new mac mini vs my old powermac g5?

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new mac mini vs my old powermac g5?

I've got an aging powermac dual G5 2.7 that I want to replace. I've been thinking iMac, but I already have a nice matte apple display and no room to run a dual monitor setup. I'm not thrilled that the mac mini has only a core 2 duo, but what kind performance differences would I see between my G5 and the mini? I'm a web designer and a photographer, so I'm heavy on photoshop/cs/lightroom usage. I'd also like to do protools. I just don't know if it's worth spending the money on the mini or I should suck it up and get a 21.5 i5 iMac. I'm not a fan of the glossy display.

Dual 2.7 G5/MBA/30g ipod video, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Sep 8, 2010 10:02 AM

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Answer 1

MacProCT

Level 2

366 points

Sep 8, 2010 12:58 PM in response to Morgan2

The Mini will be faster than your G5 in every regard. In some respects it may not be massively faster (such as copying files), but in other regards (web browsing, playing videos) it will be much faster.

I strongly recommend upgrading the computer to 4GB of RAM immediately. (If you want to buy from apple, you can do a build-to-order with the RAM already installed for virtually the same price as buying the RAM yourself. At least this was true the last time I checked.)

The imac is definitely faster and if your budget can afford it, it's worth considering. You can correct the reflection problem with anti-glare screen applique. Such as the one from http://www.RadTech.us

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Answer 2

Prime8

Level 1

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Sep 9, 2010 2:17 PM in response to Morgan2

I have a pM G5 dual 2.0, w/4.5Gb Ram. Anyway I bought the new unibody Mac Mini with 4Gb ram. I don't know if it has a problem or what but my G5 is snappier. The best way I can describe it is the Mini has more horsepower but the G5 has more torque. The Mini with 'render' faster but working with the software is faster on the G5.

Just my experience, I should have gotten the iMac i7.

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Answer 3

MacProCT

Level 2

366 points

Sep 9, 2010 3:16 PM in response to Prime8

The speed is very much dependent on the software you're using.

If you're apps are older and are calling upon Rosetta, yes, they will be slow on an intel-based Mac.

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Answer 4

Morgan2 Author

Level 1

66 points

Sep 10, 2010 10:27 AM in response to Prime8

I've found some similar reports that sound like yours. I'm leaning more towards getting an imac at this point and just dealing with the glare (or fixing it). It sounds like even the i3 would be a dramatic improvement, but I'll probably do the 21.5" with the i5 and then max out the ram after the fact.

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