Copyright 2008-2010 DIGLLOYD INC. 360 Mac Performance Guide: Expert Advice for High Performance Macs http://macperformanceguide.com/ en-us human-generated http://macperformanceguide.com/gfx/masthead.large.png http://macperformanceguide.com/ 144 40 Mac Performance Guide: Expert information for Mac Users, specially photographers Yesterday evening, my Radeon HD 5870 refused to light up either screen (one 30" display and one 27" display)... 09 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100909_MacProVideo--macpro.html See my new Setting Up Your Mac series... 06 September 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100906_SettingUpYourMac--mac-howto.html This graph shows that I/O speed is a critical factor with a well-written program like BibblePro... 06 September 2010 12:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100906_Bibble--macpro-photo.html To use a RAM disk effectively with PTGui, you'll want a Mac Pro with 8 memory slots... 06 September 2010 11:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100906_PTGui--macpro-photo.html With a 25% slower bus and lacking Level 2 cache, the 3.2Ghz and 2.8GHz Mac Pro can't compete with the 3.33GHz hexacore on many tasks... 05 September 2010 11:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100905_MacPro32--macpro.html These guys need to eat, so they build good shit... 05 September 2010 21:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100905_HallofFameShame--macpro.html The Apple 512GB SSD performs well below the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro... 04 September 2010 09:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100904_AppleSSD--ssd.html The most cost-efficient models to upgrade are the slowest models... 04 September 2010 09:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100904_Upgrade--macpro.html To my review of the 2010 Mac Pro, I've added a 12-core Mac Pro running at 3.33GHz... 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_MacPro12--macpro.html Using Handbrake to convert DVD video to other formats? 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_Handbrake--macpro-video.html I bought a 2.4GHz 8-core from Apple, then had OWC upgrade it to a 12-core 3.33Ghz monster... 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_Upgrade--macpro.html Our clients are very impressed and pleased with this mega computer for photo shoots... 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_Testimonials--mpg.html Sometimes, software is the problem, like Photoshop... 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_Photoshop333--macpro-photoshop.html The speed shows especially in Capture One Pro 5 for rendering incoming capture files... 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100902_Testimonials--mpg.html What does it mean to have a 16-bit image file when the maximum value in Photoshop CS5 is 32678.... 01 Sep 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100901_Photoshop--photoshop.html See details... 31 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100831_MacProForSale-macpro-macpro.html The 2010 Mac Pro motherboard still has a maximum bandwidth of around 690MB/sec for internal SATA ports... 30 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100830_SSD--ssd-disktester-macpro.html The 2010 Mac Pro motherboard still has a maximum SATA bandwidth of around 690MB/sec 30 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100830_SSD--ssd-disktester-macpro.html Someone at Apple decided you deserve to suffer a 28% performance hit 30 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100830_Aperture--aperture-optimizing.html Clock speed matters even if there are 8 cores... 27 Aug 2010 07:00:00 PST http://dgly.org/cU6mAa Initial testing is now underway. Dual 200GB RAID-0 solid states drives and 24GB memory in both machines (3 X 8GB modules)... 20 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100820_MacProTesting--inprogress.html Initial testing is now underway. Dual 200GB RAID-0 solid states drives and 24GB memory in both machines (3 X 8GB modules)... 20 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100820_MacProTesting--inprogress.html Does that mean it might show up Friday 8/20? Or sit in the FedEx warehouse until Monday? 20 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100820_MacProShipped--macpro.html With this confirmation, my concerns about the 4/6-core 2010 Mac Pro are laid to rest... 19 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100819_MacPro32-macpro--memory.html Suppose you were just hiking all day, and in your awe at the natural beauty, you shot 2000 RAW photos... 19 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100819_HowToPreviewImages--howto.html It will take me 1-2 days to have solid test information, and somewhat longer for full coverage... 17 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100817_MacProShipped--macpro.html If you're investing in a Mac Pro, don't mess around with 8GB... 12 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100812_MacPro--memory.html Usually only base models show up the first day... 12 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100812_MacPro--macpro.html The NEC 27" PA271W in vertical mode provides a luxurious experience web browsing experience which is easy on the eyes and just gorgeous to look at.... 11 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100811_NEC27--display.html When I ordered my 3.33GHz hexacore Mac Pro, the Apple Store stated 7-10 days... 10 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100810_MacProDelivery--macpro.html Your smart move is to wait 10 days or so to see if 8GB modules will or will not work in the new 4/6-core Mac Pro... 10 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100810_MacProProcessors--macpro.html The next best thing? Do what I already do: use dual solid state drives in a RAID-0 stripe... 09 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100809_MacProMemoryWorkaround--macpro.html New 4-core and 6-core Mac Pros might have hard 16GB max memory limit... 09 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100809_MacProWhich--macpro.html I just ordered a new Mac Pro Westmere 3.33GHz hexacore... 09 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100809_MacProOrdered--macpro.html The pointless machine in the bunch is the 8-core 2.4GHz 09 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100809_MacPro12--macpro.html Just posted is a new piece where I explain the performance that can be expected with the iMac 27" and the Mac Pro 4/6/8/12 core machines... 08 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100808_MacProEstimates--macpro.html Just posted is the start of my review of the Apple 27-inch iMac, along with a comparison to the 3.33GHz Mac Pro using Adobe Lightroom and Canon Digital Photo Professional... 08 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100808_iMacCompared--imac.html To “eat my own dog food” (filet mignon), the iMac is off to OWC for the MPG Pro One upgrade treatment... 08 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100808_MPGProOne-imac-upgrade.html Newly-designed dedicated web sites are now up for software and hardware upgrade offerings... 07 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100807_NewSites-news.html Many readers are not aware of the convenient ways to follow site updates... 07 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100807_MailingList-pr.html I made the the investment today in both Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio, so that I can start serving video and sound users here at MPG... 05 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100805_FinalCut--software.html You supply the iMac, OWC upgrades it to MPG standards for "killer" performance, especially for photographers or anyone demanding the best... 04 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100804_imacProOne--imac-mpgproone.html These estimates suggest some serious wallet damage ahead for anyone looking for a 12-core system... 01 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100801_MacProPricing--macpro.html I'll be dishing out my findings on the new iMac and new Mac Pros semi-live before writing things up in my report... 01 Aug 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100801_Follow--news.html In spite of its absurd warmup bug, once warmed up, Adobe Photoshop CS5 can scarf up a great deal of real memory... 31 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100731_Photoshop--photoshop-mem.html OWC has announced an a la carte option for upgrades to the 2010 iMac 27... 31 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100731_imacUpgrades--imac-upgrade.html With its new quad-core processor at 2.93GHz, the iMac has plenty of CPU punch, so how to exploit that? 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100730_imacPro--imac-ssd.html It's easy: install memory, install hard drives, set up RAID, etc. Easy if you know all about that stuff... 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100730_MacProShipping--macpro.html Since the CPU cannot be upgraded, understanding CPU clock speed and cores is critical for making an investment in a Mac Pro... 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100730_MacPro--macpro-cpu.html Do you think could you add one post for music user related... 29 Jul 2010 11:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100729_MacPro--macpro-cpu.html With four CPU cores (assuming you choose the right CPU), and up to 16GB memory, the iMac can suffice for a serious photographer — for a while at least... 28 Jul 2010 17:01:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100728_iMac--imac-macpro.html My preliminary report is now published on the Aug 2010 Mac Pro... 27 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100727_MacProReport--macpro-news.html Here is a memory vendor with a robust financial committment to making sure their product peforms properly on every Mac that’s sold... 27 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100727_Memory--memory-upgrades.html Why would you pay a premium for an inferior product? 27 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100727_MacPro--macpro-SSD.html The good news is that you can now have dual drives in an iMac. The BAD news is that... 27 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100727_iMac--imac-SSD.html The new hexacore 3.33GHz model with 12MB of cache will be the hands-down winner for 99% of users out there... 27 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100727_MacPro--macpro-news.html My original post follows verbatim further below... 17 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100717_CCCCautionary-backup.html To my astonishment, the drives were faster than I had previously tested... 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100716_SATASpeedMacOSX-hdd.html The Caviar Black offers an attractive price point when you’re looking for top performance... 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100716_WesternDigitalCaviarBlack-hdd.html Looking for a way to install a 2.5" or 3.5" drive securely into your MacPro’s lower optical bay? 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100716_MercuryExtremePro-ssd.html How can you lose? Incredible offer... 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100716_MercuryExtremePro-ssd.html You will love the Apple SSD— for a while. It’s a great honeymoon... 16 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100716_ApplSSD-ssd.html Both the 480GB and 240GB models are outstanding performers... 15 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100715_MercuryExtremePro-ssd.html The Mercury Extreme Pro RE 400GB model has double the capacity of the 200GB model, but... 11 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100711_MercuryExtremeProRE-ssd-review.html No hassles, unsubscribe anytime... 11 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100711_MailingList-pr.html The RE4 performs about 20% faster than the Hitachi 7K2000 for reads, and 12% faster for writes... 10 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100710_WesternDigitalRE4_2TB-hdd-test.html OWC has just started shipping the NewerTech StoraDrive™, which accepts two bare hard drives. Stackable, and with rubber feet... 08 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100708_StoraDrive--hdd-backup.html Most Macs today have a MiniDisplayPort connector, but the NEC display has dual-link DVI and DisplayPort— no go by itself... 08 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100708_DisplayPort--display-cable.html With OpenGL enabled in any form, screen redraw is herky-jerky and slow 02 Jul 2010 10:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100701_PhotoshopOpenGL--photoshop.html At this point, we cannot expect a Mac Pro before late Jul. In the meantime... 30 Jun 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100630_MacPro--macpro.html Causing consternation among Photoshop CS5 users, CS5 apparently crashes with the ATI Radeon 4870 video card on the Mac Pro...workarounds... 30 Jun 2010 08:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100630_PhotoshopOpenGL--photoshop.html I like the PA271W a lot, and I might just have to buy the evaluation unit, it’s that useful to me... 28 Jun 2010 06:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100628_NEC27--display-photo.html With 1.7TB of data, my 2TB Time Machine backup volume has been feeling squeezed for space... 25 Jun 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100625_TimeMachine4GB--tm-howto.html I’ve been using a prototype of this bracket for several months now in my MPG Pro Laptop... 22 Jun 2010 16:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100622_DataDoubler--MBP-news.html A hefty price drop just occurred on 8GB memory modules at OWC... 15 Jun 2010 22:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100615_Memory8GB--memory-upgrade.html My work frequently involves multi-gigabyte files, so CS5 offers a huge performance advantage... 15 Jun 2010 21:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100615_ByeCS4--photoshop-software.html DescriptionGoesHere 15 Jun 2010 15:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100615_Consulting--news.html RAID-1 mirroring is about redundancy— failure of one drive is a non-event in terms of functionality 15 Jun 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100615_GMax--backup-news.html More likely is a quiet slipstream upgrade of the Mac Pro 2-3 weeks from now... 07 Jun 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100607_MacPro--macpro-news.html On laptops space can be limited, especially if you’re using a solid state drive of modest size... 30 May 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100530_SleepImage--mbp-opt.html After a day-long shoot, I’m tired, and the last thing I want to do is wait for the computer... 29 May 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100529_LaptopPersonality--ssd-mbp.html After the severe duty test with the Intel 160GB G2 solid state drive, I wanted to see whether the DiskTester recondition facility could restore more uniform performance to the erratic Intel SSD... 29 May 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100529_DiskTester--dlt-ssd.html After the severe duty test with the Intel 160GB G2 solid state drive, I wanted to see whether the DiskTester recondition facility could restore more uniform performance to the erratic Intel SSD... 29 May 2010 19:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2010/20100529_DiskTester--dlt-ssd.html When a hard drive is shipped from the factory, the recording media is a blank slate with possible bad areas... 28 May 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#a If you are using Mac Mail, you can subscribe to a feed by first viewing it... 28 May 2010 12:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#b Comparing the new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 240GB SSD comparing it to the Intel 160GB G2,... 28 May 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#c The OWC 8GB kit is now $312.99, and if you apply for the rebate, you get $50 back... 28 May 2010 14:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#d For many of us, spending an extra $1300 might cause heart palpitations. But if you’re lucky enough to have that kind of cash, don’t you want a solid state drive that is the fastest option to begin with, and stays fast? 28 May 2010 08:20:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#e Hard drives slow down as they fill up... 28 May 2010 22:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#f Photographers might be keen on reading my discussion of backing up the Adobe Lightroom catalog file with Time Machine... 28 May 2010 22:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#g Check it out! This should make following my Mac stuff much easier... 28 May 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#h While we considered using dual 400GB solid state drives in a RAID-0 stripe volume with 800GB capacity, the SSD+HDD setup yields almost 1.5TB at lower cost... 28 May 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#j updated hexacore Mac Pro (6 cores) to be released on Jun 7th or 8th? 28 May 2010 13:00:00 PST http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html#k