Anyone editing FCP 7 on a iMac, Quad Core. How's it compare to a Mac Pro Quad Core?

Looking to upgrade system. after this last project on my 2.8 iMac w 4 gig. I have to think about upgrading. it was a mixed media project and i did have some issues. so i was thinking about a iMac, Quad Core with about 8 gig maybe max it out. I do move HDV files most of the times.

Dave

An iMac will work. But it's not as expandable as a MacPro Tower. For example a MacPro can hold over 32gigs of RAM. And you can change out the video cards for better ones as they become available and are of course compatible with your current system. Basically if you can get a MacPro that's what you should do.

As you probably know video editing/motion graphics takes alot out of a computer. So the more power you have the faster you can work and the more things you can do.

I do 30s 1280x720 spots every day on my i5 iMac (16 gigs RAM) - I have multiple layers from motion and I'm usually humming right along in ProRes 422.

I have done longer form stuff with lots of layers where I feel it bog down a bit and I wish I had more horsepower - but I seem to remember feeling that way with every system once it reaches it limits - I guess you'd just reach that boundary a little later with a top of the line mac pro -

obviously the budget is the big concern (was for me anyway) but depending on what your doing, the iMac ain't no slouch

HOWEVER - if you are looking to set up an ethernet SAN - DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT A NEW iMAC -

the ethernet controllers on i5 and i7's don't allow jumbo frames - so you will be bummed out there (and no fibre channel of course)

it's a solo sneakernet station