Running UDK on Mac Pro dektop, and need more power

[Tom@engineaudio]

We are running a room full of Mac Desktop pros, that have bootcamp and windows XP installed for the UDK system. When we load a serious map, like the built in Necropolis map, we can barely move around let alone do any serious in game design.

Here are the specs of the machine

Mac Desktop Pro
Duo Core (x2) Intel Xeon 2.66Ghz
8 GB memory
Buss Speed 1.33ghz
Nvidia Graphics 7300GT 256 mb

I am thinking of updating the graphics card to

ATI Radeon HD4870
GDDR5 512 MB

Do you think this is where the bottleneck on power issues might be coming from?

If I am having frame rate issues from the UDK editor, given the power of the machine, would this kind of graphics update make the difference?

Thanks for any advice you might have!

[ThePriest909]

Yes.. indeed the video card is your problem. It's really old.

[HavocInferno]

a HD 4870 doesn't have GDDR5...only the new ATi HD 5000 series have GDDR5...

[ambershee]

The Xeon processors are also probably a problem. They are not build for this kind of software (nor is UDK likely built to run on them) and will quite probably also act as a bottleneck. In all reality you'll probably have to throw these machines out of the window as far as this is concerned.

[Tom@engineaudio]

a HD 4870 doesn't have GDDR5...only the new ATi HD 5000 series have GDDR5...

Yes, it does have GDDR5.
http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/...co=MTA4MzU2NTc

I would love to replace the entire machine, but that wont be happening for a little while. For now, I am hoping that the graphics update might bridge the gap. I am running the map and getting a good amount of work done, but its hanging on by a thread. Hopefully, the new graphics will help out enough for the time being.

[UnspoiledWalnut]

Toss out the current video card and processor and get new ones. Or get rid of the Mac all together because it's basically the same thing as a PC only twice as much.

[Princess_Die]

Toss out the current video card and processor and get new ones. Or get rid of the Mac all together because it's basically the same thing as a PC only twice as much.

Please direct me to a dual socket workstation class windows machine that costs half as much as a comparable Mac Pro.

[NemesisX64]

I really don't see what would be causing a problem in this machine, I run UDK on a 4650 mobile without any problems. I also don't see why xeno would be bottleneck, they are still normal processors and are the same platform (you can't treat them as the itanium platform which would have this kind of probs). Just for the hell of it to check this theory i ran UDK on my server which also has a xeon processor and I threw in a lowprofile 4350 in just to test it out and it works without problems. Also I just tested it on a iMac with a bootcamp, just to make sure that wasn't causing the probs, and I also ran it without problems.

[Princess_Die]

The video card is the bottleneck. The 7300 GT has lower performance than the 6600GT which is the minimum recommended card for UT3.

[Princess_Die]

What model is your Mac Pro? Apple -> About this Mac... -> More Info -> Model Identifier

The ATI card you linked to only supports Early 2009 model machines or later.

Edit: NM, it looks like it will work from the comments on that page.

[Phopojijo]

Please direct me to a dual socket workstation class windows machine that costs half as much as a comparable Mac Pro.

All prices after shipping, because Apple gives free shipping. Mail in rebates are *NOT* counted. No bundle offers were used.

CM Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119197
90$

Asus DualSlot Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131378
270$

Intel Xeon E5520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819117185
385$ x2 = 770$

Rosewill 800W single-rail power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182102
100$

6GB ECC fully buffered RAM (Faster FSB than Apple uses)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820161338
230$

Can't get the GeForce GT120... but it's a bit slower than a GeForce 7600GT
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/vi...GeForce+GT+120

So I'll over-double your performance and install a GeForce 9800GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-186-_-Product
80$

640GB Harddrive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-527-_-Product
65$

22X DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136168
26$

Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit Systembuilders
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116758
140$

May I assume you already have a mouse and keyboard?
Monitor price not included, because Mac Pros are headless too.

Total Price:
1771$ (Doubled: 3542$)

You could get someone to assemble it for ~50$, probably at a small-business (mama&papa) computer store. Most places I've seen are usually free... but that's if you buy the parts from them. For assembling other people's parts, I usually see ~35$ (CDN$)... so lets round up to 50$.

Grand Total:
1821$ (Doubled: 3642$)

Cost of Equivalent Mac Pro:
http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/...co=MTM3NDc3NjI
3299$

Difference of: 343$

Pretty close... agree? Especially since I didn't count any mail-in rebates (which would be doubled), upgraded your graphics card to something useful, and added Windows 7 Professional instead of Home Premium for workstation backup reasons (... even though you would need to buy Windows for the Mac Pro anyway... but I said "Well you have OSX, might as well add in Windows"). Also I added fully-buffered RAM because Apple doesn't say whether they do or not... so I erred on the side of expensive for all cases.

[UnspoiledWalnut]

Did you take into account the bags though? They probably drop a pretty penny on those bags....

[Tom@engineaudio]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I think I have my answer.

The software and the way things work in the Apple OS makes it more than worth the extra money, for those of us who are Apple folk.


Just my opinion.

[UnspoiledWalnut]

Not really. Even if it was, the company's policies lead to torture and suicide, not exactly something I would support.

[Phopojijo]

Well of course it stands to reason if you use Logic Studio, Aperture, Final Cut, etc. that you'll prefer the Mac.

The question (that wasn't in the form of a question) was if you could get an equivalent PC for half the price of a Mac Pro. The answer is yes... a little bit better performing (okay, more than a little bit for UDK)... for just a little bit more.

Not really. Even if it was, the company's policies lead to torture and suicide, not exactly something I would support.

Yeah... firstly that was Foxconn, secondly -- yeah... no.