Apple Tells Reseller New Mac Pro Is Arriving in Spring 2013

Galatian said:

Why now? Seriously they might as well just wait a few months more until Ivy-Bridge EX processors are out, with the possible inclusion of a dual 8-10 core, 16-20 hyper threaded cores...using Sandy-Bridge EX processors would be outdated.

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Apple isn't going to use -EX processors. Folks seem to be deeply confused.

Core i7 Extreme ===> -E
Xeon E5 1600/2600 ===> -EP
Xeon E5 2400 ===> -EN
Xeon E7 ====> -EX

The E7 ( -EX) are intended for 2-4 socket server machines. There are no 4 socket Mac Pros coming. Which makes the -EX tradeoffs and huge additional expensive not cost effective.

The E5 1600/2600 series are priced and are the natural follow ons to the Xeon 3500/3600 and 5500/5600 series used in the 2009-2012 Mac Pros.
1600's for a single CPU socket model. 2600's for the double socket model.

The 2400 (and 1400 ) models are not targeted toward workstations. They have a more limited PCI-e lane count -24 instead of 40 lanes and more limited memory bandwidth. ( they are for cheaper servers with very limited number of PCI-e slots. )

The E5 1600 and Core i7 Extreme are basically the same design with some options turned on/off respetively. i7 gears more at overclocking (which Apple is extremely likely not going to want to support) and 1600's at classic Mac Pro differentiation like ECC and stability.

bergert said:

I am thinking the same- only it's not going to happen. The Sandy bridge E5-26xx is not (yet) shipping for all SKU's and in quantities. My best guess is that for the E5-36xx you have to wait at least another 12 months !

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It likely isn't going to be 36xx. Intel has to adding "v2" after the product to indicate Ivy Bridge. The first two number prefix will stay the same.

Intel is deviating slightly but in general:

[from older article http://www.anandtech.com/show/4259/westmereex-intels-flagship-improves ]

There aren't going to be any 3 socket configs.

as for the E5 series being incomplete....

see for yourself:
http://ark.intel.com/products/series/61422

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First you didn't include both the 1600 and 2600 .

1600 series.
http://ark.intel.com/products/series/63197

The roll-out of the 1600 series ( or old Xeon 3600 series ) has been the more problematical issue over the last 3 years; not the dual socket offerings.

The 1600 series is complete enough for a "good, better, best" offering with the E5 1620 , 1650 , 1660 . Those are about the same part price points that Apple has used in those Mac Pro configs in the past.

Likewise in the 2600 series. The E5 2620 (or 2630 with price increase) , 2630 (or 2640 ) , and E5 2665 (or 2670 with price bump) all hit the same part price points that Apple has used in the past.

There are no missing Sandy Bridge offerings that the Mac Pro needs.

All indications that Ivy Bridge isn't really going to substantially change the prices or TDP with the v2 offerings. The top end will get a higher core count and the lower core counts will get a clock speed bump but it is approximately the same design constraints.

I'm guessing if there's a 'new' model soon it'll just be a different model number to indicate fans that comply with the EU regs. No point getting excited yet IMHO.

mouser45 said:

With the current trends of things here's what to expect:

1. 30% thinner design

2. non-upgradable parts

3. 40% less packaging (for the environment, man)



Missing anything?

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No Optical Drive! we do not need one know best

No Access Panel!!

Get your tech right please !

JohnDoe98 said:

The latest Intel Xeon CPUs aren't due until July??

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Recall, the MacPro uses the INTEL XEON - and you are talking about the PC-version (i.e. single socket). As a Mac user, you should know Apple only uses the XEON (=server) dual socket CPU (i.e. E5-26xx, not i5 or i7) for the MacPro. And INTEL has not even shipped the Sandy bridge E5. So what are you talking about ? Ivy XEON (E5-36xx) has not even been announced yet (2014?) - and you are drooling over some CPU which may come in 2015 ?

http://ark.intel.com/products/series/61422
PS: I own and use two MacPro's personally, and I know of another 20 (or so) at work. Every one of them is a dual-CPU.

MacRumorUser said:

Since they are assembled in Cork, Ireland

Feb - April

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And in France....

kjs862 said:

The Mac mini only has 2 DIMMS while the iMac has 4.

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The 2012 iMac 21.5" only has two. Only the 2012 27" still has 4 DIMM slots.

Apple is betting on memory density to go up. 16-32GB ( with 2x 8 or 16GB DIMMs) is enough for a very large fraction of 21.5" buyers.

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bergert said:

And INTEL has not even shipped the Sandy bridge E5. So what are you talking about ?....
....
http://ark.intel.com/products/series/61422
.

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What are you talking about? It would not be in ark if was not already shipping. The Sandy Bridge E5 shipped back in 2012.

powers74 said:

I'm willing to be sorely disappointed along with you! You got my +1.

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Heh.

It will be interesting to see what changes are made in the case design. The existing one has been refined over the years and is cool running, quiet and easy to access.

Hope they keep multiple 3.5" drive bays for large capacity drives as the rate of progress since 3 and 4TB arrived has been slow. 5.25" bays are less important with optical discs being less commonly used day to day but some additional 2.5" bays for SSD drives for boot etc. without having to use the 3.5" bays would be very useful.

Thunderbolt and USB 3 are pretty much a given and I expect Firewire 800 to go but with the option of a Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptor.

The main thing is that they keep support for a full size high end upgradable GPU as these are still advancing faster than processors so need replacing more regularly.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac Pro became a CTO only machine as it probably doesn't make sense to stock multiple configurations these days. As long as Apple offer the option of more cores than consumer machines and ECC memory for reliability that should keep folks happy.

deconstruct60 said:

Apple isn't going to use -EX processors. Folks seem to be deeply confused.
The 1600 series is complete enough for a "good, better, best" offering with the E5 1620 , 1650 , 1660 . Those are about the same part price points that Apple has used in those Mac Pro configs in the past.

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You almost get it only: read this page:
http://ark.intel.com/products/series/63197
Max CPU Configuration 1

The current MacPro would use E5-2620/2650 or 2670. The E5-16xx only for single socket model.

In any case, none of these (neither 16xx nor 26xx) are readily available !
Recall these were announced back in 2010 to be availabe in Q2/2011. 2 years later they are not shipping.

E5v2 was promised for 2012 here:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/17/intel-roadmap-reveals-10-core-xeon-e5-2600-v2-cpu/ (you are right they call it v2 instead of 36xx now)

bergert said:

E5v2 was promised for 2012 here:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/17/intel-roadmap-reveals-10-core-xeon-e5-2600-v2-cpu/ (you are right they call it v2 instead of 36xx now)

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Do you even bother to read your sources? The first link you gave in response to me indicated, contrary to your claim, that the SB E5 had already launched. They are on the market already. Now, another source you provide, gives exactly the same info I gave and which you railed on me for, i.e. your so called E5v2 has a projected launch date of Q3'13, not 2014 or 2015 as you tried to claim.

Maybe you should read more attentively before posting?

deconstruct60 said:

What are you talking about? It would not be in ark if was not already shipping. The Sandy Bridge E5 shipped back in 2012.

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yes, I had a colleague he wanted to order 4 in October; he had to wait 5 weeks for delivery from the distributor. And right now, he wants to build another 2 servers (=4 CPU's) and the E5-2620 is again on back-order.

And if you look at the chart - only 3 out of 12 E5-26xx SKU's *ARE* actually being produced.

ARK says: "Launched No"

I dont have any Mac Pro and i dont work in an environment that uses any Mac Pros so i have very little knownledge of how people uses their Mac Pro, with that said, i really want go get my hands on a new Mac Pro in 2013 but contrary to what i have seen on other wishlists, the only internal "storage" i would like to see is just 2,5" drives, enough to put 4 or 6 of them into the Mac Pro.

As for the 3.5", you guys that have wished for this, do you really need it internally in the Mac Pro? Doesnt any storage array work in your environment, like Drobo, Synology, Pegasus thunderbolt arrays, WD have some TB enclosures too, you could build your own storage array with FreeNAS, 14TB for less than 800USD or in a more professional environment: Equallogic or other SAN:s.

Is it really terrible important with internal 3.5" bays in Mac Pro that wastes space that could be used for PCI slots, more RAM slots, and other I/O related stuff, shouldnt a Mac Pro be 100% focused on performance now that there is so many storage solutions available?

I hope this is true. I would be interested in getting a new Mac that isn't welded shut and allows for the user to do some upgrades on their own.

bergert said:

ARK says: "Launched No"

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No, the ARK does not say "Launched NO", those are 2 separated columns, the no is for the column "Embedded Options Available - NO"

And "Launched" is for the column "Status".

Those CPU:s you linked to was launched over 1 year ago.

bergert said:

yes, I had a colleague he wanted to order 4 in October; he had to wait 5 weeks for delivery from the distributor. And right now, he wants to build another 2 servers (=4 CPU's) and the E5-2620 is again on back-order.

And if you look at the chart - only 3 out of 12 E5-26xx SKU's *ARE* actually being produced.

ARK says: "Launched No"

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LOL. So it's confirmed you don't know how to read. Under the status column it says "launched", under the embedded options available column it says "no" for many of them. That doesn't mean they aren't launched, it means they are launched with no embedded options available.

To make it clear what I posted earlier about thunderbolt:

All iMac's, Mac Mini, Mac Book Air's and Mac Book Pro's that have thunderbolt have integrated GPU's on the CPU regardless if they have a dedicated card. So please do not state that your system does not because this is untruthful.

Intel requieres that all thunderbolt connections must be connected to the IGPU then to the physical connector that is on the board. Since the Mac Pro does not have any IGPU and the SB-E chips do not have a IGPU thunderbolt can not be on the new Mac Pro's. Since Intel requires that the IGPU must be on the CPU there is no chance that the Mac Pro will have thunderbolt. If they do allow this then Intel will be served many lawsuits for lying and miss representation of there product and the standard.

Peace said:

Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't..

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Does it look like a 50LB iPhone?

bergert said:

yes, I had a colleague he wanted to order 4 in October; he had to wait 5 weeks for delivery from the distributor. And right now, he wants to build another 2 servers (=4 CPU's) and the E5-2620 is again on back-order.

And if you look at the chart - only 3 out of 12 E5-26xx SKU's *ARE* actually being produced.

ARK says: "Launched No"

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You're crazy Amazon will ship them today (not v2).

Besides, you need to learn to read tables better, the "No" refers to the Embeddable option

relimw said:

You're crazy Amazon will ship them today (not v2).

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Not readily available, only 14 in stock /s

I think a lot of us called this when we heard the old Mac Pro wasn't been changed to meet regulations.

They knew it was coming so instead of meeting them with an old machine, they'll just use this moment to introduce a nice new one!

fithian said:

I have a 2011 MacMini with an i7 2.7GHz and a discrete GPU AMD Radeon HD 6630M with Thunderbolt. No IGPU.

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Yes, you do have a IGPU. Its on the CPU dye and runs all the time. Please know your hardware before stating something that is factually incorrect. HD3000 is on the CPU dye.

JohnDoe98 said:

Not readily available, only 14 in stock /s

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Amazon ok, build me a new MacPro with these 56 chips, smart*ss

JesperA said:

I dont have any Mac Pro and i dont work in an environment that uses any Mac Pros so i have very little knownledge of how people uses their Mac Pro, with that said, i really want go get my hands on a new Mac Pro in 2013 but contrary to what i have seen on other wishlists, the only internal "storage" i would like to see is just 2,5" drives, enough to put 4 or 6 of them into the Mac Pro.

As for the 3.5", you guys that have wished for this, do you really need it internally in the Mac Pro? Doesnt any storage array work in your environment, like Drobo, Synology, Pegasus thunderbolt arrays, WD have some TB enclosures too, you could build your own storage array with FreeNAS, 14TB for less than 800USD or in a more professional environment: Equallogic or other SAN:s.

Is it really terrible important with internal 3.5" bays in Mac Pro that wastes space that could be used for PCI slots, more RAM slots, and other I/O related stuff, shouldnt a Mac Pro be 100% focused on performance now that there is so many storage solutions available?

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No, it should not be 100% focused on performance, because no two people agree on what performance is. It should be focused on a high level of flexibility, unlike virtually all of Apple's other offerings, so that I can make the performance choices I want. I want enterprise class HDDs and SSDs and lots of 'em, video cards that aren't from the last decade and I don't want a bunch of extra junk on my desk.

JesperA said:

I dont have any Mac Pro and i dont work in an environment that uses any Mac Pros so i have very little knownledge of how people uses their Mac Pro, with that said, i really want go get my hands on a new Mac Pro in 2013 but contrary to what i have seen on other wishlists, the only internal "storage" i would like to see is just 2,5" drives, enough to put 4 or 6 of them into the Mac Pro.

As for the 3.5", you guys that have wished for this, do you really need it internally in the Mac Pro? Doesnt any storage array work in your environment, like Drobo, Synology, Pegasus thunderbolt arrays, WD have some TB enclosures too, you could build your own storage array with FreeNAS, 14TB for less than 800USD or in a more professional environment: Equallogic or other SAN:s.

Is it really terrible important with internal 3.5" bays in Mac Pro that wastes space that could be used for PCI slots, more RAM slots, and other I/O related stuff, shouldnt a Mac Pro be 100% focused on performance now that there is so many storage solutions available?

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Any 3.5'' drive bay can be converted to 2.5'' with a new caddie from OWC and other vendors.
The second OD bay can be converted to house another drive 3.5'' or 2.5''.
If you use a PCIe SSD that gives you 6 drives altogether.
More important is that they will be 6G so if you are using SSD drives they can be utilised to their full potential.

Ming-Chi Kuo didn't see this coming.