Custom Built PC VS. Mac Pro

[DomiZ]

Hey guys, so in the next 2-3 weeks I'm going to buy a new desktop, but for a couple of months I've been thinking and still can't decide between the two. My options are or to buy an 8-Core D700 Mac Pro or an 8-Core (i7 5960x) Titan Z PC. Both graphics would be in sli, since I'm planning to use this computer for heavy video editing and gaming, usually light maybe sometimes some higher-res games. I would be editing 1080p video about 2-3 hours a day and game for about 30min/1 hour a day. Just to clarify, my budget is about $5000-6799. I need guidance since this is the first proper desktop I'm buying. Please comment suggestions and maybe constructive criticism, keep "you're wasting your money" comments to yourself please.

 

Mac Pro Specs:

 

Eight Core XEON Processor (V2)

 

32GB 1866Mhz Memory

 

1Tb PCI-E Flash Storage

 

AMD FirePro D700 6GB Graphics (x2)

 

Monitors: 1x Asus PQ321Q

 

Custom PC Specs:

 

Eight Core i7 5960X

 

32GB 2133Mhz Memory (Corsair)

 

1Tb Samsung 850 SSD

 

GeForce GTX Titan Z 12gb (x2)

 

Seagate 2Tb HDD (x2 in Raid)

 

1200 watt power supply (Corsair)

 

Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl

 

Monitors: Asus PG278Q + Asus PB278Q 

 

Please leave opinions/suggestions below. I am planning on using this computer for 5 years without part switching, which is why I am leaning to the Mac Pro since it has more durable parts, that last more than 1-2 years without replacing. 

[elecxonica]

If you're doing video editing as a job that is your primary income, go with the Mac Pro. If not, the PC is probably better value, but the reliability isn't as good.

[ibbadib]

Hey guys, so in the next 2-3 weeks I'm going to buy a new desktop, but for a couple of months I've been thinking and still can't decide between the two. My options are or to buy an 8-Core D700 Mac Pro or an 8-Core (i7 5960x) Titan Z PC. Both graphics would be in sli, since I'm planning to use this computer for heavy video editing and gaming, usually light maybe sometimes some higher-res games. I would be editing 1080p video about 2-3 hours a day and game for about 30min/1 hour a day. Just to clarify, my budget is about $5000-6799. I need guidance since this is the first proper desktop I'm buying. Please comment suggestions and maybe constructive criticism, keep "you're wasting your money" comments to yourself please.

 

Mac Pro Specs:

 

Eight Core XEON Processor (V2)

 

32GB 1866Mhz Memory

 

1Tb PCI-E Flash Storage

 

AMD FirePro D700 6GB Graphics (x2)

 

Monitors: 1x Asus PQ321Q

 

Custom PC Specs:

 

Eight Core i7 5960X

 

32GB 2133Mhz Memory (Corsair)

 

1Tb Samsung 850 SSD

 

GeForce GTX Titan Z 12gb (x2)

 

Seagate 2Tb HDD (x2 in Raid)

 

1200 watt power supply (Corsair)

 

Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl

 

Monitors: Asus PG278Q + Asus PB278Q 

 

Please leave opinions/suggestions below. I am planning on using this computer for 5 years without part switching, which is why I am leaning to the Mac Pro since it has more durable parts, that last more than 1-2 years without replacing. 

If you plan on doing any sort of gaming, a windows desktop is the best option. The mac Pro can't run games.

[WoodenMarker]

What kind of content are you working on? Programs being used? Why such a long interval (5 years) before upgrading parts?

What kind of dollars are you using?

 

This belongs in the New Builds and Planning section. I'm moving the thread.

Please post in the correct sub-forum in the future.

[Suffokation]

Jesus Christ go with the custom built PC.

Pick parts that are compatible with a Hacktinosh.

[Archangel1994]

which is why I am leaning to the Mac Pro since it has more durable parts, that last more than 1-2 years without replacing. 

Custom PC parts EASILY last just as long as mac parts. The parts that are used in macs are not magically treated to be more reliable or last longer, it's what you do with your PC. Hell I know someone that was still rocking a Pentium 4 up until a few weeks ago and it was still working perfectly fine.

[Speedbird]

Don't get a Titan Z, get an R9 295X2 instead. And I'd recommend a PC, it's a better value and you can upgrade it easily.

[mansoor_]

[Sotha Chill]

If you're doing strictly editing and stuff like that then go with the Mac. If you intend on maybe gaming and other things along with the editing, go with the PC.

[TheSSVids]

Wait since when did the mac pro get 2 titan z's in addition to it's 2 D700's?

 

Oh never mind, I thought that it was one PC.

[DomiZ]

So far I'm leaning towards the Mac Pro. If I game for 30 minutes on games like Bioshock Infinite that run smoothly on D700's (I checked benchmarks) and edit for 2-3 hours of 1080p video (about 2-3clips at a time) I think the Mac Pro's a better choice. 

 

Custom PC parts EASILY last just as long as mac parts. The parts that are used in macs are not magically treated to be more reliable or last longer, it's what you do with your PC. Hell I know someone that was still rocking a Pentium 4 up until a few weeks ago and it was still working perfectly fine.

 

Archangel1994, the parts that I would buy for a custom built PC (Geforce GTX series, Corsair Ram, Core i7) are consumer parts, they eventually slow down or break and are way less reliable than the parts in a Mac Pro since the parts in that beast are workstation class parts which are more reliable. 

 

Now I'm more %75 Mac Pro and %25 PC. 

 

Anyways, let's move on, what monitors would you guys recommend? I'm choosing between 2 Asus PQ321Qs, LG 34UM95, Samsung 34" Curved and Asus PB279Q which are coming out at the beginning of next year, they are IPS 27" 4K monitors.  I'm on the market mainly for IPS or better panel types and 4K/2.5K monitors. 1080p is a big no-no for me. Peace.

[DomiZ]

 

What kind of content are you working on? Programs being used? Why such a long interval (5 years) before upgrading parts?

What kind of dollars are you using?

 

This belongs in the New Builds and Planning section. I'm moving the thread.

Please post in the correct sub-forum in the future.

 

To answer your questions:

 

Programs:

 

Photoshop CC

 

Final Cut Pro X

 

OBS (for livestreaming)

 

Content:

 

2-3 Clips of 1080p at a time, usually 15-20 minute projects a day. Exporting time is a really important thing for me since I'm not a person with a handful of time, so that's one of the things I'm looking for; quick exporting times.

 

The interval (5 years) because my old mac lasted for 3 years and worked perfectly fine but it died one day, but again it was on the cheaper side. 5 years is not a long time since I read that until 2013 people used 2008 macs which worked incredibly fine, even though outdated. US dollars. I will correct that in the future.

[watts300]

As a fellow Mac owner, I would say that buying one is largely about the software that you want to use.  Hardware is secondary based on your work environment.  

 

It seems like you already have a foundation set to use OS X and related software.   A Hackintosh is convenient (and sometimes cheaper) but let's face it, they'll never run as well as a Mac and updates will likely be a problem.  

 

So for you it seems like a no-brainer, and the question mostly seem to be which display should you use.   Well, if it fits your budget, you could get a Thunderbolt Display.  Or, find an IPS 4k display (or two).  I'd opt for the latter.  

[NumLock21]

What you want depens on your needs. but if you try to put together a DIY with the exact same parts or close to that of the Mac Pro, there is not much of a price difference. One thing that can't be done on the DIY is the compact size of the Mac Pro and the ability to house dual workstation graphics.

[Sotha Chill]

If you were leaning towards getting a mac in the first place, why did you even create this thread? You could have just asked what monitor to use, since that seems to be the question you're really asking here.

[brob]

...

 

Please leave opinions/suggestions below. I am planning on using this computer for 5 years without part switching, which is why I am leaning to the Mac Pro since it has more durable parts, that last more than 1-2 years without replacing. 

 

The only reason a Mac might have more durable parts is because one is not using durable PC parts. With a custom system part quality is entirely up to the buyer.

 

 

To answer your questions:

 

Programs:

 

Photoshop CC

 

Final Cut Pro X

 

OBS (for livestreaming)

 

Content:

 

2-3 Clips of 1080p at a time, usually 15-20 minute projects a day. Exporting time is a really important thing for me since I'm not a person with a handful of time, so that's one of the things I'm looking for; quick exporting times.

 

The interval (5 years) because my old mac lasted for 3 years and worked perfectly fine but it died one day, but again it was on the cheaper side. 5 years is not a long time since I read that until 2013 people used 2008 macs which worked incredibly fine, even though outdated. US dollars. I will correct that in the future.

 

As @watts300 suggests, software is more important than the hardware. Switching to Windows will mean a learning curve, even if you have Windows versions of all the software you use. And Final Cut Pro X is a Mac only package.

 

One advantage of a custom PC is that you would be able to take advantage of new tech sooner. One of the reasons people were using 2008 Macs in 2013 is that it was so darn expensive to replace the things. PC are more flexible in terms of upgrades.

 

I routinely have PC being used for more than 5 years. Reliability rests on the quality of the parts put into a system, not the logo on it.

[DomiZ]

If you were leaning towards getting a mac in the first place, why did you even create this thread? You could have just asked what monitor to use, since that seems to be the question you're really asking here.

At first I was 50/50, but now I'm more 80/20 leaning to mac. The problem with building a hackintosh is that the parts wouldn't work as well with Final Cut Pro X, which is #1 on my list. It is true that you can take advantage of new tech sooner, and you might be right. The thing is, I need the portability of the Mac Pro and wouldn't be able to carry a 15-20 kg machine around since I travel a lot. Anyways, continuing on to the monitors, I have been thinking of Asus PQ321Q x2 for monitors or 3 LG 34U97, it's curved and semi-4k (3440x1440). Leave any suggestions below, 4k monitors/setups are preferred. Peace. 

[Sotha Chill]

At first I was 50/50, but now I'm more 80/20 leaning to mac. The problem with building a hackintosh is that the parts wouldn't work as well with Final Cut Pro X, which is #1 on my list. It is true that you can take advantage of new tech sooner, and you might be right. The thing is, I need the portability of the Mac Pro and wouldn't be able to carry a 15-20 kg machine around since I travel a lot. Anyways, continuing on to the monitors, I have been thinking of Asus PQ321Q x2 for monitors or 3 LG 34U97, it's curved and semi-4k (3440x1440). Leave any suggestions below, 4k monitors/setups are preferred. Peace. 

 

Between those two? I'd get the ASUS PQ321Q. The curvature on curved monitors has actually been proven to make proportions on the screen worse, unlike most popular claims supporting it.

[Glenwing]

I would get the PQ321Q.  There are better choices out now, which aren't tiled displays and cost a lot less to boot.  The Dell P2715Q would be my recommendation.

 

You can build a custom rig that's just as reliable as a Mac if you pick reliable parts, there's nothing special about the parts Apple uses.

[WoodenMarker]

Content:

2-3 Clips of 1080p at a time, usually 15-20 minute projects a day. 

What kind of videos are you editing?

[DomiZ]

 

I

[DomiZ]

I edit short films and sketches.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately and since there are a lot of talented people on this website, I wanted to ask; Is there a future proof PC I could build myself that would be MATX or ATX and would be really quiet (20db)? I'm in the market like I've mentioned for Intel Xeons or at least an i7 5960x. The graphics could be AMD Radeon or FirePro, even Nvidia would be fine. It would be great if someone could write a Future Proof (4-5 years) PC which would costs around $5,000 - $6,000 USD? 

[WoodenMarker]

Usually short films or sometimes sketches. I might be upgrading to a 4K camera soon.

Can anybody show me an example of a Future Proof PC? I would be happy to buy a PC if it would be working the same for 4 or 5 years without upgrading. 

Is there a future proof PC I could build myself that would be MATX or ATX and would be really quiet (20db)? I'm in the market like I've mentioned for Intel Xeons or at least an i7 5960x. The graphics could be AMD Radeon or FirePro, even Nvidia would be fine. It would be great if someone could write a Future Proof (4-5 years) PC which would costs around $5,000 - $6,000 USD? 

Are you doing anything that's heavy with special effects? I'm wondering what you would need all that much power for.

Quiet?--sure but there's no such thing as future proof. The best thing to do is to get what you need now and save any extra money you'd need for future upgrades.

[brob]

I edit short films and sketches.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately and since there are a lot of talented people on this website, I wanted to ask; Is there a future proof PC I could build myself that would be MATX or ATX and would be really quiet (20db)? I'm in the market like I've mentioned for Intel Xeons or at least an i7 5960x. The graphics could be AMD Radeon or FirePro, even Nvidia would be fine. It would be great if someone could write a Future Proof (4-5 years) PC which would costs around $5,000 - $6,000 USD? 

 

It is possible to build an mATX system that meets your spec in all but sound levels. It simply isn't realistic to expect a powerful workstation to run <= 20 db at load. Certainly not for the budget given.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($1008.99 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($61.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-GAMING 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($259.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($382.98 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($249.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Video Card: AMD FirePro W9100 16GB Video Card  ($3103.98 @ Newegg)

Case: Fractal Design Node 804 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: SeaSonic 1200W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($169.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor  ($444.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $5928.86

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-22 19:58 EST-0500

[watts300]

I'd just get the Mac Pro and probably the new Dell 5K display.    One of the guys a couple cubes over from me at work has one (Mac Pro) on his desk.  It's plenty quiet.