Blowout G4s or Forthcoming G5s, Which Wins the Value
Comparison?
Daniel Knight - 2003.06.25
This article has been corrected since it was first published earlier
today. What we had believed to be a significant price reduction on the
2002 dual G4/1.25 turned out to be an entirely new 1.25 GHz model. This
has not changed our conclusions. dk
When Apple introduced the Power Mac G5 on
Monday, they dropped the Power Mac G4 from the Apple Store, but added a
pair of new 1.25 GHz models that still
boots into OS 9.
In typical Low End Mac fashion, we want to look at the Power Mac G4s
in light of these price reductions and ask if they're worth buying - or
should you wait for the G5s?
New: Power Mac G4 1.25 GHz
If you need a Power Mac that boots into OS 9, the 2003 Power
Mac G4s were not an option - until now. Neither are the forthcoming
G5s. You have only two choices on the new market - the dual 1.25 GHz G4
from 2002 at about $2,500 or the new Power
Mac G4/1.25 models.
This is the first 9-bootable Power Mac since the January 2003 models
were released as X-only machines. Considering the fact that Steve Jobs
already held a funeral for OS 9 last summer and that this is based
on a faster version of the 2002 motherboard, something must have
convinced Apple that there's still a market for 9-bootable Power
Macs.
In terms of specs, the new model includes 256 MB of memory, an 80 MB
hard drive, a Combo drive, and ATI Radeon 9000 Pro video. It's
available with a single CPU at $1,299 or two G4s at $1,599.
The January 2003 Models
Power Mac G4 1.0 GHz
We've never been real fans of the single processor 1.0 GHz Power Mac G4, and while the dual 867 MHz
model was available at a comparable price, we considered it the better
buy.
We feel very strongly that the benefit of dual processors under
OS X makes a lower CPU speed model with two G4s a better value
than a single processor G4 running 50% faster if they're selling for
the same price.
Of course, the G4/1.0 is now selling for $1,149 with 256 MB RAM, a
60 GB hard drive, a Combo drive, and Nvidia GeForce 4x video, a
reduction of $350 (down 23%), making it a better value than it was
before.
Still, for $150 more, the brand new 9-bootable 1.25 GHz G4 is worth
every penny of the difference in price. You have a faster CPU, a faster
memory bus, a bigger hard drive, and a better video card. And you can
boot into OS 9 if you need to or want to.
We recommend against this model if there's any way you can swing the
extra $150 for the 9-bootable 1.25 GHz model.
Power Mac G4 Dual 1.25 GHz
Apple trimmed the price of the dual 1.25
GHz X-only model to $1,699. The $400 extra buys you a second G4
processor, which will improve computing power by about 80%. Other than
dual processors, the only other significant difference is the inability
to boot into OS 9.
We believe the second processor is definitely worth the additional
$400. Then again, when you can buy a 9-bootable model for $100 less and
gain a larger level 3 cache in the bargain, the June 2003 dual 1.25 is
an even better bargain.
Power Mac G4 Dual 1.42 GHz
Soon to be eclipsed by a dual 2.0 GHz G5, the dual 1.42 GHz G4 remains the fastest Mac on the
market - and the price has been trimmed to $2,399, making it a better
value than ever before.
Still, that's a lot more money than the dual 1.25 GHz model - 41%
more money to gain about 14% more power.
From a power standpoint, it just doesn't make economic sense. In
fact, it rarely makes economic sense to pick the fastest Mac; that
extra 10-15% of performance commands a huge price premium.
You do get 512 MB of memory, a 120 GB hard drive, and a SuperDrive,
which adds about $300 worth of value. Still, at today's blowout prices,
the 1.25 GHz dual G4 is the
only G4 model we can call a best buy.
Buy Now or Wait?
It's unfortunate that we have no performance comparisons between the
Power Mac G4 and the G5s that will be
shipping in August. The G5 not only runs at a higher clock speed, but
the general consensus is also that it's a more efficient CPU than the
G4. Add to that the HyperTransport motherboard architecture, still
better video cards, and a significantly faster memory system, and the
G5s should smoke the G4s.
The big question remains how much faster it really is. I can hardly
wait for Bare Feats,
Accelerate Your Mac!,
MacSpeedZone,
Macworld, and others
to get their hands on the G5s and run some Mac benchmarks. Until that
happens, we'll have to guess at the performance boost.
Entry Level
The entry-level G5 runs at 1.6 GHz. It
can be equipped with a Combo drive at $1,799, making it roughly
comparable to the single processor 1.0 GHz Power Mac G4 being blown out
for $1,149 or the new single CPU 1.25 GHz model at $1,299. Assuming a
60% boost in processing power (based on the GHz rating alone), both
entry-level models would offer the same amount of power per dollar
spent. But the G5 should be even more efficient, making it a better
value for those who can justify $1,799 for a Power Mac.
Then again, we consider the entry-level G5 the
worst value among the new models based on price vs. power.
The 1.25 Dual G4
Comparing a single processor 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz G5 to the dual 1.25
GHz G4 is more complex. When running OS X applications, a pair of
1.25 GHz G4s will provide the equivalent of a 2.0 to 2.5 GHz G4. We'll
split the difference and call it 2.25 GHz.
MHz for MHz, the Power Mac G5 would have to be 40% more efficient
than the Power Mac G4 for the 1.6 GHz entry-level model to match the
power of a pair of 1.25 GHz G4s. We are going to see improved
efficiencies thanks to the new CPU design, HyperTransport, and faster
memory, but I don't expect that to improve overall system performance
by more than 20-25%. (We're not talking about CPU benchmarks here, but
benchmarks that test the whole computer.)
In short, if the G5/1.6 and dual G4/1.25 were priced the same, the
G4 would probably outperform the G5. In terms of price, the dual 1.25
GHz models sell for less than the 1.6 GHz G5 will, whether with a Combo
drive or SuperDrive. On top of that, the $1,599 price on the new dual G4/1.25 makes it a vastly better value
- even in comparison to the G5, we still consider that one a best
buy.
Comparing that to the G5/1.8 at $2,199 with a Combo drive, the
processing power per dollar spent improves. The Power Mac G5 only needs
to be 25% more efficient than the Power Mac G4 for this to match the
power of the dual 1.25 GHz G4, and I strongly suspect it will be. But
at $600 more, the value crown remains with the June 2003 G4/1.25, and
the January 2003 model is a close second.
The Top End
We consider the dual G5/2.0 the best value
of the Power Mac G5 line. Assuming the Power Mac
G5 system architecture results in a computer 25% more efficient
than the Power Mac G4, this will be roughly equal in power to a dual G4
running 2.5 GHz processors, something Motorola has never been able to
produce.
This essentially offers twice the power of the dual 1.25 GHz G4 at
$2,799 with a Combo drive or $2,999 with a SuperDrive. Compared to the
new dual 1.25 GHz G4 at $1,599, the G5/2.0 dual is the better deal.
Read that again. Reflect on it. The top-end G5 provides more power
per dollar spent than the blowout G4/1.25 dual. A brand new
top-of-the-line machine. A blowout deal on a dated model.
Like I said yesterday, the Power Mac G5
changes everything.
Conclusion
There are precisely two standout values - the dual 1.25 GHz G4 (June 2003) at $1,599 and the
dual 2.0 GHz G5 scheduled to ship in August.
These are the clear cut winners when looking at processing power per
dollar spent.
If you have $3,000 to spend and can wait until August, you may want
to hold out for the Power Mac G5. This machine represents an awesome
value that will give you incredible power for years to come.
If you can't budget $3,000 or if you can't wait to buy a new Power
Mac until August, the introduction of the dual 1.25 GHz Power Mac G4s
at $1,599 creates an excellent value. You could almost buy two of these
for the price of the top-end G5.
While they last, this is quite simply the best Power Mac G4 value
ever. Grab them while you can. You won't regret it, and the power
should satisfy you for several years.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
