Generic Mac-Pro Questions

There will be a Nehalem Mac Pro within three months. Nehalem does away with a component part of processors for the last decade or so, giving us a 40% speed boost, even without Snow Leopard.

Why the heck does the tower need a redesign?

Single-core models have two sockets; yes, you can add another one. Just buy one with two processors; it's cheaper.

They're all Core 2. They're all Xeon. The past Xeon chips are Core 2.

No CrossFire in OS X, no SLI in either.

ggg05a said:

Oh tower defiantly doesn't need a redesign. I love it the way it is.

I think I'll wait for the Nehalem MacPros to come out. Price-point the same or no?

--Garrett

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Know how the base model on the Apple website says $2,799 now? That will be raised to $3,000.

Price's to increase?

Tallest Skil said:

Know how the base model on the Apple website says $2,799 now? That will be raised to $3,000.

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How do you know this for sure?

Some one tell Steve we are in a recession and prices need to drop

michaelsviews said:

How do you know this for sure?

Some one tell Steve we are in a recession and prices need to drop

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It's an informed guess based on the increase in price of the processors that will be used.

The base model Nehalem Mac Pro's processors cost $2,344. While that is the 1,000-unit price and Apple is sure to order more, you can bet that the cost to US will account for giving them profit.

Recession, nothing. Apple couldn't care less.

Tallest Skil said:

It's an informed guess based on the increase in price of the processors that will be used.

The base model Nehalem Mac Pro's processors cost $2,344. While that is the 1,000-unit price and Apple is sure to order more, you can bet that the cost to US will account for giving them profit.

Recession, nothing. Apple couldn't care less.

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DARN IT, I was right on target with a simple configuration for a MP, not sure but I think I am going to have to get the current processor. Back to the bargaining table because you can bet your ass that other stuff is going to go up in price.

ggg05a said:

That is a lot of denaro for just processors. If that is what a pair of base models i7s cost then I would imagine the MacPro i7 would be more than $3k.

Would you agree?

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That's not base-model i7, though. The Mac Pro won't be using i7. The prices I stated were for Gainestown Nehalem. I didn't make up a price; that's the price for THE processor for the next Mac Pro.

ggg05a said:

Oh, ok I understand.

So since that is what Apple is paying for CPU's then $3k is a bargain.

--Garrett

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Well... not necessarily. They'll be paying a decent amount less per processor (the price I said was for a 1,000 chip order) because they'll be ordering more. The cost will be passed to us because Apple makes a 30% profit on their hardware. Beyond the processors, we have new DDR3 RAM, the 40lb aluminum case, and the rest of the componentry to pay for.

Tallest Skil said:

That's not base-model i7, though. The Mac Pro won't be using i7. The prices I stated were for Gainestown Nehalem. I didn't make up a price; that's the price for THE processor for the next Mac Pro.

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One thing that keeps coming back to me as a question , Just how fast is fast enough? Power consumption being less I can see.

Oh well its either going to be 4 core or 8 core 2.8 , Is anyone sure 200% that you can add a second processor to a 4 core, that sounds a little bit tricky to me let alone where the heck do you find the processor ?

michaelsviews said:

One thing that keeps coming back to me as a question , Just how fast is fast enough? Power consumption being less I can see.

Oh well its either going to be 4 core or 8 core 2.8 , Is anyone sure 200% that you can add a second processor to a 4 core, that sounds a little bit tricky to me let alone where the heck do you find the processor ?

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The Nehalem line will be all dual-processor, 8-core. You can add a second processor to the current single chip model.

If the tower does get a redesign, it will probably have slot-loading drives.

Tallest Skil said:

The Nehalem line will be all dual-processor, 8-core. You can add a second processor to the current single chip model.

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So your saying NO more 4 core? Everything is going 8 Core? I wonder how this is going to play out with the iMacs?
Just think an 8 Core iMac, woohoooo

maclover001 said:

If the tower does get a redesign, it will probably have slot-loading drives.

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That tower is the most sleekest and beautiful case I have seen ever, the design is just fine

michaelsviews said:

So your saying NO more 4 core? Everything is going 8 Core? I wonder how this is going to play out with the iMacs?
Just think an 8 Core iMac, woohoooo

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The iMacs will probably move to quad core before the new Mac Pros come out.

maclover001 said:

If the tower does get a redesign, it will probably have slot-loading drives.

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Ugh. Please NO. How would any of us upgrade?! I'm not buying a slower, laptop drive for my professional workstation.

At any rate, I already have a tray-load BD-RE/HD DVD-ROM drive, so that thing is GOING to fit in my Mac Pro.

michaelsviews said:

So your saying NO more 4 core? Everything is going 8 Core? I wonder how this is going to play out with the iMacs?
Just think an 8 Core iMac, woohoooo

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No. The Mac Pros only. Fail. There will be no 8-core iMac until 2011 with mobile Sandy Bridge.

ggg05a said:

Do you guys think the new MacPros will be one of those get up early and wait in front of the Apple store things, or will that much demand be non-existent?

From the speculation I am reading it will probably be a June launch which coincides with the 10.6 launch. I HAVE to have one of these by beginning of July. Opinions.

--Garrett

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I'd say for ME, I have lots of good to great deals, and this is still in discussion mode at this point. I have to get some pricing down tomorrow and if there is a super duper deal, I mite go for it.

From what was said earlier in this thread we're talking in a few months, if its going to be till June, "WHO knows for sure" than I mite not wait.

I already waited on a fully loaded 3.0 and it was a sweat deal but lost out on that.

Time will tell for sure

michaelsviews said:

How do you know this for sure?

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He doesn't. He guesses like most other things he posts about then states it like fact.

ggg05a said:

Hey-

Another question. . .

Because Intel is brining back Hyper-Threading with the Nehalem architecture, there would be 8 physical cores on a dual CPU system, but OSX would see 16 logical cores. . . is that correct?

--Garrett

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Correct. Even in Windows.

No lines - know what will likely be available

ggg05a said:

Do you guys think the new MacPros will be one of those get up early and wait in front of the Apple store things, or will that much demand be non-existent?

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When the early 2008 Mac Pros were released on Jan 8th last year (unexpectedly, as it was a week before the expected announcement - MacWorld 2008), I called my local Apple store and they had them in-stock on that same day. I wandered over after at lunch and picked one up. They said I was the first to do so and said that the units had been overnight-shipped to the store to coincide with the announcement.

I expect that, unless there is a case design change or some other reason to put on a marketing push/announcement, the new MPs will quietly show up at the Apple stores on the day they are announced and you will be able to mosey on in and pick one up.

Understand though - that the retail stores will have the "base" configuration and maybe a higher spec configuration. On Jan 8th last year, they ONLY had the base config on announcement day. If you want anything non-standard, you're looking at BTO via Apple's web site and having it shipped.

Note that the early 2008 "base" configuration was not the cheapest configuration (the cheapest had only one multi-core processor - the base had two).

I eneded up getting the base configuration and adding an Airport card and swapping out the base graphics card (ATI 2600) at a later time.