Waiting for Sandy Bridge. [Archive]

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hugodrax

Mar 21, 2009, 02:15 PM

Cliff3

Mar 21, 2009, 02:19 PM

If you don't need a new computer to solve your current or anticipated requirements, then don't buy one. Chasing the leading edge is a good way to go broke.

(FWIW, my new Mac Pro replaced my Macbook Pro as my primary machine. The MBP lacked the horsepower to do what I needed it to do. Rather than opting for a new but maxed out MBP, I went with a Mac Pro instead. I'll replace the MBP sometime next year after AppleCare runs out on it.

designed

Mar 21, 2009, 02:36 PM

"Buy when you need to" is a rather good guideline in all sorts technology related purchases. If you don't need a new computer now, it is better to just wait. You get the same performance for less money or more power for the same money.

JimGoshorn

Mar 21, 2009, 03:09 PM

Well my G5 Quad was a bit too long on the tooth unlike you luckier folks with newer Intel Mac Pros so I'm getting a new Mac Pro. That should keep me going till at least Haswell which is due in 2012 and looks really interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Haswell_(microarchitecture)

skyline r34

Mar 21, 2009, 03:21 PM

If I am gonna spend 5K better to wait for Sandy Bridge. Keep my 06 box and get the most bang for the buck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge_(microarchitecture)

Plus AVX which will really provide some nice capabilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Vector_Extensions

http://software.intel.com/en-us/avx/

I currently have the 3.2GHz 2008 Mac Pro and i was a little disappointed of the performance of the early 2009 Mac Pro the only good thing and if you use multi-threaded apps is the Hyper-threading and the ATi 4870 which I can upgrade on my 2008 Mac Pro, I'm waiting for the next revision of the Mac Pro when Apple/Intel introduce the 32nm Xeon Processor chips, Sandy Bridge or Westmere, So I'm just going to upgrade my current 2008 Mac Pro, I'm swapping out my 8800GT and upgrading to the ATi 4870 so that I can use the new LED Cinema Displays (30-inch) add more hard drive space like the ones you find in 2009 Mac Pro 640GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, putting more ram 4GB to 8GB. I'm already started putting away money for the next Mac Pro.

Tallest Skil

Mar 21, 2009, 03:45 PM

See you in 2012. I'll be doing work until then.

Aegelward

Mar 21, 2009, 04:32 PM

Waiting is the stigma of technology, eventually you have to give into that twitch to bite the bullet.

Of course, there are times when waiting is sensible, when there is a virtual garantee of an upgrade within.. lets say under 3 months. But still, waiting is worse than putting up with slightly dated technology

iMacmatician

Mar 21, 2009, 05:30 PM

If I am gonna spend 5K better to wait for Sandy Bridge. Keep my 06 box and get the most bang for the buck.4 GHz (or so), 6 cores, here we go!

...in 2011.

VirtualRain

Mar 21, 2009, 06:50 PM

I heard they will have 128 cores by 2020... maybe wait until then! :p

iMacmatician

Mar 21, 2009, 07:02 PM

I heard they will have 128 cores by 2020... maybe wait until then! :pHaswell might start (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/191/1051191/intel-word-day) at 8 cores (which I'm assuming means it'll be ≥8 cores :eek:).

milk242

Mar 21, 2009, 07:21 PM

I'm going to wait 10+ years so when I do upgrade it'll feel sooo much faster :p Just like the people moving from the G5 to intel.

Jpoon

Mar 21, 2009, 07:22 PM

The waiting game is never fun :P

Macinposh

Mar 22, 2009, 05:33 AM

I'll be doing work until then.

I will be working AND waiting. How about that?

iamcheerful

Mar 22, 2009, 06:40 AM

'll cross the Bridge and avoid the Sands. :confused:

Tallest Skil

Mar 22, 2009, 07:07 AM

I will be working AND waiting. How about that?

You have the right idea.

'll cross the Bridge and avoid the Sands. :confused:

Haswell that ends well, I guess. :p

somorastik

Jan 18, 2011, 06:32 AM

Build yourself a hackintosh, for the fraction of the price. Mac Pro performance and better. All in all I doubt they will be installing Sandy Bridge in mac pro. They use XEONs.
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1170

Vylen

Jan 18, 2011, 06:45 AM

Old thread is old. :)

lewdvig

Jan 18, 2011, 07:03 PM

That was a lot of waiting and we are not done yet.

There will be Sandy derived Xeons, duh.

I will probably skip Sandy or wait until they show up in the refurb store - 'cause cheap's the way I roll.

johnnymg

Jan 18, 2011, 10:47 PM

gpzjock

Jan 18, 2011, 10:48 PM

Went from iMac G5 to Mac Pro 2008, was like going from VW Beetle to Maclaren F1. Any upgrade from PowerPC to a new Intel based Mac Pro will feel stratospheric, it all depends on how long your refresh cycle is and what economic considerations allow you to do.
Sandybridge now or Haswell in 2013 the choice is win-win imho.:)

Me? I'm keeping the 2008 MP till the wheels fall off. :D

VanneDC

Jan 19, 2011, 01:17 AM

i am keeping my 2008 Oct also. Yay!!! just too much power for one person. :D

goMac

Jan 19, 2011, 02:20 AM

Upgrading from my 2008 octo 2.8 when Sandy Bridge arrives. All my machines are on a three year upgrade cycle.

Phantom Gremlin

Jan 19, 2011, 07:00 AM

Upgrading from my 2008 octo 2.8 when Sandy Bridge arrives. All my machines are on a three year upgrade cycle.

Sigh. I wish I could convince myself to do that. I have a 10 y/o computer I'm currently running as a firewall. It replaced the previous firewall when that one's power supply died after being powered down during a vacation. Which replaced the previous firewall when that one started getting memory errors after being powered down during a vacation.

Sometimes being proactive is good! A lot fewer Chinese fire drills that way.