Digi 001 w/ 9600

Hey guys...I know this topic has been covered here before, but I just wanted to double check before I make this purchase. I can get a good deal on a 9600 w/512 RAM and a 225 processor. If I get one of those Sonnet Crescendo G3 (400) processor upgrades they sell at MacMall, I should be able to run Digi 001 no problem, right? Should I buy a G3 instead? What will a G3 offer me that I won't have from this updgraded 9600 system? (specifically in regards to Digi 001...that's the only thing I will be running on that system.) Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a 9600/350 (50 mhz bus) with the original 350mhz 604EV processor, this is what I use. It has 6 pci slots (1 benefit over a Blue and White G3) but after putting a Firewire/USB card, a monitor card (uses a pci slot on a 9600 as there is no built in video, a 10/100 card (9600 only has 10 baseT) this leaves only three cards open, exactly what i would have with a B&W G3, there is not much benefit. The main benefit of a B&W G3 is the 100 mhz bus as opposed to the 50mhz bus on the 9500/9600's and the 66mhz bus on a beige G3. The new G4's have 133mhz buses and 4 PCI slots. DO NOT GET A BEIGE G3, they have issues with digi and especially the DIGI001. The digi001 system is fine with my 350mhz 604E processor but if I was going to upgrade I would go at least 500mhz G3 or possibly G4 although there is no utilization of the altivec engine on the G4, go with a faster processor if possible. I have used it with a G3 300mhz upgrade on a 9500/200 and it worked good. Also I have got the digi001 working on a 7300/200 (50mhz bus) using the stock processor. The RAM is more expensive for the 9600's. as in 50-100 bucks for 64 MB's of RAM. the Blue and White G3's have 512 MB's of RAM for 50 bucks. Go with the Blue and White G3 for the built in Firewire, built in Rage 128 graphics, 100 BaseT, cheaper RAM, support for OSX and 100 mhz bus. Not to mention style.

Let me try... YES. You will notice a speed difference. Since it is half the speed of the G3 system bus, I would say it would be at least 25% slower. Maybe even half, but I doubt it would be half as slow since you are running an upgrade card in the 9600.. (although when the g4 got a 133mhz system bus, they said this alone made it 33% faster than the older 100mhz sys bus) I would (and I don't know what else you are running on the G3 ) install the 001 in the G3 and use the 9600 for office stuff. Maybe even use it to run midi, or a samplecell, and use the G3. I have a G4 400 my partner in business (music) has a G3 450. We get IDENTICAL performance. BUT both machines have that 100mhz system bus. You need to ask yourself this question.... How serious about audio/ptle am I? If I am planning on getting as wild as I can with it, I would go G3. If I just want to use it to record small stuff, clean up old recordings, maybe doing voice overs,don't plan on using plug ins, (or at least not a lot of them) the 9600 would be good. What do I use the G3 for the most? If the answer is surf web, email, word, excel, etc. I would use the 9600 for that. If you are doing video, or photoshop with the G3, then of course it is going to need the faster machine. Hope this didn't confuse you, and I hope I was actually answering your question, the others seem to have missed the boat... FWIW