I ordered my Mac Pro today... [Archive]

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 02:33 PM

Well, I finally decided to give in and get my Mac Pro today. I had an Apple gift card from the return of a faulty 27" iMac unit, so I decided to go with the Mac Pro now. I found a great refurbished 2.93GHz Quad unit on the Apple Store online, and I decided to purchase some upgrades from OWC. I am adding 16GB of RAM, a 120GB SSD, and 2x1TB Hard Drives that I plan to setup for a RAID 0 array. I have confidence that my machine will scream. Since I am getting the 2.93GHz one, I don't think there will be any need to upgrade the processor to the W3580 right now, as I had previously inquired about. Also, I am not yet sure what I am going to do about the video card. It ships with the stock GT 120, but if performance is too lackluster, I might decide to upgrade to the 4870 (probably get a used one on eBay). I found this machine for $2,549.00 on the Apple Store refurb site, and I'm adding $1140 worth of upgrades (from OWC) to it, so roughly a $3700 system out of my pocket, which would have cost me over $5200 if I had confirgured it new on the Apple Store site!! So at least I am saving quite a bit of money this way, and still getting a fast machine! I look forward to getting my new Mac Pro...it should arrive by Friday, or next Monday at the latest. Finally, I'm getting my Mac Pro!!

300D

Jul 19, 2010, 02:34 PM

Well, I finally decided to give in and get my Mac Pro today

Congratulations on wasting money for 16 month old technology just before an update.

jav6454

Jul 19, 2010, 02:36 PM

mBox

Jul 19, 2010, 02:42 PM

Congratulations on wasting money for 16 month old technology just before an update.Its his choice. If I had to order then Id go with the cheapest refurb. He's getting it lower than what we paid for years ago.
I have to wait till new ones come :(
Its in the company budget and it stipulates new models not old :P
Tic Toc.....

As long as he's happy :)

Hellhammer

Jul 19, 2010, 02:42 PM

Congratulations on wasting money for 16 month old technology just before an update.

Is it impossible for you to post something nice or useful?

Did you buy those 'upgrades' from Apple? Please tell me no. Say no, if you said yes, you got shafted, hard.

"I decided to purchase some upgrades from OWC"

Congrats OP! That machine is a beast though I would have waited till the update. However, you may be able to upgrade to W36xx in the future so you're not totally outdated :cool:

kellen

Jul 19, 2010, 02:44 PM

Congratulations on wasting money for 16 month old technology just before an update.

Maybe he needed a computer. So when is the update, since you know its right before? People have been saying this for months.

Did you buy those 'upgrades' from Apple? Please tell me no. Say no, if you said yes, you got shafted, hard.

OP says he bought it from OWC.

If you need a computer, then you need one. Some people don't have the luxury of waiting.

jav6454

Jul 19, 2010, 02:44 PM

I

"I decided to purchase some upgrades from OWC"

It was a wall of text, I just read he bought a Mac Pro and some upgrades...

mism

Jul 19, 2010, 02:45 PM

Congratulations WardC, I'll be joining you tomorrow if there's no update.

People will call us stupid but life is too short to spend it waiting on Apple.

AlphaDogg

Jul 19, 2010, 03:01 PM

Did you buy those 'upgrades' from Apple? Please tell me no. Say no, if you said yes, you got shafted, hard.

Please read before you post. If you do not read before you post, it makes you seem like an extremely ignorant person... Just saying...

donw35

Jul 19, 2010, 03:09 PM

congrats on the new machine, load her up and put to work.

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 03:12 PM

Well, I am still excited that I am finally getting one. I have been waiting for 2 weeks for Apple to add some more refurb units so I could buy one (I was not paying out the ass for a new one). Also, like I said, I am getting all my upgrades from OWC and not getting "shafted" from Apple for the expensive upgrades. Also, Apple doesn't even offer an SSD upgrade which I am getting.

So the machine will be the following specs:

2.93GHz Quad-Core Xeon X3540
16GB RAM *from OWC
120GB SSD for Boot and Apps w/Icy Dock
2x1TB HD for RAID 0 array for media files
640GB stock HD for Windows/Bootcamp
nVidia GT 120 (which I may upgrade later)

I could have gotten the 2.66GHz machine for $2149 and upgraded the processor myself (a $600 upgrade from eBay to W3580), but the $400 upgrade price for the 2.93GHz already installed was just too attractive to pass up. I think it will be more than fast enough for everything I need, and I didn't need an 8-core machine because I never really run Pro apps or need 8 cores for serious rendering apps. They had an 8-core 2.93GHz model up today on the refurb site for $4999, but it went fast. I do a little iMovie and iPhoto and Photoshop on the side, but that's about it. And, I run Photoshop CS3 which doesn't even take advantage of 4 cores.

I think the SSD upgrade will be the biggest factor in speed improvement on this machine, along with the 16GB of RAM. Once I get Snow Leopard installed on the SSD and install my memory, the system should absolutely fly. I've scoured the Geekbench results comparing systems, and this machine is roughly 15% faster than the fastest iMac (2.8GHz i7), while the 2.66GHz machine is roughly 10% slower. Plus, it's pretty hard to install an SSD on an iMac, and in the Mac Pro installation is a breeze.

This should be a big improvement over my 2.26GHz Mac Mini and my 2.4GHz MacBook Pro, no doubt. I plan to hook the Mac Pro to my 23" Cinema Display, which I have had since 2006. It's a great display, bright, sharp, and vivid, and still running strong. I might not need to upgrade the video card since I don't game much and the max resolution I will be running is 1920x1200. Any suggestions? How does the GT120 really perform? Is it ample for watching fullscreen 1080p video? Would a Radeon 4870 or a GTX 285 really improve my video playback at this resolution, or would the GT120 work just fine for everything I need? Thanks.

mBox

Jul 19, 2010, 03:12 PM

Congratulations WardC, I'll be joining you tomorrow if there's no update.

People will call us stupid but life is too short to spend it waiting on Apple.Haha well we know what their missing out on ;)
Seriously I hope something happens soon.
My budget is good till next Feb 2011 but Id like to do all this along with the CS5 upgrade.
This way I can waste a whole month fixing the bugs ;)

reel2reel

Jul 19, 2010, 03:47 PM

Congratulations WardC, I'll be joining you tomorrow if there's no update.

People will call us stupid but life is too short to spend it waiting on Apple.

I don't blame you. I'm about to buy as well. The whiners are just jealous that others are capable of making a decision (not to play this stupid waiting game).

mism

Jul 19, 2010, 04:19 PM

I question the decision all the time but its important to put it into perspective. Buying a new Mac isn't just about Ghz or Cores or USB3 or even value for money. Its about being able to get on with work, launch myself as a 3D artist / freelancer confident that I have the tools to do the job, not just hope that my current set up gets me through.
And who knows, I may earn enough in the time it takes Apple to update the Mac Pro to buy a second machine, then I'll be on my way to a render farm :D

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 05:10 PM

This is actually going to be my THIRD Mac Pro. I had a Mac Pro 1,1 2.66GHz dual processor model in 2006, and I sold it to buy a MacBook Pro (didn't lose any money). I then missed having the Mac Pro and purchased a refurb 3.0GHz Quad core Woodcrest model in 2007. I sold that a few months later after deciding that it was simply too much computer for me. I have been using my MacBook Pro as my main computer for the last 3 years, alongside a 23" Apple Cinema Display. Once again, I've been missing having a dedicated desktop computer and I decided I wanted a Mac Pro again. This time I plan to keep it and not sell this one on eBay anytime soon. This should last me at least 2-3 years if not more. So, most people here don't know that I've actually owned two Mac Pros before buying this one today. It was just too much computer for me at the time, but now I want a desktop again and I had to make the move....3 years and everyday I've been missing having a Mac Pro.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 05:17 PM

Welcome aboard!! Anytime you need a w3580, let me know and I can have Matt at Velocity Micro put one on hold for you.. it is 599, but well worth the upgrade from a 2.93 though.

I had a 2.66, and couldn't bear that speed.. so now I am running 3.33.

Well, I am still excited that I am finally getting one. I have been waiting for 2 weeks for Apple to add some more refurb units so I could buy one (I was not paying out the ass for a new one). Also, like I said, I am getting all my upgrades from OWC and not getting "shafted" from Apple for the expensive upgrades. Also, Apple doesn't even offer an SSD upgrade which I am getting.

So the machine will be the following specs:

2.93GHz Quad-Core Xeon X3540
16GB RAM *from OWC
120GB SSD for Boot and Apps w/Icy Dock
2x1TB HD for RAID 0 array for media files
640GB stock HD for Windows/Bootcamp
nVidia GT 120 (which I may upgrade later)

I could have gotten the 2.66GHz machine for $2149 and upgraded the processor myself (a $600 upgrade from eBay to W3580), but the $400 upgrade price for the 2.93GHz already installed was just too attractive to pass up. I think it will be more than fast enough for everything I need, and I didn't need an 8-core machine because I never really run Pro apps or need 8 cores for serious rendering apps. They had an 8-core 2.93GHz model up today on the refurb site for $4999, but it went fast. I do a little iMovie and iPhoto and Photoshop on the side, but that's about it. And, I run Photoshop CS3 which doesn't even take advantage of 4 cores.

I think the SSD upgrade will be the biggest factor in speed improvement on this machine, along with the 16GB of RAM. Once I get Snow Leopard installed on the SSD and install my memory, the system should absolutely fly. I've scoured the Geekbench results comparing systems, and this machine is roughly 15% faster than the fastest iMac (2.8GHz i7), while the 2.66GHz machine is roughly 10% slower. Plus, it's pretty hard to install an SSD on an iMac, and in the Mac Pro installation is a breeze.

This should be a big improvement over my 2.26GHz Mac Mini and my 2.4GHz MacBook Pro, no doubt. I plan to hook the Mac Pro to my 23" Cinema Display, which I have had since 2006. It's a great display, bright, sharp, and vivid, and still running strong. I might not need to upgrade the video card since I don't game much and the max resolution I will be running is 1920x1200. Any suggestions? How does the GT120 really perform? Is it ample for watching fullscreen 1080p video? Would a Radeon 4870 or a GTX 285 really improve my video playback at this resolution, or would the GT120 work just fine for everything I need? Thanks.

manhattanboy

Jul 19, 2010, 05:21 PM

here's what I don't get:
what the hell is apple waiting for?
Switch to AMD opteron 12 cores.
Bang 2 of them into a rig.
Give use some decent vid and ram options
and poof... we've got a monster 24-core machine at 1/3 the cost of Apple's current high end.

I mean wtf!!!!! Apple sitting there rotting is just stinking up the place.

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 05:27 PM

and poof... we've got a monster 24-core machine at 1/3 the cost of Apple's current high end.

I mean wtf!!!!! Apple sitting there rotting is just stinking up the place.

Well, that's why I went with a refurb and got my upgrades from OWC...I am trying to get the best machine (be it an actual Mac), get the best performance out of it possible, and pay the least amount. Going Hackintosh was not an option for me...I am not going to fool around with getting all my components to register correctly and function without problems. So, going for an Apple refurb and getting my upgrade components from OWC I saved about $2000. It was worth it, I think so.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 06:35 PM

My refurb 2.66 was only 2199.99, but to my surprise it came with the following not found on the stock models:

instead of 3GB, I got 6GB memory
instead of 640GB drive, I got a western digital 2GB drive/ w 32MB cache.

And of course the updated firmware of B08 which could include the microcode for the B1 processors.. who knows?

Strange enough - none of the mac pro audio or firmware updates worked on my computer.. again, B08. WHats yours?

Well, that's why I went with a refurb and got my upgrades from OWC...I am trying to get the best machine (be it an actual Mac), get the best performance out of it possible, and pay the least amount. Going Hackintosh was not an option for me...I am not going to fool around with getting all my components to register correctly and function without problems. So, going for an Apple refurb and getting my upgrade components from OWC I saved about $2000. It was worth it, I think so.

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 06:40 PM

My refurb 2.66 was only 2199.99, but to my surprise it came with the following not found on the stock models:

instead of 3GB, I got 6GB memory
instead of 640GB drive, I got a western digital 2GB drive/ w 32MB cache.

And of course the updated firmware of B08 which could include the microcode for the B1 processors.. who knows?

Strange enough - none of the mac pro audio or firmware updates worked on my computer.. again, B08. WHats yours?

Don't know yet, I ordered today, it will be delivered either Friday or Monday. I got the Next Day shipping, I didn't want to wait an extra week for it. But, still, they quote me as 3-5 days to ship from the time I ordered it. I ordered at like 11:45 this morning.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 06:43 PM

What I am asking is let me know if you got lucky with 6GB of memory and a 2TB drive..

the GT120 I wouldn't bother with.. Ugh! I hate that card so much..

Don't know yet, I ordered today, it will be delivered either Friday or Monday. I got the Next Day shipping, I didn't want to wait an extra week for it. But, still, they quote me as 3-5 days to ship from the time I ordered it. I ordered at like 11:45 this morning.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 06:43 PM

You didn't say if it was the two or one processor.

Don't know yet, I ordered today, it will be delivered either Friday or Monday. I got the Next Day shipping, I didn't want to wait an extra week for it. But, still, they quote me as 3-5 days to ship from the time I ordered it. I ordered at like 11:45 this morning.

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 06:46 PM

What I am asking is let me know if you got lucky with 6GB of memory and a 2TB drive..

the GT120 I wouldn't bother with.. Ugh! I hate that card so much..

Well, they had a 2.93GHz refurb with 6GB of RAM and a 1TB drive, a Radeon 4870 and two SuperDrives for $2999, but I got the 3GB RAM model with the 640GB drive and the GT120, planning to upgrade everything myself...I paid $2549 for my system.

You didn't say if it was the two or one processor.

It's the Quad, not the 8-core.

EDIT: Sorry, I mis-stated above, it's the W3540 2.93GHz Single Quad-Core config.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 06:48 PM

Then you might have gotten lucky, thus you might then have: 6GB and 1TB or 2TB drive already in there.. What I am interested in though is the boot rom firmware...

Well, they had a 2.93GHz refurb with 6GB of RAM and a 1TB drive, a Radeon 4870 and two SuperDrives for $2999, but I got the 3GB RAM model with the 640GB drive and the GT120, planning to upgrade everything myself...I paid $2549 for my system.

It's the Quad, not the 8-core.

Icaras

Jul 19, 2010, 07:14 PM

Why did you order on the eve of a Tuesday? :confused:

Could you have not waited at least a few more hours?

cantthinkofone

Jul 19, 2010, 07:31 PM

Please read before you post. If you do not read before you post, it makes you seem like an extremely ignorant person... Just saying...

How about you just get rid of your whole post?

OP-Congrats. Wish I could afford a Mac Pro. Should be one bad mother of a computer.

jav6454

Jul 19, 2010, 09:31 PM

Please read before you post. If you do not read before you post, it makes you seem like an extremely ignorant person... Just saying...

Another one who has to read also.... as in the entire thread before replying.

skyline r34

Jul 19, 2010, 09:54 PM

I will be holding off for the new MP, I can wait because i have a 08' 3.2GHz 8-Core Mac Pro but once the new Mac Pro's arrives it's bye, bye to the 3.2 it was nice using you for 2 years

WardC

Jul 19, 2010, 09:58 PM

Well I just got an e-mail from Apple...it's shipped!! And it will be here tomorrow guaranteed!! Too bad all my upgrades that I ordered won't be here until Wednesday. Well waiting another 24 hours for that won't be toooo bad LOL

jav6454

Jul 19, 2010, 10:00 PM

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 10:48 PM

that no update is going to happen tomorrow!

Why did you order on the eve of a Tuesday? :confused:

Could you have not waited at least a few more hours?

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 10:52 PM

PLEASE NOTE:

Like me, you got a refurb machine.. you are aware that Apple DOES NOT install the airport card for you at the on-line store? I hope you are aware of that.. But, don't fear.. ANy Apple store will install it for you for $30.00 and you can buy the part as well for 49.00 - well worth it. I am A+ certified in PC however, but I wouldn't touch micro parts so tiny with a 10 foot pole. Had Apple do my airport install at 9:00am 3 weeks ago - 30 dollars and I was out in less than 20 minutes.

If you are taking about video card, get the GTX 285 or Radeon 4870 HD.

Well I just got an e-mail from Apple...it's shipped!! And it will be here tomorrow guaranteed!! Too bad all my upgrades that I ordered won't be here until Wednesday. Well waiting another 24 hours for that won't be toooo bad LOL

Icaras

Jul 19, 2010, 11:20 PM

that no update is going to happen tomorrow!

I will not bet against you, because you're probably right. :p

But during these very frustrating and "imminent" times, the best time I could think of ordering a current Mac Pro would be on a Tuesday.

But the OP can be rest assured though, that if a new MP does actually get released tomorrow or next week, he could simply exchange if it he wanted to.

johnnymg

Jul 19, 2010, 11:24 PM

Congratulations on wasting money for 16 month old technology just before an update.

What a totally uncalled for response. I hope the mods kick you hard.

Roman23

Jul 19, 2010, 11:59 PM

And with this 1.9 firmware restoration cd - this might be the trick into getting the 2009 mac pro to recognize and run B1 stepping processors.. Nano told me that nothing different is being added to the logic board in which the 2010, or 5,1 mac pro would be different..

Now, if anyone can contribute on how to hack the 1.9 restoration firmware cd to work on the 2009 - I'd appreciate some suggestions as I might try it when the 2010 comes out.

until then, we are dead in the water..

I will not bet against you, because you're probably right. :p

But during these very frustrating and "imminent" times, the best time I could think of ordering a current Mac Pro would be on a Tuesday.

But the OP can be rest assured though, that if a new MP does actually get released tomorrow or next week, he could simply exchange if it he wanted to.

Roman23

Jul 20, 2010, 12:00 AM

Since I got mine 2 weeks earlier than Ward did.

What a totally uncalled for response. I hope the mods kick you hard.

strausd

Jul 20, 2010, 12:37 AM

I doubt the new MP is comin out today, especially since Apple is doing their Q3 Financial Results today. I don't really see them doing that and a product update the same day.

Maurier

Jul 20, 2010, 01:06 AM

Congratz on the Mac Pro i bought mine few months back and I'm really happy with it.
I use mine for pothography and to play World of Warcraft=)

2.66GHz Quad-Core
6GB Ram
640GB 7200-rpm
ATI Radeon HD 4870

This specs are more then sufficient for my needs.
I doubt there will be an update this month, I'm sure Apple will come out with a new design for the Mac Pro case and few new features and this is probably why it's taking so long.

Roman23

Jul 20, 2010, 01:10 AM

the w3580, as this will boost processing power over 20 percent or more from a 2.66 - I got one for like 600 dollars and my machine just flies.. Not bad for a 2.66 refurb - NOW, 3.33 w3580 power! And I didn't have to spend 1200.00 either.

You can also use the i7-9xx series.. all the way up until 980x - 980x is gulftown and westmere and requires B1 stepping in order to use it.

Congratz on the Mac Pro i bought mine few months back and I'm really happy with it.
I use mine for pothography and to play World of Warcraft=)

2.66GHz Quad-Core
6GB Ram
640GB 7200-rpm
ATI Radeon HD 4870

This specs are more then sufficient for my needs.
I doubt there will be an update this month, I'm sure Apple will come out with a new design for the Mac Pro case and few new features and this is probably why it's taking so long.

Mactrunk

Jul 20, 2010, 03:15 AM

I send my congratulations for your new machine.
I think you will have much fun with it.
Enjoy!

I understand the need for speed and the frantic thumping here in this forum.
I understand the concern and desire for "state of the art" platforms.

In my case, my old 2.8 eight core is humming along very nicely.
I'm using it every day as a source of income.
It is doing everything I need for my work.
I'm happy to wait for the next big advance.

In fact, I benefit more if I skip incremental upgrades.
Having a stable system that works reliably lets me concentrate on my work.

gaspra

Jul 20, 2010, 03:23 AM

Congrats OP! That machine is a beast though I would have waited till the update. However, you may be able to upgrade to W36xx in the future so you're not totally outdated :cool:

I ordered octo-core Mac Pro last Tuesday, just tired of waiting and didn't want to waste time. Got 4GB Patriot Apple memory from local frys and it worked perfectly fine.

alphaod

Jul 20, 2010, 03:42 AM

Congratulations on the new machine!

PLEASE NOTE:

Like me, you got a refurb machine.. you are aware that Apple DOES NOT install the airport card for you at the on-line store? I hope you are aware of that.. But, don't fear.. ANy Apple store will install it for you for $30.00 and you can buy the part as well for 49.00 - well worth it. I am A+ certified in PC however, but I wouldn't touch micro parts so tiny with a 10 foot pole. Had Apple do my airport install at 9:00am 3 weeks ago - 30 dollars and I was out in less than 20 minutes.

If you are taking about video card, get the GTX 285 or Radeon 4870 HD.

I installed my own Airport card for free and it took meess than 2 minutes.

tomscott1988

Jul 20, 2010, 04:44 AM

Only Problem with the Evga 285 is that they havent upgraded the drivers since it was introduced to the mac. If you plan on playing games with steam then its 50/50. I have just downloaded steam and got my windows games running (that have been updated) and some run well and others dont, imsure this is due to steams teething period but it would help if we had an upgrade of the drivers. But i do get better performance on the same games with the same card in bootcamp, which is a pain.
If you read any of the reviews of the card, the mac osx driver is abit weak and windows performance is alot better. Especially in 3d rendering, the 4870 isnt as powerful neither is it a better card but outperforms the 285 on a few key areas on the mac, whereas in bootcamp the 285 blows it away on everything. Its a great card but i just hope the drivers are updated or you may see little improvement over the 4870.

mism

Jul 20, 2010, 09:04 AM

Just placed my order. 8 core (2.26GHz) 8GB 640GB ATI card.
It will mostly be used for Cinema 4D, Maxwell Render, Photoshop, Illustrator and some Final Cut and Motion. Plenty of space to add more RAM and storage as required.
Should be here in a week, I'm hoping that it will be as shockingly faster than my Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro as I imagine.

Could people only say nice things please, this whole thing has been stressful enough as it is!

mBox

Jul 20, 2010, 09:16 AM

...I'm hoping that it will be as shockingly faster than my Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro as I imagine...Oh itll be faster and robust. Maybe not shockingly since Ive ran apps such as Maya on both Mac Pro and MBP. The only diff at times was that MBP were a bit cumbersome using the GUI.
Speed for rendering not so much but then I dont generally use a laptop for render farms :)

mism

Jul 20, 2010, 09:48 AM

I'm always surprised how well my MacBook Pro handles Cinema 4D, its really just complex scenes where it starts to suffer, and of course rendering.
I'm going to have 18.08GHz plus hyperthreading available to me as opposed to the 4.66GHz I have now (with no HT). So rendering should be significantly faster, Maxwell should become usable.
I'm expecting memory throughput and disk access to have a decent impact too, especially in Photoshop and Illustrator where the cores won't help much, other than to spread the load from other apps and the system.

PeterQVenkman

Jul 20, 2010, 09:56 AM

mBox

Jul 20, 2010, 09:58 AM

I'm always surprised how well my MacBook Pro handles Cinema 4D....I teach a Maya Basic class on the MBP and it does a great job when your in a slow paced class. Im not sure how well it would handle major production though.

dgookin

Jul 20, 2010, 10:19 AM

People will call us stupid but life is too short to spend it waiting on Apple.

No, it's a wise move. A brave move. You be smart.

mBox

Jul 20, 2010, 10:30 AM

No, it's a wise move. A brave move. You be smart.brave, wise, smart....at least your not sitting on the fence and spreading FUD.
we all have a bone to pick with Apple but no sense of making end-users feel like crap just cause they made a decision on something.
its not a freakin hair-cut :P
LOL!

WardC

Jul 20, 2010, 01:07 PM

Well, it just arrived here, approximately 25 hours and 30 minutes after ordering it. Super fast shipping. I am about to fire it up and mess around with it for a bit here at work before I take it home tonight. I will post some pictures in a bit.

WardC

Jul 20, 2010, 01:18 PM

Whoa, you are not going to believe this. I got the machine fired up (I am using it right now). And they shipped with 6GB of RAM and an Airport card ALREADY INSTALLED. Dude, I totally lucked out!! I actually have an Airport card already installed in the unit!! Sweetness!! I was planning on getting the upgrade later or using a router, and I have already purchased 16GB of RAM to add to the machine. But still, I majorly lucked out on this one. It was advertised as 3GB of RAM and NO AirPort card. I got 6GB of RAM and and AirPort card.

Damn, I feel lucky. I will report back in a bit....going to test out some apps right now!! I love my new Mac Pro!!

EDIT: I just found out that it also has a 1TB hard drive, not the 640GB that it was advertised as shipping with! No telling what other add-ons I will find on this unit!

EDIT: Also came with 2 SuperDrives!!!!!!!

EDIT: Also came with a Radeon 4870!!!!! WHOA! This is like Christmas for me!! I can't believe this!

donw35

Jul 20, 2010, 01:42 PM

good deal, you got a great machine there, should give you years of service.

mism

Jul 20, 2010, 02:07 PM

Nice one, time to update that sig :)

VirtualRain

Jul 20, 2010, 02:07 PM

Yeah, nice rig! Hard to complain about the value you're getting! :)

WardC

Jul 20, 2010, 02:56 PM

Thought I would post some photos of my new Mac Pro here:

http://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macpro1.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macpro2.jpg

The plain white Box it came it:

http://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macprobox.jpg

The label on the box (I got much more than this):

http://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macprolabel.jpg

Mac Pro Inside and Open:

http://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macpro_inside.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/macpro_open.jpg

The Pre-Installed AirPort card:

http://homepage.mac.com/wardc/macpro/airportcard.jpg

The Rominator

Jul 20, 2010, 03:03 PM

Lucky Devil.

I bought a new Octo 2.26 last week. Said it had a GT120 and 6 Gigs.

And that is exactly what it came with. Waaaa !!!! It didn't even come with an Airport card in it !!!!

And compared to the Quad 3.0 sitting on my other desk, it feels like a slug.

Already looking on Ebay for some w5580s.

It is nice to use a GTX285 and NOT need to use ATY_Init and an extra Nvidia card.

Wish it had come with some "surprises" like yours.

Icaras

Jul 20, 2010, 03:14 PM

Congrats man. Looks like a beautiful refurb machine! May you have endless hours of productivity with it.

Well I just bit the bullet too, sort of. Just ordered a refurb 24" LED cinema display, so hopefully it will look just as good and new as your new Mac Pro :D Went fast too, as it was unavailable the moment I ordered.

dgookin

Jul 20, 2010, 03:55 PM

Thought I would post some photos of my new Mac Pro here...

I'm delighted for you. Good decision. Now you're off and running with a new machine while many here, including myself, stubbornly hold out for what may never come. Feel free to laugh and mock at our frustration. You earned it. ;)

Roman23

Jul 20, 2010, 04:55 PM

If I were to have put a wager of 100.00 up that the mac pro could come out today.. but i wouldn't ask you for it.

I will not bet against you, because you're probably right. :p

But during these very frustrating and "imminent" times, the best time I could think of ordering a current Mac Pro would be on a Tuesday.

But the OP can be rest assured though, that if a new MP does actually get released tomorrow or next week, he could simply exchange if it he wanted to.

Roman23

Jul 20, 2010, 11:36 PM

When I got mine, my install disks say 10.6.2 however I don't think its a big deal as I guess under applecare I can say that I never received them and they would send me the 10.6.4 os install disk.. however, the applications disk is the same as yours.

Whoa, you are not going to believe this. I got the machine fired up (I am using it right now). And they shipped with 6GB of RAM and an Airport card ALREADY INSTALLED. Dude, I totally lucked out!! I actually have an Airport card already installed in the unit!! Sweetness!! I was planning on getting the upgrade later or using a router, and I have already purchased 16GB of RAM to add to the machine. But still, I majorly lucked out on this one. It was advertised as 3GB of RAM and NO AirPort card. I got 6GB of RAM and and AirPort card.

Damn, I feel lucky. I will report back in a bit....going to test out some apps right now!! I love my new Mac Pro!!

EDIT: I just found out that it also has a 1TB hard drive, not the 640GB that it was advertised as shipping with! No telling what other add-ons I will find on this unit!

EDIT: Also came with 2 SuperDrives!!!!!!!

EDIT: Also came with a Radeon 4870!!!!! WHOA! This is like Christmas for me!! I can't believe this!