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$23,397 Mac Pro

Losenrout said:
I'm a private individual interested in buying a custom top-of-the-line Mac Pro, mostly as a toy since I'm blessed enough to be able to afford it. The machine I'm interested in would be 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 32GB, four 300GB SAS drives, NVIDIAQuadro FX 5600, and a couple Cinema HD Displays. With accessories, it runs about $23,397.

I recently talked with an apple representative who actually tried to convince me to acquire a somewhat lower-end "suggested configuration" Mac Pro. He told me that the technical upkeep for such a high-end mac is more demanding than I could handle. Is this accurate? He also told me that he wasn't aware of any use a private individual could have for that amount of processing power, but I enjoy knowing the power is available, so this doesn't concern me.

The only high-end software I run is some naval architecture CAD programs (Maxsurf, ShipConstructor and Navisworks) -- I'm a ship-building hobbyist. These programs would run in Windows under bootcamp. I would also use the machine for mostly mundane tasks -- internet, email, record-keeping, and my large music library.

Any thoughts about the upkeep of this machine would be greatly appreciated. Is it possible for me to maintain this machine myself, with good computer proficiency, but no special skills?
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Get the standard processor (faster ones are not that much faster for much more money), 16 gigs (how much RAM does Windows or your programmes support anyway?), the standard video card (get the Radeon 4870 separately, http://www.barefeats.com/harper19.html), 2 SAS drives in RAID 5 for your system and programmes (safe) and 2 1TB Samsungs also in RAID 5 for your data. 30 inch Cinema's are ok, but Dell, EIZO or Lacie would probably also fit your needs (and spare a little bit of budget).

I don't know what the Apple guy told you about upkeep, but his boss should fire him for not making the sale... :D

Anyway, I would seriously look into the software you are going to use, since if it's not multi-threaded you'd have a machine which would use only a fraction of the power it has. No idea either how easy setting a Mac Pro up in Windows would be.
 
yikes. is that really necessary? what do you need to do that requires such a beast of a machine? if you want to save yourself money, but the RAM & hard drives from a third party. also, think about other LCDs :)

Losenrout said:
I'm a private individual interested in buying a custom top-of-the-line Mac Pro, mostly as a toy since I'm blessed enough to be able to afford it. The machine I'm interested in would be 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 32GB, four 300GB SAS drives, NVIDIAQuadro FX 5600, and a couple Cinema HD Displays. With accessories, it runs about $23,397.

I recently talked with an apple representative who actually tried to convince me to acquire a somewhat lower-end "suggested configuration" Mac Pro. He told me that the technical upkeep for such a high-end mac is more demanding than I could handle. Is this accurate? He also told me that he wasn't aware of any use a private individual could have for that amount of processing power, but I enjoy knowing the power is available, so this doesn't concern me.

The only high-end software I run is some naval architecture CAD programs (Maxsurf, ShipConstructor and Navisworks) -- I'm a ship-building hobbyist. These programs would run in Windows under bootcamp. I would also use the machine for mostly mundane tasks -- internet, email, record-keeping, and my large music library.

Any thoughts about the upkeep of this machine would be greatly appreciated. Is it possible for me to maintain this machine myself, with good computer proficiency, but no special skills?
Click to expand...
 
Are you crazy?. Save your money if you don't need it. You could consider buying ~50-60 basic PCs, putting Linux/whatever on them and donating them to children who would be overjoyed with even a VERY basic computer; needy families etc. The feeling of making SO many underprivelidged people SO SO very happy, will far outweigh ANY satisfaction that your ridiculously over-specified "toy Mac Pro" could ever hope to bring to you.

Let's face facts; you've admitted you don't need it, but why don't you take YOUR blessing of being able to afford a silly specced Mac, and multiply that blessing by showering needy people with shiny new PCs with Linux etc??.

You will reap the rewards of doing so!. :D


PS: I suggest hunting down and watching a UK tv show "The Secret Millionaire" - VERY enlightening indeed.


Schtumple said:
Well as it runs with a 1000w power supply, that gives you a rough indication of how much power you can use, it would effectively be like running a small kettle all day long, however, if you plant a tree everyday for the duration in which you keep and use the machine, you should be fine... (carbon footprint wise)
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No it wouldn't at all. The Mac Pro uses a 1.1KW PSU - the 1.1KW is the *DC* output wattage, not the ~AC~ *input* wattage. I think you'd be well advised to go and brush up on your electrical theory:


V=I/R; where V=Voltage, I=current in amps & R=resistance in ohms
 
netherfred said:
2 SAS drives in RAID 5 for your system and programmes (safe) and 2 1TB Samsungs also in RAID 5 for your data.
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2 drives can give you raid 0 & 1 so you can only get performance or redundancy, not both. for raid 5 you need at least 3 drives then you get the mix of speed and security.

as for loading up on memory for using windows apps, unless you're using 64bit apps and 64bit windows, having a 32gig macpro is a complete waste as 32bit windows can only address 4 gig, and a lot of the top end of that is consumed by the graphics card and other hardware bits and bobs. with a 1gig graphics card you can only use about 2.5gig, no matter how much you load up. even with a smaller card you won't see much useable above 3gig.
 
32bit windows?

Sure, go ahead. buy it. When you run bootcamp, make sure to run 64bit windows, otherwise you'll have 29GB of unusable ram. You shouldn't buy a mac. You should just buy a POS dell and burn the rest of the cash or buy a nice metal sculpture. that's all the mac pro will be for you.
 
as a starving college student I just want you to know...

I dream of being you one day.
Right now I'm trying desperately to get a MacBook for school.
There would be nothing more awesome in this world than to be able to buy an awesome (possibly overkill) machine for something that's just a hobby.
I'd say get what you want to get.
If you feel like downgrading your specs to save some cash, do it.
If you want everything available, no matter the cost, do it.
It seems obvious that money is not an issue.
Either way, good luck on your boat project!
 
I have a Mac Pro just over one week old, fully stocked with 32Gb Kingston FBDIMMS (they were donated to me by Kingston) and I can envisage that once I have upgraded the graphics to something Maya and C4D can really utilise at full tilt, I will be using massive chunks of the available 32Gb. Do you people think they make Macs capable of 32Gb ram, just for "fun"?. Some people actually use the capabilities with multi-polygon modelling... just can't imagine the OP even knows if he NEEDS a fully stocked Mac Pro, let alone whether he would ever use even 1/4 of it's power/capability.

My opinion? he just came here to show off and get attention - I'd look a bit deeper than what Mac you wanna be wasting your money on, ESPECIALLY as you don't even NEED it, as you yourself have admitted. This thread sickens and angers me, don't ask why - you won't wanna know and I'll probably end up getting banned for my passionate replies. Do you want also, to buy a Ferarri to drop off the kids at school?.
:rolleyes:
 
Losenrout said:
I'm a private individual interested in buying a custom top-of-the-line Mac Pro, mostly as a toy since I'm blessed enough to be able to afford it.
Click to expand...


You don't want a lot of attention really... do you?... :rolleyes:. You were blessed in the money department it would seem, but morality seems to have passed you by somewhat...
 
What's with all the posts judging the OP? Do you guys get judged when you want to spend extra at a high end restaurant as opposed to a $3 sandwich at McDonalds? It's his money. The OP can do whatever he wants with it without a couple of insecure people trolling in response.

As for the actual content of my post, the power requirements won't be anywhere close to the 1000W max of the power supply. 2x3.2Ghz quad core xeons are about 300W, Ram is around 8x15 watts = 120W, the gfx card is another 150W, and hard drives are about 10-15W each so the system should draw a maximum of ~600W but probably much lower since it'll be idling most of the time.
 
topicolo said:
What's with all the posts judging the OP? Do you guys get judged when you want to spend extra at a high end restaurant as opposed to a $3 sandwich at McDonalds? It's his money. The OP can do whatever he wants with it without a couple of insecure people trolling in response.
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Yea, to answer his question about technical upkeep, there is none. Except maybe electric bills. UNless you always want the newest model, of course. But seeing as this is worth as much as a car, go for it! It's your money.
 
Schtumple said:
Well as it runs with a 1000w power supply, that gives you a rough indication of how much power you can use, it would effectively be like running a small kettle all day long, however, if you plant a tree everyday for the duration in which you keep and use the machine, you should be fine... (carbon footprint wise)
Click to expand...

A PSU with the potential of outputting 1KW! :eek:

So how much power does a system with the following specs consume (see siggy), you reckon?
Bearing in mind it's usually on 24/7, rendering stuff!! All energy saver set to ALWAYS ON with only display off!

*goes to plant a rain forest*
 
UltraNEO* said:
A PSU with the potential of outputting 1KW! :eek:

So how much power does a system with the following specs consume (see siggy), you reckon?
Bearing in mind it's usually on 24/7, rendering stuff!! All energy saver set to ALWAYS ON with only display off!

*goes to plant a rain forest*
Click to expand...

~450W at full load not including the display.
 
Well i assume you dont need to worry about your power bill with that kind of cheddar being laid out on a system. But if you are, put some panels in your back yard for Sol-elec. I did this a few years ago and had an electrician do a little magic in my house so everything that runs for more then so many hours aday is basically for free. Fridge, my servers, television (yes for the dog) I dont make enough to put back into the grid but it put it makes my elec for non peak usage zero.

i'm not green, i'm just a cheap-skate.
 
Losenrout said:
The machine I'm interested in would be 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 32GB, four 300GB SAS drives, NVIDIAQuadro FX 5600, and a couple Cinema HD Displays. With accessories, it runs about $23,397.
Click to expand...


As the others have said, if you can afford it and this is what you want, go for it. It shouldn't be much more challenging to maintain than a lower-end machine. With that said, if you are just planning to use it for what you've described, it will be way more horsepower than you need or can use.

I'm just curious how you got to $23,397? As part of my daily job I routinely purchase enterprise grade 6u servers with dual quad-core Xeon processors, 32 GB of RAM, six SAS drives, quad port NICs, dual fiber channel cards and these servers only come to about half the cost.

What are you including with this server that runs the price up so high.
 
I've only read the initial post and have massive ethical concerns regarding the intentions.

Consume what you need, there are people dying in our world with no food to eat, the planet is being destroyed, us westerners are using far more resources than we need.

Why don't you invest some of that money into making your house more environmentally friendly by installing solar panels, a water tank etc. Give something to charity. Purchase some medical equipment for your local hospital. You will feel much better with yourself and will be reminded daily that you are bringing good to the world, what will a $23,000 hunk of metal bring?

We need to rethink our consumption patterns, start consuming less. What you want to do is a blatant misuse of resources, however we all should look at our own lives and see where we can make small changes to better our world.
 
BlackMax said:
As the others have said, if you can afford it and this is what you want, go for it. It shouldn't be much more challenging to maintain than a lower-end machine. With that said, if you are just planning to use it for what you've described, it will be way more horsepower than you need or can use.

I'm just curious how you got to $23,397? As part of my daily job I routinely purchase enterprise grade 6u servers with dual quad-core Xeon processors, 32 GB of RAM, six SAS drives, quad port NICs, dual fiber channel cards and these servers only come to about half the cost.

What are you including with this server that runs the price up so high.
Click to expand...

He just selected all the expensive options on the Mac Pro build to order page.
 
Being so "blessed" with such a fortune, you probably know that saying "you don't get rich by spending excessively"
 
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