[Recommendation Needed] Mac Pro vs. PC Desktop?

[SakuraAngel1]

Hello!

So, I've been searching around the internet for a while; trying to figure out what is best for running TS3, but because many people have their own situations, I find it a bit hard to relate to their posts.

Which is my reason for posting here and I apologize if you've seen/answered this question a zillion times. :)

I'm strongly considering purchasing a desktop Mac Pro, because it is something that I am interested in owning. Not to mention, playing TS3 on my laptop makes it either lag or crash and I want to get a new system before SN or Seasons arrive. :cry:

I currently own an Acer Aspire Laptop and here are my specs:

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120503-2030)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Acer
System Model: Aspire 5517
BIOS: InsydeH2O Version V1.09
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor TF-20, ~1.6GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 1788MB RAM
Page File: 1719MB used, 1856MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

~*~*~

But here's the thing(s):

1) Money is not an issue; I'm willing to save and buy anything that is necessary. (But I absolutely refuse to upgrade my current laptop. I'm going to use it to store my documents, etc.)

2) I need a desktop; something with a lot of memory and an excellent graphics card for video editing software, gaming (primarily for TS3 games), sound editing, etc.

3) I use a lot of CC, including NRaas mods. (I'm aware of the "hair" issue and "Pets EP" issue concerning Mac users, although some claim to have not have these issues at all, and I rarely see/hear feedback from Mac Pro users. I'm starting to wonder if there are any Mac Pro users with these issues?)

4) I'm a quick-learner, but I'm nervous about using a Mac and its OS, because I've used PCs most of my life.

Sorry, if that's a bit long. :)

So, any suggestions and why? I'm really interested in hearing from both sides, but I'm little more curious about the Mac Pro users, since I rarely see their input in forums.

Also, Admins and Creators....what do you personally use for a computer? I think I want to become a Creator myself and contribute to this community.

Thanks in advance!

[HystericalParoxysm]

If you want to create, go with a PC. You're going to be jumping through a lot less hoops trying to get the programs to work. You'll also be paying a lot less to get an excellent, strong rig. I know you say money is not an issue, but why pay twice as much when you don't need to? Out of all the creators I've ever talked to, I don't recall -any- who make stuff whose primary creating system is a Mac.

[SakuraAngel1]

Hmm, I do agree with you there! :) That's why I'm a bit hesitant on buying a Mac.

But if I were to go with a PC, I'm not sure what's the best one to use for my situation, considering that I will spend a lot of time playing TS3 and editing voice acting work.

Although, if I were to create mods, I want a computer that will be able to handle all of the things I will do, without sacrificing quality or memory.

As much as I'm the "Oooh!-It's-soooo-shiny-and-it's-Apple!" type of girl, I want to be practical in this approach. So, I'm starting lean towards PC...but the question I keep asking myself is, what kind? :)

I've been looking at Alienware...but, I'm not sure. It's been a while since I bought a computer, especially a desktop, so I'm doing my research, but I don't know where to start looking for computers with my needs and if they work with having most or all TS3 EPs. By the way, I live in the United States if that helps. :lol:

[HystericalParoxysm]

Well, you can play TS3 just fine on a PC, and as far as getting good performance out of TS3, that's mostly going to be based on your specs - and then you're back to "you get more for your money - by far - out of a PC specs-wise." I can't speak to voice acting editing - I don't know what programs there are for that, but there is generally a much greater range of software available for PC than Mac, so unless you have a specific program in mind that only works on Mac, I'd still lean toward PC for that.

Alienware is... well... it's an easy way for folks to get a decent gaming rig without having to think about it, but you are going to be paying a serious premium for the name and a pretty case, and you don't need to. It's not a -bad- way to go, but I don't think it's a smart way to go unless you just have money pouring out your ears and no time to look into anything at all.

In terms of specs for TS3 (and future upgradability as well as just being a good strong rig), with a PC you'll want Windows 7 64-bit, a dual or quad core processor of at -least- 2.5 gHz, at least 4 gigs of RAM with expansion possibilities up to at least 8 gig, and a graphics card that is green across the board on this chart (http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_System_Requirements).

Just for an example, this is my system: W7 64 bit, Intel i5 3.3 quad core processor, 8 gigs of ram (upgradable to at least 16, possibly more), Radeon 6950, and an absolutely ridiculous amount of hard drive space over four drives. The one upgrade I'd like to make soonishly is getting a decent sized SSD hard drive for my main OS drive and for my program installs, so they'll be faster, but that'll require a full reinstall of Windows and I'm lazy. But other than that, my system is perfect for whatever I want to throw at it - be that 3D modelling, playing TS3, modding, etc., and while other people watching the TS3 Seasons trailer were crying about how it's gonna kill their computer, all I could think is, "Bring it on, snow's gonna look GREAT in my game!"

[SakuraAngel1]

I'm pretty sure that I need a computer with more processor power and hard drive space, as well as a better graphics card.

When I first bought this laptop, it was for TS3 when it was first released. I used the "Can you run it?" site to see if it would be compatible and it was actually over the require specs to run the game.

Now, that I nearly have every EP and Stuff Pack, along with other software for VA production (Sony Vegas Pro, Photoshop, etc.), it's killing this laptop. :cry:

I really don't want to blindly buy a computer and wind up in this situation again, so I'm glad you warned me about Alienware, I definitely don't want something "decent" as compared to the "best". :)

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of computer do you have with specs like that? One of the reasons I wanted a Mac Pro was because of the 12-core processor it has.

[HystericalParoxysm]

Mine is a custom build, not a particular brand, assembled from parts. I've had the same case for years, and have just added/replaced bits as needed. Definitely my preferred way for computers, as you can get exactly what you want, and it's a lot cheaper that way too. It's not terribly difficult to do, either - there's Youtube videos showing how to do every single little step, and it's pretty hard to screw it up. Would that be something you might be interested in trying? :)

[SakuraAngel1]

Ah, I see~!

As much as I am tech-savvy, I prefer buying the latest things~! I'm the crazy one standing in long lines for the latest Apple stuff, for each release, LOL! :D

Not that I don't mind building one, but for the first time, I'm willing to overlook the labels in order to get the best specs for everything I do. I MAY try it, but that will have to be my last resort. :)

If it means shelling out $6,000 for the best all around computer that has every thing I need, then I'd do it. :) If there's something cheaper and it does the exact same thing, it's a plus~!

I'm just looking for something that will have a lot of power, memory and the best graphics, so that I won't constantly have to buy parts just to enhance the experience of a new software or game. :)

I understand that I will eventually have to update everything, but I rather do it less often and not worry about if any new software I get can run on the new computer.

I'm not sure if that makes sense or not, LOL! I guess I'm on the lazy-side and prefer to buy my way out of things, in order to not do it myself.

I appreciate your help, HP! I am thinking about my options a little more carefully, thanks to you~! :)

I guess what I'm looking at now are gaming computers, but I wish I had more actual feedback from users, so I know what's alright: http://computers.toptenreviews.com/gaming/

[ajaxsirius]

12-cores is a LOT of processing power. May I ask what specific programs you'll be using?

[SakuraAngel1]

I will be using Sony Vegas Pro 11, Sony 1001 Sound Effects, Magix Music Maker, Cyberlink PowerDirector 10, Adobe After Effects, Photoshop 10, McAfee, TS3 and all of its EP's except Fast Lane, GTA 4, RCT3 (+EPs) and other games including the new Sim City (when it's released.).

Because I'm the producer of voice acting productions, I have to constantly buy and upgrade new software and I need to store a lot of video/audio files for various projects that I work on.

So, I'm looking for something powerful to run a lot of programs as smoothly as possible. :)

I'm strongly considering getting a CyberPower Black Pearl, it has a 6-core processor and 80GB of primary storage, but I'm still open for suggestions~!

[ellacharmed]

If money is no object, just select the top models in any benchmark or hierarchy charts, that have good reviews (from both the Tech review sites and User feedback). :)
Here's a new tool I've been having fun with - http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/ I like to choose the same components as whatever pre-builts a retailer offer and see how much I can save if I do a self-build.

I use these websites to check for hierarchy/benchmark when answering questions on forums.
- http://cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
- http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php
- http://www.tomshardware.com/ (links would change each month, and these are Desktop models)
--> Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: mmm YYYY
--> Best Graphics Cards For The Money: mmm YYYY
- http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
- http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html

Ourt part list is very outdated (as I haven't found time to update all the stickies), but you can find (almost) current build suggestions from sites like:
- http://www.tomshardware.com/system-configuration-recommendation-51.html
- http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/want-to-build-a-new-intel-or-amd-system-revised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html
- http://www.pcper.com/hwlb
- http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30822

[SakuraAngel1]

Oh wow~!

Thank you, that's so cool! :)

I just want to be able to buy the right computer without some sales-person pressuring me to buy a particular model so that they could make a sale.

Thanks so much everyone~! :)

[ellacharmed]

You should of course, double-confirm and triple-check all those programs' Specifications Requirements, especially if they are more optimized for an Intel Processor (versus AMD) or an Nvidia graphics (CUDA technology versus OpenCL/OpenGL), so then you would be better off selecting models from those brands.