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'2010 Mac Pro: Speculation and whisperings, it's gonna be magical'

F

fearoftigers

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 21, 2010
79
0
When will the new Mac Pro be released and what will be under the hood?

This is the place to post wild speculation, flimsy rumours but of course hard evidence too!

Any Apple insiders out there? Any developers with any covert info? Does anyone read the Chinese or Vietnamese tech press (they're sometimes good for leaks)? Any retailers know anything or have you noticed unusually long shipping times in your country?

This is not the place for people who are saying the Apple doesn't make computers anymore or the Mac Pro update will be in 2011. I want to believe!

A couple of recent rumours to kick off:

WWDC : refonte des Mac Pro et nouveaux Xserve ?
La conférence des développeur Apple ce 7 juin serait aussi l'occasion de présenter de nouveaux Mac Pro.

Apple breaks the 2,000 jobs mark
Industry sources believe the bulk of the next 300 new roles will be in production of the Mac Pro
 
I think some of the other threads have poor titles plus too many trolls.

Here we're free to speculate without fear of being flamed!
 
I'm afraid it will be anything but "magical"

Here's what I expect:

Chassis: No change. None is required to accommodate the new CPU's.

CPU: A couple of new options that gives them 4/6/8/12 core offerings.

GPU: GTX 220/240 as a base offering with an ATI 5xxx and possibly a GTX 4xx as options.

Memory/Storage: No change

Display: A new ACD 27" display similar to that used in the iMac to be offered at the same time.

Pricing: Base model Quad starting at $2200-2300. Hex Core at $3000-$3500. 12 Core at $6K.
 
I assume that the new MacPro will have 2 slots to put in the iPads.
As the iPads run on pure magic, the dual-socket MacPro would be twice as magic.
It will come with a finger longer so you can use the touch screen by pointing through the case opening.
 
Cindori said:
you...missed the other 10 threads about this? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Can only agree.

A moderator should merge all these threads into one big pile.

Perhaps we should have a subforum called NOGAF...

Although I find speculation fun and interesting I still wish people could contain it to one thread, especially when one can easily find 8 threads with similar topics on the first page of the Mac Pro subforum.
 
Pressure said:
Can only agree.

A moderator should merge all these threads into one big pile.

Perhaps we should have a subforum called NOGAF...

Although I find speculation fun and interesting I still wish people could contain it to one thread, especially when one can easily find 8 threads with similar topics on the first page of the Mac Pro subforum.
Click to expand...

Well information moves quickly, what's the point of having to trawl through all those threads? I think this method works for some topics, but this is a little more dynamic. Anyhow this isn't the point.

I for one think the Mac Pro update is imminent as the lower end models are terrible value compared to the 27" imacs. What else would they announce at WWDC apart from new iPhone?
 
fearoftigers said:
Well information moves quickly, what's the point of having to trawl through all those threads? I think this method works for some topics, but this is a little more dynamic. Anyhow this isn't the point.

I for one think the Mac Pro update is imminent as the lower end models are terrible value compared to the 27" imacs. What else would they announce at WWDC apart from new iPhone?
Click to expand...

People said similar things back in 2008, and Apple released the Mac pros the week before and didn't mention them. That keynote time is precious, so unless they are going to be price competitive and better featured I doubt they will be announced at the WWDC keynote.

On the subject of the thread, the problem with multiple threads is having to psot the same information over and over. Not that this one is a bad idea, just a little late to the party (I hope).
 
This is an awesome thread...

Spurred crone the 'New MP's May 18th' thread. But more specific on what we want and what we can expect.

New Mac Pro Rumors have put a date on early 2010, again in February, March and April. Many other sites and linked here have said 'imminent release'... Well here we are practically June. So let's at least have some fun while we wait and see what we can scrounge up.

Those of you who wish not to participate, or view this as an un-needed thread are invited to head themselves to a different thread. Those anxiously awaiting or dreaming about the next generation/revision Mac Pro, we invite you to post and keep coming back as the intel gets better.

And as for magical, let's take bets to see how many times Steve uses it during his WWDC keynote (just for fun).

My official call is 7.
 
Aldaris said:
My official call is 7.
Click to expand...

Did you also notice that the unread mail number on the ipad at Apple's front page is the number 7 as well?

This is most definitely an omen. And all this time, it was right under our noses...
 
USB 3.0 and SATA 6 would be nice surprises but I doubt either of them will make an appearance. It will most likely be a processor bump and some more options in video cards. It doesn't have to be magic; what computer really is? It just has to be a better value for the money.

I wouldn't touch any 27" ACD with a ten foot pole though. I think they have a dud. Check out all the unhappy iMac buyers.
 
ValSalva said:
I wouldn't touch any 27" ACD with a ten foot pole though. I think they have a dud. Check out all the unhappy iMac buyers.
Click to expand...

It's not like they're going to abandon a product line just because of one defect. I surely don't see the 27" iMac ending with this revision. Its only natural to assume that a company like Apple will most likely work to correct the issue (which it has already taken adequate steps to do), get back on it's feet, and continue business as usual.

Perhaps partially the reason why Apple took this long to come out with the 27" ACD was to first iron out the kinks in the initial iMac run.

Anyway, we'll see.
 
Gimma a hexacore 3.33Ghz with 6 or more RAM slots for a price about midway between the current quad and octo and I'll be happy. And a reasonable video card. I'll load it up with RAM and HD from 3rd parties, along with any connectivity I need beyond what's stock. Just do it soon. And I'll take 2 please.
 
Aldaris said:
And as for magical, let's take bets to see how many times Steve uses it during his WWDC keynote (just for fun).

My official call is 7.
Click to expand...

Drinking game! Any time a speaker says "magic" or "magical" during the keynote, you have to do a shot!
 
VirtualRain said:
I'm afraid it will be anything but "magical"

Here's what I expect:

Chassis: No change. None is required to accommodate the new CPU's.

CPU: A couple of new options that gives them 4/6/8/12 core offerings.
Click to expand...

Yes, Gulftown Hexacores are a slam-dunk 1-1 replacement. There was a rumor that Intel is having trouble shipping in quantity-- OTOH, people are seeing Windows servers now use them. Is Intel ready to ship now? Good question.

GPU: GTX 220/240 as a base offering with an ATI 5xxx and possibly a GTX 4xx as options.
Click to expand...

The GPU situation is very interesting. Nvidia Fermi GPUs (GTX 465/470/480) are out now, and reasonably priced, but, very hot (200/215/250W). The Radeon 5800's are not as hot, but still, pretty hot (151-188W). Which one has better 64-bit floating point, for the OpenCL part of things? Which one has better, less buggy 64-bit driver support? Which one has supports maximum DisplayPort bandwidth, for the new generation of high-performance monitors coming out? Which GPU looks nicer?
 
jnpy!$4g3cwk said:
The GPU situation is very interesting. Nvidia Fermi GPUs (GTX 465/470/480) are out now, and reasonably priced, but, very hot (200/215/250W). The Radeon 5800's are not as hot, but still, pretty hot (151-188W). Which one has better 64-bit floating point, for the OpenCL part of things? Which one has better, less buggy 64-bit driver support? Which one has supports maximum DisplayPort bandwidth, for the new generation of high-performance monitors coming out? Which GPU looks nicer?
Click to expand...

ATI 5800xt all the way. Better performance per watt, cooler than the nVidia cards, ATI cards historically perform better in OpenGL, ATI released a six mini-displayport card just recently. I've submitted feedback to Apple several times asking for this card. But you know by the time the Mac Pro eventually gets released, there will probably be a new and better card out.

Everyone should visit this link and ask them to release the new Mac Pros ASAP, and with the Radeon 5800xt.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html
 
jnpy!$4g3cwk said:
Yes, Gulftown Hexacores are a slam-dunk 1-1 replacement.
Click to expand...

Except there is only a single Xeon based on Gulftown (Xeon 3600 series for UP). 6-core Xeon 5600 series are based on Westmere EP.

Xeon 5600 series (Westmere EP).

6-core:
X5680 (3.33 Ghz) $1,663
X5670 (2.93 Ghz) $1,440
X5660 (2.80 Ghz) $1,219
X5650 (2.66 Ghz) $996
E5645 (2.40 Ghz) $958
L6540 (2.26 Ghz) $996
L5638 (2.00 Ghz) $958​

4-core:
X5677 (3.46 Ghz) $,1663
X5667 (3.06 Ghz) $1,440
E5640 (2.66 Ghz) $774
E5630 (2.53 Ghz) $551
E5620 (2.40 Ghz) $387
L5630 (2.13 Ghz) $551
L5618 (1.86 Ghz) $530
L5609 (1.86 Ghz) $440​


Xeon 3600 series (Gulftown).

6-core:
W3680 (3.33 Ghz) $999​

This happens to be the only Xeon UP available based on Gulftown.

Mac Pro models (purely speculation).

The single processor Mac Pro will probably still use Xeon 3500 series processors for the entry model, or this will happen...

Single processor (UP):
Mac Pro 2009 W3520 (2.66 GHz) $284
Mac Pro 2010 W3680 (3.33 Ghz) $999 (+$715 difference)

Mac Pro 2009 W3540 (2.93 Ghz) $562
Mac Pro 2010 W3680 (3.33 Ghz) $999 (+$437 difference)

Mac Pro 2009 W3580 (3.33 Ghz) $999
Mac Pro 2010 W3680 (3.33 Ghz) $999​

Or we finally get the fabled xMac! A single processor tower smaller than the current Mac Pro, also cheaper ;)
Yeah, went there... Apple might be "forced" to use Core i5 and Core i7 (or Xeon 5600 series) products for the entry level Mac "Pro".

Dual processor (DP):

Either they get a slight decrease or increase in processor speed and various numbers of cores.

Mac Pro 2009 E5520 (4-cores, 2.26 Ghz) $373 x 2 = $746
Mac Pro 2010 E5620 (4-cores, 2.40 Ghz) $387 x 2 = $774 (+$28 difference)

Mac Pro 2009 X5550 (4-cores, 2.66 Ghz) $858 x 2 = $1,716
Mac Pro 2010 X5650 (6-cores, 2.66 Ghz) $996 x 2 = $1,992 (+$276 difference)
or
Mac Pro 2010 E5645 (6-cores, 2.40 Ghz) $958 x 2 = $1,916 (+$200 difference)

Mac Pro 2009 X5570 (4-cores, 2.93 Ghz) $1,286 x 2 = $2,572
Mac Pro 2010 X5670 (6-cores, 2.93 Ghz) $1,440 x 2 = $2,880 (+$308 difference)
or
Mac Pro 2010 X5660 (6-cores, 2.80 Ghz) $1,219 x 2 = $2,438 (-$134 difference)
or
Mac Pro 2010 X5667 (4-cores, 3.06 Ghz) $1,440 x 2 = $2,880 (+$308 difference)​

But Apple might want to stick to the 6-core Xeon 5600 series for the BTO options and RAM and other hardware prices might have gotten cheaper to retain the current prices.
 
Mac Pro (single processor)
  • Processor options: (six-core) 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz, 3.33GHz
  • Graphics options: (high end) NVidia GeForce GTX 4xx / (maybe) ATI Radeon HD 5870/90.
  • RAM options: Up to 48GB 1066MHz (or 1333MHz) ECC
Mac Pro (dual processor)
  • Processor options: (six-core) 2.4GHz, 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz
  • Graphics options: (high end) NVidia GeForce GTX 4xx / (maybe) ATI Radeon HD 5870/90.
  • RAM options: Up to 96GB 1066MHz (or 1333MHz) ECC
Since there are four RAM module slots with a quad core processor, I'm assuming there will be six with a hexacore processor, if this is not the case then it'll probably be 32/64GB (8GB modules). I'm also hoping to see six internal drive bays, I'm also guessing they will update the existing raid card to a much better one.
 
MythicFrost said:
Mac Pro (single processor)
  • Processor options: (six-core) 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz, 3.33GHz
  • Graphics options: (high end) NVidia GeForce GTX 4xx / (maybe) ATI Radeon HD 5870/90.
  • RAM options: Up to 48GB 1066MHz (or 1333MHz) ECC
Click to expand...

Not going to happen if they want to keep the current price level.

The ONLY 6-core Xeon UP available is the W3680 (3.33 Ghz) at $999.

MythicFrost said:
Mac Pro (dual processor)
  • Processor options: (six-core) 2.4GHz, 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz
  • Graphics options: (high end) NVidia GeForce GTX 4xx / (maybe) ATI Radeon HD 5870/90.
  • RAM options: Up to 96GB 1066MHz (or 1333MHz) ECC
Click to expand...

Also not going to happen.

Current base model uses the E5520 priced at $373.
E5520 (4-cores, 2.26 Ghz) $373 x 2 = $746
E5645 (6-cores, 2.40 Ghz) $958 x 2 = $1,916 (+$1,170 difference!)
 
Future proof

Apple might decide to future proof an new MacPro with an Intel Speedy Optical Output. I know there are no accessible devices at present but someone has to start the ball rolling. It has been the same for all interfaces (USB, Firewire, eSata etc). This speed of output might be needed for the next generation of 3D large format monitors.

Wilson
 
Icaras said:
It's not like they're going to abandon a product line just because of one defect. I surely don't see the 27" iMac ending with this revision. Its only natural to assume that a company like Apple will most likely work to correct the issue (which it has already taken adequate steps to do), get back on it's feet, and continue business as usual.

Perhaps partially the reason why Apple took this long to come out with the 27" ACD was to first iron out the kinks in the initial iMac run.

Anyway, we'll see.
Click to expand...

Exactly, we will see. I hope the 27" ACD is as flawless as any Apple product should be. I'm sure Apple is doing all it can to remedy this bad situation but Apple doesn't manufacture the displays so it may be out of their hands. Maybe the wait is due to Apple finding another supplier for the display. Or waiting for a true new revision.

I guess the other reason I'd buy the Dell U2711 with a new Mac Pro is the matte screen. I think an ACD will be glossy. 27" is just too big for a glossy display for me. A 15" display on a MBP I can work with but the iMac I briefly had (before returning it because of the strong yellow tint) was very hard on the eyes.
 
Not going to happen if they want to keep the current price level.

The ONLY 6-core Xeon UP available is the W3680 (3.33 Ghz) at $999.
Click to expand...
What does the UP stand for? I'm hoping they will use X56xx series not the 36xx series of processors in the single processor Mac Pro's.
Also not going to happen.

Current base model uses the E5520 priced at $373.
E5520 (4-cores, 2.26 Ghz) $373 x 2 = $746
E5645 (6-cores, 2.40 Ghz) $958 x 2 = $1,916 (+$1,170 difference!)
Click to expand...
Oh I meant to say the 2.26GHz six core, not the 2.4GHz. Which, based on your chart below is almost the exact same price.
I think everyone is expecting or hoping that the current Mac Pro's will maintain a similar price, I don't, I think the single processor base model will be at least $500 more and the dual processor base model at least $1500 more.
 
MythicFrost said:
What does the UP stand for? I'm hoping they will use X56xx series not the 36xx series of processors in the single processor Mac Pro's.
Click to expand...

UP stands for Uni Processor. It's a designation for a system that only have support for 1 physical processor.

But like the Mac Pro (early 2008) model they may simply both use the same processors and motherboard with two sockets.

MythicFrost said:
Oh I meant to say the 2.26GHz six core, not the 2.4GHz. Which, based on your chart below is almost the exact same price.
I think everyone is expecting or hoping that the current Mac Pro's will maintain a similar price, I don't, I think the single processor base model will be at least $500 more and the dual processor base model at least $1500 more.
Click to expand...

The 6-core L6540 (2.26 Ghz) is even more expensive at $996 ;)

E5520 (4-cores, 2.26 Ghz) $373 x 2 = $746
E5645 (6-cores, 2.40 Ghz) $996 x 2 = $1,992 (+$1,246 difference!)

The thing is, the cheapest 6-core Westmere EP is the E5645 (2.40 Ghz) $958 and you need two of them.
 
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