confusing comparisons bewteen 1 GH dualies

[rburns]

This is a topic that's appeared in a few previous threads, but the recent barefeets benchmark tests comparing the slightly different configured 1GHz Quicksilver to the new 1 GHz dual, despite competing views these tests have generated, leave me and perhaps many of us wondering which is the better deal: a used dual GHz or its newer "equivalent"?

I just bought from an individual the older one w/3yrs AppleCare, a gig of memory, the NVIDEA GForce 4MX, and an external 40-gig Maxtor drive, all for the same amount as Apple's stock-configured 1 GHz dualie. There's no Apple Store near me to see the newer one up close.

I'm not a graphics arts designer or filmmaker but a cultural anthropologist/folklorist/professor who will be burning DVDs for classroom pursposes for the university where I teach. Also, I'd hope whatever I get will still hold its own a few years later.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this, but in layman's terms. Apple techies expectedly insist that the newer model is the better way to go.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[MacBandit]

Re: confusing comparisons bewteen 1 GH dualies

Originally posted by rburns
This is a topic that's appeared in a few previous threads, but the recent barefeets benchmark tests comparing the slightly different configured 1GHz Quicksilver to the new 1 GHz dual, despite competing views these tests have generated, leave me and perhaps many of us wondering which is the better deal: a used dual GHz or its newer "equivalent"?

I just bought from an individual the older one w/3yrs AppleCare, a gig of memory, the NVIDEA GForce 4MX, and an external 40-gig Maxtor drive, all for the same amount as Apple's stock-configured 1 GHz dualie. There's no Apple Store near me to see the newer one up close.

I'm not a graphics arts designer or filmmaker but a cultural anthropologist/folklorist/professor who will be burning DVDs for classroom pursposes for the university where I teach. Also, I'd hope whatever I get will still hold its own a few years later.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this, but in layman's terms. Apple techies expectedly insist that the newer model is the better way to go.

Thanks,
Rick

So did your price factor in the education discount? The stock Dual also comes with an 80gig 7200rpm drive and the G4MX. Ram is cheap you can get a gig for approximitely $200.

On the performance basis there isn't much until you start using it in the real world. Here's another link that will help you develop more questions.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12069

 

[Sun Baked]

The new one has some improvements in internal layout, cooling, and expandability.

If you do not plan on upgrading the machines while you own them -- then buying on cost alone shouldn't be much of a problem during ownership, since performance is similar.

However, if you plan on doing a lot of heavy optical burning (or see the need to keep optical up-to-date or need more than one), if you see the need a bunch of HDs, or you plan on keeping the CPU up-to-date -- then the newer one may make a little more sense.

 

[ddtlm]

rburns:

Don't worry about Apple techies insisting that the new one is better... the fact is that no test has shown with any authority which is better.

I also suspect that a lot of die-hard Macheads are currently in the process of brainwashing themselves to worship the DDR PM's in order to maintain the "Apple rocks" world view.

I say that the DDR PM's are OK but not very exciting. Performance is not the primary advantage of the new PM's; I'd say it's mostly RAM and disk capacity.

 

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
The new one has some improvements in internal layout, cooling, and expandability.

I wouldn't personally call the vertical mounting of hard drives and a goliath-sized heatsink an improvement...

 

[ddtlm]

Hemingray:

Yeah I was a bit unimpressed by the way they arranged the disks too. Perhaps I would like it more if I had a chance to open one of the new cases up.

The large heatsink could have been a huge improvement, however apparently Apple didn't use it to lower sound levels very much. Such am elaborate case, and they can't be bothered to make it quiet.

 

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by Hemingray


I wouldn't personally call the vertical mounting of hard drives and a goliath-sized heatsink an improvement...

L0L now we know how it feels like to have a P4 with Uber-Cooling.
Now quick someone create a document on how to water cool you G4!