesus-is-the-best]

I want the laptop version...but my dad has them in the office.

 

[BigToe]

well i wont save any on my computer- i use external storage for that. not only will it then be portable to go to work or school and work on it as well, but it won't take up space on my computer. so thats really a nonissue. i dont mind saving it to an external drive anyway- its easy to set up and then you are set. no worries.

 

[PennylessZ28]

Sign, I'm considering converting from PC to Apple

 

[BigToe]

hehe. well i am keeping my pc as well. but these G5s are sweet.

 

[Stryper]

yea i will make the switch as soon as i start making money doing some amateur videos on my pc laptop. with the student developer kit $99. with it a dual 2.0ghz g5 and 23in cinema display is $5k. with the kit its only $3900! you have to be over 18 though and in college. so yea all i need is about $4k +tax and im set with the best of the best.

thank you lord for my brother

 

[BigToe]

hehe i get it next week! wooo hoo

 

[PennylessZ28]

I'm getting one here shortly too, just placed my oder online at www.zones.com.