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Hello all,
First post here, so please accept this as an introduction also. I'm switching from Mac to PC and want to optimize the new computer for Mandelbulb 3D. I'm going to build from scratch and given how cpu hungry rendering is I was thinking of going with a dual, quad core machine. My question is, is it possible to get comprable performance with a single quad core and a great graphics card or is the dual quad a must have. I'm rendering animation at HD. Also, any thoughts on graphics cards or anything that it may be useful to know for this would be great.
Been working with Mandelbulb 3D for the last couple of months and am hooked! Thanks to Jesse and everyone involved for making this incredible thing!!!

Although some fractal software utilises GFX cards, most doesn't so you really need all the CPU horse-power you can get - ideally that goes for both CPU and GPU since more GPU-based stuff is appearing all the time.
I wouldn't switch to PC from Mac in a million years personally - I find Bootcamp works great and Crossover (commercially supported Wine) almost as well - also most of the software will move to native Mac sooner or later, even if I have to convert it myself ;)
I'd recommend a minimum of 4 cores (8 hyperthreaded) but ideally at least 12 (24 hyperthreaded), preferably 16 (32) if you can afford it ;)
24 hyperthreaded on my dual 6-core Mac pro is *very* nice - and that's pre-I7.

You can always check the UF benchmarks as they will translate in relative terms pretty accurately to any CPU based fractal software:

http://www.shadoworld.co.uk/UF5/Benchmark/Benchmark%20results.htm

Hey David,
Thanks very much for the quick response! I work on a quad core Mac Pro at work and am in the process of having them set up bootcamp so I can use MB3D in that. I'm sure it will work great, I've heard bootcamp is very good at what it does. The reason I'm switching at home to PC is simply cost. I love Mac but the reality is, a Mac with the level of computing power that I need is out of my budget. I think I can build a good machine for just over $2000 US. A comprable powered Mac will run me into the low 3's.

...and I have been waiting for this tuesday for a loooooong time now:

http://www.macworld.com/article/2040832/a-new-mac-pro-what-wed-like-to-see.html#tk.nl_mwbest

...keeping my fingers crossed...  O0

Been using Mandelbulb 3d in Bootcamp for the last few days and it's working great. Think I may have to upgrade my Mac and stick to this system. I would miss having the Mac side!

And I just go YEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!  Have to wait a while though... :(

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/06/10Apple-Gives-Sneak-Peek-Into-the-Future-of-the-Pro-Desktop.html

(http://www.99mac.se/static/artikel/bild/38063?l=r=0,600,0,1;t=articleFull;k=cee5d5c5)

Have to admit the thing looks and sounds sweeeeeeeettt Johan....but I'll be none of us can afford it....here I'd love to be wrong

Pretty incredible specs on this beast. Have to start saving my pennies :dink:

I expect this thing to launch into orbit when the fans rev up. :-) A lot of heat is being produced within a small volume.

Sorry to hijack this thread Jhaptal, but I think it is relevant, this release made me decide to stay on Mac, I was considering PC because of the Mac Pro becoming very old technically. Glad to hear it gave you some hope too!  ;D

@Louis, you expect this to become more expensive than the current Mac Pro? I hope not...

@hobold Not sure about that, the cooling system seems very interesting...

For you who have not seen apples presentation of it:

http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

IT IS VERY STARWARS:ish!! I will keep my Darth Wader helmet right next to it!  O0

I added a few images so you'll see what I mean ;)

Indeed. Obviously working like a (fan driven) chimney
Cool design-piece. I'll consider returning to mac (after leaving around 2000)
But I'm afraid this will be an expensive expierience. Alone the graphics with two fire pros costs more tan a high end consumer machine.
But I'm still courious about the benchmarks

I was just checking the discussions on a (very reliable) Swedish Mac Forum.
They were discussing the same thing about the price, if you were to buy the individual components it would end up above 10000 $ But usually Apple has deals with the graphic card/processor- etc- industry which (if the deals are like they used to be in earlier releases) their guess is that the price would end up around 2500 $ for the basic model and 5000$ "For the machine you want to have" ;)

I followed some discussions about this topic and the main critics about the new machine is the hardwired ati graphics.
While in games graphics ati and nVidia are coequal, it is well known, that nVidia's Quadro Cards are up to double quick than amd's fire pro with professional CAD programs like Catia.
Many people are complaning abot that - and I can understand. As long as amd's fire pro drivers are as they are, they are not competitive. But maybe Apple can work a wonder here too.

On this matter I think the Swedes have been eating too much fish Johan...the current model is way more expensive than that, and I think they will have mo problem in asking a premium on this model.....If the base system is $5k I'd be surprised, again, I'd love Apple to prove me wrong

You are probably right Louis, but I hope you are not!
(Upgraded machines tend to have the same prizing as the last batch, but this might be an exception.  :sad1:)

Mhm.. but I also heard you can run any Graphics card external via Thunderbolt...

Even if, you need to pay two professional graphics devices to get the opportunity... what is this?

I see within the net, that this discussion is still led like discussing a religious belief. I once saw this when changing from atari to mac (with the brilliant help of MagicMac). Back then, I needed this change, to lead my professional layout-software (calamus sl) to the new century. I once laughed about beeing named as a snitch and I will theese days as well.
I use a 'puter as a toolkit and not as a paradigm. As long as noone can disprove the benchmarks, they are fact for me... (sorry I chose an independent source)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/firepro-w8000-w9000-benchmark,3265.html (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/firepro-w8000-w9000-benchmark,3265.html)

To integrate the results. The firepro cards were close winners in a few, rare events, but beaten by a factor of up to 1:30 in many other competitions. Just some embarrassing ones for fractalers:
(http://media.bestofmicro.com/9/3/347655/original/0203_Mandelbulb%20Rendering.png)
(http://media.bestofmicro.com/9/1/347653/original/0201_Fluid%20Operations.png)

I really hope Apple can prove me wrong by dedicated benches...

Well... we will probably know the price in about 7 hours... Apple is having a press conference today!

The Mac Pro will start at $2,999... :) The Swedish Fish isn't too bad to eat I guess...  O0

http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/mac-pro/

Just read abot the top model:

• Xeon E5 with 12 physical and 24 logical cores
• 64 GByte DDR3-1866-ECC-RAM
• 2 x FirePro D700 with 12GB graphics memory and 7 TFLOPS theoretical float performance
• PCIe SSD with up to 1 TB capacity (read: 1,2 GB/s; write: 1 GB/s)
• six Thunderbolt-2-Ports with 20 GB/s throughput each
• can drive up to three 4K displays

For sure this machine won't be available for $3K, but dreaming is still allowed...

Yopu got me there, but I too am happy at the $3k starting point for this machine....its still a tough sell to a wife though...and I think it will be a while before I own one....even if I drool as much as you for one :)

:) I know... I have been saving for a long time now... Have had the same computer for years.... so I guess this will be the only christmas gift I get this year, but that is OK ;)

It was released today!

http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/mac-pro

This is going to hurt!!!  :hurt:

(http://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/3738/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/mac-pro-step1-hero-2013?wid=187&hei=340&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_sharpen=0&resMode=bicub&op_usm=0.5,0.5,0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=comp&.v=1381433867422)

Yes....bt this is the good type of hurt....and we'll all be envious....keep us updated