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6 Core Gulftown. Better than Quad Nehalem?
- Thread starter theapplefreak
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Without any more information on specific usage/needs, Yes. 🙂
If you're using it as a 24/7 render machine, maybe not. But then you'd be best served by looking at an Octad in the current line up anyway. 😛
Yeah. But I dont have the money for the Octad. Quad core is enough for occasional HD video editing?
nullx86
macrumors 6502a
I'd rather wait for the gulftown model unless you need it now, if you get the quad/octo you'll miss out on the extra cores when the gulftown model, plus i figure Apple will update the EFI Firmware to allow more memory and other crap. I'd just wait.
Yes. 🙂
My point was, if you're going to earn a living with the machine by doing renders, then you should be going for more than a Quad. If the budget's too limited, and you've the ability to wait, then do so, and save up what you can. The '09's will go up on the refurbished site (and other 3rd party Apple resellers) for less than current or next model pricing. If you need this, it's the best thing I can think of, and others would probably give advice along similar lines.
If it's more of a hobby, or more for occasional 3D work, then you may not benefit from so many cores. It depends on what/how you're using the system software wise.
For more detailed answers, give some details on what you're using and how. 😉
But if it's not extensive, the advice I've given so far would hold. There's just not much difference in the current to next MP, and it will likely come with slower clocks than the current models for similar funds. That's a set back, and higher clocks would mean you have to spend even more.
So if you don't actually need that many cores, it's foolish to buy them at any time, but my gut tells me that with the clock differences, the pricing complaints that are out now, will only get worse in the '10 Gulftown variants to get the same clock speeds (should be possible, as they both use BCLK = 133MHz * some multiplier to produce the stock speed). 🙁
Techhie
macrumors 65816
Obviously you have never worked for a cost-minded professional before 🙄 The Mac Pro is a professional workstation yes, but saying that pointless profit margin increases are justified because of the target audience is ignorant. Professionals have budgets as well, and many times consider value in purchases even more so than the average consumer. It's not as if professional editors are idiots with money, they are called professionals after all. 😀
If you can wait and you don't know exactly what to buy it means that - like many of us here - you don't "need" it; you just want it and can afford it. (nothing wrong with that since its your hard earned money😉)
Editing studios change machines when they see that the newest stuff can save them time. You can read performance reports around there where a latest '09 machine can do some HD renderings in a 1/3 of the time that some former '08 or '07 models. 10 seconds of HD rendering takes around 7 minutes compared to 21 minutes on older generation MPs. For those guys the extra speed means money if they have to make a 2 hours film.
The quad core that you want to buy has enormous power if your software can take advantage of it.
Techhie
macrumors 65816
I like that the quad CPU can be easily swapped out for a nice 3.33 GHz Core i7 Extreme =)
I hear there is a 64 core coming out in quarter 2 of 2055. Lets all wait for that one!
It's got to be faster than my Quad 2.9 Nehalem! I hope anyway.
It's got to be faster than my Quad 2.9 Nehalem! I hope anyway.
Techhie
macrumors 65816
IIRC Intel had a 100-core chip slated for 2011-12, my guess is that it might be a but further off than expected 🙄
Meh. I already have a 128 Core. From the Future. The computer opens the application before you even try clicking it.
Even large corporations are watching every cent they can, and have been for years.
Just ask most business users how long they had to wait before their systems get upgraded, or when was the last time? 😉 Corporations are stalling on the system upgrades, and in most cases, upgrading the network and drive systems attached to it, make more sense in terms of speed (as the system drive isn't used for much more than the OS).
Techhie
macrumors 65816
It's to bad, things aren't like in the 90's where a ton of fun stuff was only a request form away in the office.
Have you even READ the replies in this thread? You have already been advised on the best course of action but you're STILL asking questions.
Techhie
macrumors 65816
my my, someone has a temper 😛
It is perfectly alright to ask questions (regardless of how repetitive, mundane, or irrelevant they are)
If I were about to buy a new machine for this amount of money, I would be asking tons of questions as well.
Start-ups are great for that, but they either went bust, or public. Either way, it comes to a crashing halt. 🙁 Damn accountants.... 😱 😛
If you've seen too many, just skip it, and let someone else post. 😉
As Techie pointed out, though repetitious, they are valid, and especially for the prices on MP's these days. 😛
Well, the OP and pretty much every second new thread on this sub-forum asks "which MP do I get", receives the same answer from many people and STILL asks what to buy. Asking questions without listening to the answer.
EDIT: Bugger, posted this without seeing nano's reply. Guess I'll just step away from the thread. Just wish people spend more time actually researching rather than relying on others.
gugucom
macrumors 68020
I would have my doubts regarding that point. If I were Apple I would make no change at all to the hardware and just update the micro code for the additional cores. This would give the highest efficiency on the development resources.
On the other hand if some 2009 buyers have given them enough grief on the poor memory config they may do something, but I highly doubt it.
VirtualRain
macrumors 603
This is probably the best idea... buy a current 2.66 quad and just plop the 3.33GHz processor in there in about a year after a couple of price drops.
MythicFrost
macrumors 68040
The gulftown is going to be in the Mac Pro temporarily in early 2010? but isn't there an improved model, or a hexacore model coming?
Kind Regards
Kind Regards
From a technical POV, the microcode change (firmware) is all that's needed. But assuming the front page (maybe pg 2 now) is correct on 10G Ethernet, then there will be hardware changes to the board. Perhaps there might be another surprise, such as a second X58 chipset (the second QPI in use might fix the ICH10R throttling issue on DP systems, but not the SP models). And maybe they'll add DIMM slots for additional memory (possible, as Gulftown is still LGA1366 parts). We can hope anyway. 😉 But the trend to limit one model (intentional crippling) to help push sales of the other, is almost certain to continue. 🙄
It still won't be anything on Apple though, as the changes (work) will fall to Intel, and that won't be much as it's slated to use the same chipset/s as Nehalem. 😉 A new 10G chip. Woo hoo. Loads of work there... 🙄
😛
Temporary? 😕 It seems Apple might get early access to them is all I've seen. And Gulftown (i9/Xeon 56xx/36xx) will be 6 cores per CPU.
Consumer (mainstream desktop) parts will very likely be released as i8 or even as newer i7 parts, going by the latest schemes Intel's using (and it could get confusing as heck in this regard).
MythicFrost
macrumors 68040
😎 I figured this was what you were referring to. The exclusive part, is that they may get it sooner than other vendors. They almost have to, to help push sales of their systems, given the current pricing structure. So far, I've seen nothing to indicate prices will fall, and actually expect it to get worse, in terms of cost/performance, as it appears that the systems will give less clock speed for the same/similar funds. 🙄
I may be wrong, but won't the Gulftown CPU's be seated in the same socket types as the current Mac Pro's? (i.e. the LGA 1336). If that's the case, it may be a good idea to go for the current Quad Mac Pro, wait until Intel releases their new 6-core processors and then stick one of those in there. Knowing Apple, they will probably put a lower clocked processor in the base models than the previous generation to keep prices down. Therefore, when Intel allows for purchase of these new Gulftowns, buy one of the fastest one's, open up your Mac Pro and put that one in. It sounds feasible to me. After all, from what I've heard, it should fit in the same socket type.
Gulftown does use the same socket (LGA1366), but likely won't work as a drop-in replacement, as Apple won't release updated firmware for the current models to do this (the firmware would need an update in it's CPU microcode). They have to do something to force sales of the newest models, and firmware updates don't do that. 😱 😛
It would be nice if it actually does, as the board itself, can handle the new CPU's since it uses the same chipset and socket.