So i am planning to buy a used mac pro. I saw this website Called "macofalltrades.com" .There is a Mac Pro 2x 2.8GHz Quad-Core (8 Cores) Xeon E5462 (Early 2008) 4.0/500GB SuperDrive-DL (8800 GT 512MB) BT 10.5 - for $1300 that caught my eye. I am hesitant to make the purchase but im not sure if the website is legit or if they have a bad customer service. should i pass or make the purchase. thanks
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Used Mac Pro
- Thread starter rf15t5
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I have that same 2008 MacPro. Love it. Works really well. But.... I don't know that I'd spend $1300 for it now. It is way out of warranty, and you could easily spend nearly as much to get it fixed now as you do to buy it. It is now 4 years old. The RAM is expensive to upgrade - it's not a commonly available type.
For that much money you can get an Apple refurbished iMac that will be faster, and that has the new Thunderbolt port, and includes the monitor, and that has a warranty that can be extended to 3 years.
Do you really need the MacPro? Like I said, the 2008s are great machines.... but I don't think they're worth that kind of money now. When they were new - yes... but not now.
For that much money you can get an Apple refurbished iMac that will be faster, and that has the new Thunderbolt port, and includes the monitor, and that has a warranty that can be extended to 3 years.
Do you really need the MacPro? Like I said, the 2008s are great machines.... but I don't think they're worth that kind of money now. When they were new - yes... but not now.
A few years ago, I made the mistake of buying a Mac Pro from them - a G5 2.7 DP - for similar money - worked great for a few weeks, then started playing up. Contacted them, and their reply was that if it is still working then it was OK. Came with only a very limited warranty (can't remember if 1 month or 3) but shortly after expiry of same, it stopped altogether. They refused to deal with me at that stage. I took it into a Service Center, was told the motherboard had gone - around $1K to replace, told them to go ahead - then they came back to me and said that the CPU's had also gone, would be another $1200 or more. I worked out fairly quickly that this was not sounding like a $3500 machine so canned the process. In fairness to MOAT though, I do have to say that they offered a 1 year warranty for extra $$, which could have changed the outcome.
Bottom line - look on ebay, get an idea what the going price is, and if it is reasonably close approximation, then consider the purchase, but only with as long a warranty as you can get.
Bottom line - look on ebay, get an idea what the going price is, and if it is reasonably close approximation, then consider the purchase, but only with as long a warranty as you can get.
Like many things it comes down to what your going to use the MP for and what your budget is. While the 2008 MP is coming on five years of age, from what I have read, its still a very solid machine. I have also read that its the sweet spot in terms of price right now.
Things to consider about a 2008 MP:
1. First MP since the 2006 with 64 bit EFI which may matter to you or it may not. Google for more info.
2. Still uses FB DIMMS which are pricey at best, although deals can be found on Ebay.
3. CPU upgrades are limited as this model came in 2.8, 3.0 and 3.2 you can't upgrade from a 2.8 to a 3.2 due to heat and power (as far as I know)
4. Will not be under warranty as its too old.
You can look at a 2009 and many people may suggest doing so, however your budget will have to jump accordingly. Used 2009 MP's go for as little as $1500-1800 if you are lucky to find one on Ebay, but at the lesser price, it is usually the exception rather then the rule.
Advantages of 2009 models:
1. Cheaper non FB RAM
2. Can be upgraded to 2010 model via EFI update
3. Wider selection of CPU upgrades
4. More external ports
5. Newer machine may still have some warranty
Things to consider about a 2008 MP:
1. First MP since the 2006 with 64 bit EFI which may matter to you or it may not. Google for more info.
2. Still uses FB DIMMS which are pricey at best, although deals can be found on Ebay.
3. CPU upgrades are limited as this model came in 2.8, 3.0 and 3.2 you can't upgrade from a 2.8 to a 3.2 due to heat and power (as far as I know)
4. Will not be under warranty as its too old.
You can look at a 2009 and many people may suggest doing so, however your budget will have to jump accordingly. Used 2009 MP's go for as little as $1500-1800 if you are lucky to find one on Ebay, but at the lesser price, it is usually the exception rather then the rule.
Advantages of 2009 models:
1. Cheaper non FB RAM
2. Can be upgraded to 2010 model via EFI update
3. Wider selection of CPU upgrades
4. More external ports
5. Newer machine may still have some warranty
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This.
Over the last two years I've gone through them all - 2006, 2008 and 2009 Mac Pro. The 2009 is noticeably quicker than the 2008, which was noticeably quicker than the 2006.
Putting 16Gb RAM in a 2009 costs very little - 4 x 4GB DDR3 chips, which you can buy from any PC shop. For a 2006 or 2008, it's DDR2 RAM, which is much more expensive. That cost decrease will help to offset the cost difference between a 2008 and 2009.
Putting a 6 core 3.33 GHz processor in is very tempting - there is a very dig difference in benchmark scores. I only read about it on here a few days ago and it seems like it's worth doing.
The 8800 graphics cards can have trouble too - folks are having to bake failing cards to squeeze a little more life from them. You should budget for a prompt replacement.
That sucks
. The G5s had horrendous reliability issues. I personally wouldn't touch one used. That's probably one of the best current options assuming you find a good price on the 2009 model. I haven't heard of any major component failures with that model. The 2008 isn't actually bad assuming you can fully use all available cores. When the 2009 8 core came out at a higher price tag, it was criticized as a very marginal upgrade for more money. Looking at late SL builds or Lion, the performance numbers might be further spread apart. The 6 core upgrade seems like an excellent option. I kind of wonder if a similar thing will be available with the 2012 model, although it's unlikely to be worth it given that a new architecture will most likely debut in 2013. Bleh by most likely I mean assuming it doesn't turn into a repeat of Sandy Bridge E where it's basically pushed to the following year.
Bought a 2008 2.8GHz eight-core from MacOfAllTrades in October, with some extra RAM and the 8800GT card. Has been a great machine so far. Arrived very well-packed, all components working, machine in beautiful shape.
The 90-day warranty was long enough for me- typically if an electronic component is on the verge of failing, it'll do so in that time. As time goes by there isn't anything in particular that might lead to a higher rate of failure. So in other words, I needed a warranty that was just long enough to make sure everything was as advertised and in proper running shape. It has been.
I'd rather have new (or refurb) from Apple, of course, but I'd consider myself a pretty happy macofalltrades.com customer. To go all the way to new or refurb from Apple wouldn't just be a few more bucks, it's a whole 'nother realm of pricing altogether. This was my best solution, and it's worked out well so far.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
The 90-day warranty was long enough for me- typically if an electronic component is on the verge of failing, it'll do so in that time. As time goes by there isn't anything in particular that might lead to a higher rate of failure. So in other words, I needed a warranty that was just long enough to make sure everything was as advertised and in proper running shape. It has been.
I'd rather have new (or refurb) from Apple, of course, but I'd consider myself a pretty happy macofalltrades.com customer. To go all the way to new or refurb from Apple wouldn't just be a few more bucks, it's a whole 'nother realm of pricing altogether. This was my best solution, and it's worked out well so far.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
Look for a 2009, got mine on ebay for $1200 (exception not the rule) and couldn't be happier. I looked for a few months before finding the right deal, just be patient if you can. Good luck.
best deal i have seen for a base quad 2009 is 1500 .. I'm tempted to get it and upgrade to a 3.33 hex .. just not sure .. i just sold my i7 iMac yesterday because I can't do the all in ones anymore
As stated, I waited a while before the right deal came along. Almost pulled the trigger a few times, glad I waited. Will probably do the hex upgrade, even though I don't need it (who doesn't love more power? probably wait a while, see if the prices come down). $1500 isn't unreasonable, most were going for more at the time of my purchase. Happy hunting.