Okay, get a load of Apple's prices between a single quad and a dual quad system!!!

With my student ID, here are the specs from Apple's site. Please pinch me as I must be having a nightmare:

* single Quad core at 2.93
* 8GB RAM
* Radeon 4970
* 640GB HD

= $3154

or

* dual Quad core at 2.26
* 6GB RAM
* Radeon 4970
* 640GB HD

= $3179

While that 670MHz drop in CPU power might affect single-threaded apps (mostly Office; every CS4 app WILL do multithreading to varying degrees, though some argue that even AfterEffects struggles with multiple cores (???)), what incentive would I have for spending THAT much on a single-CPU system when the dual quad core is right there, and it has the benefit of 8 RAM slots too?

I forgot to add in the cost of the ATi card into the 8-core machine.

:dunce:

I opted for the single CPU model and stuck with the 2.66GHz base CPU ($450 difference (student price) for 270MHz in speed is silly, period). I also opted to pay for Apple's RAM ($225 to upgrade to 8GB through them, or $180 via a third party. Apple tested everything in-house to ensure no e-boners would arise so I can get going sooner. On newegg and Mac-centric sites, people have complained about DOA and have to go through the hassles of returning RAM... that's time gone bye-bye too...)

I'm sure Snow Leopard's Grand Central Dispatch helps, at least with OS and app launching abilities, helps make the 2.26GHz 8-core machine even more viable, but as of this writing most apps are not multi-core optimized. Even After Effects is said to be sluggish, according to people on a Mac forum.

By the time all these apps are properly multi-core enabled, it'll be time to purchase again anyway (3~5 years). 2.26GHz across 8 cores is nice on the surface, but 4GHz with faster bus speeds and other theoretical increases in technology will make multicore even more impressive... and for lesser amounts of money, ultimately.