8-Core Mac Pro with Clovertown... in November?

[jaguarx]

I'm going for a 2.66, 4GB, dual 250Gs and a 1900XT. Money not an object? Maybe put in a quattro. I could afford it, but I don't think I'll really use it enough to make it worthwhile. At the end of the day I'm reluctantly moving to a desktop, I prefer laptops, easier to move around, battery, easy to show things to clients, but doing heavy stuff with software like Processing means it's become sensible to move to something larger.

I don't think the Merc analogy is really accurate because I think for the vast majority of users this difference between say and iMac and a Mac Pro is essentially nil, they're not going to use the power of either to it's full extent. Just as driving a hummer through puddles isn't exactly river fording. Thus the silliness. Nor does it mean jealousy.

 

[lorductape]

it would seem that apple is going on a product spree, from the new (red) ipods, to the rumored full screens, to the iPhone, to the new power macs, to the now rumored quad cores... where does it all end???? im getting a headache.

 

[AppliedVisual]

Just out of curiousity if MONEY was not object. What would you go for, what kind of setup?

I wanna see the hipocracy come out

Me? Mac Pro 3 GHz, Mac Mini, Sony Bravia 42" TV, Xserve and RAID - all to collect my entire DVD and music collection and full backup etc. so that I never need to worry so much about losing my data.

And a new car.

If money were no object, I'd probably go with a 3GHz Mac Pro w/8GB RAM and dual 750GB HDs. I would then fill a rack with two fully loaded XServe RAID systems and the remaining rack space with Xserve systems w/8GB each - all for my 3D rendering. Even though money would be no object, I'd still be tempted to wait a month or so for the 8-core systems to materialize before buying. And if that be the case, I may still go with the quad-core 3GHz for the Mac Pro, but all the XServes would ideally be 8-core w/16GB.

For monitors, my current dual 30" displays are great on my G5 quad.

 

[gnasher729]

To put it another way, I understand that the Mac Pro is a tool, but some people buy a 1000W hammer drills when what they need is a screwdriver and I find that a bit silly.

The difference would be that a Mac Pro won't hurt you, but using the hammer drill instead of a screw driver will :-(

 

[ironjaw]

For monitors, my current dual 30" displays are great on my G5 quad.

I went to see the 30" today at the Apple Store - and I don't know its just too big IMHO - I mean I got a bit tired that you have to turn your head slightly to the left/right when looking at each edge. The 23" is perfect for me - it fits very well.

But anyhow owning dual 30" wow that's like better than sex

 

[Multimedia]

DELL 30" New List $1599 Sale $1278 Price Make For A Compelling Offering

I went to see the 30" today at the Apple Store - and I don't know its just too big IMHO - I mean I got a bit tired that you have to turn your head slightly to the left/right when looking at each edge. The 23" is perfect for me - it fits very well.

But anyhow owning dual 30" wow that's like better than sex

AV & I both use 30" DELL Monitors as they now cost only $1278 when on sale down from the new lower list of $1599. Trust me when I say that next to a 20" 1600x1200 and a 24" 1920x1200 they do not look too big and the other's look rather dimunitive and modest. I am so glad I made the leap to 30". But when playing HDTV on it, I see the need for a more powerful graphics card like the ATI 1900x so I will be getting that option with my 8-core.

I sit with my eyes roughly 30" away from it all the time though. In the store they don't let you do that. My 30" and 24" DELLs are on 36" deep tables up against the wall no more than 6 inches from the wall unlike the one foot away they show you at the store.

It's not better than sex, but it's all I've got instead of sex lately.

 

[AppliedVisual]

60" of glory...

I went to see the 30" today at the Apple Store - and I don't know its just too big IMHO - I mean I got a bit tired that you have to turn your head slightly to the left/right when looking at each edge. The 23" is perfect for me - it fits very well.

I thought the same thing the first time I saw a 30" display... Then I actually used one and realized that you have to sit about 30 to 40 inches away from it. Anyway, the 30" displays rock. The Dell units are a better buy vs. the Apple ones for sure and I've been very pleased. I own two Dell units and one Apple 30. I attached a pic of the two Dells side by side on my desk for your amusement.

But anyhow owning dual 30" wow that's like better than sex

Dual 30" displays is pretty darn nice for video and graphics work and programming. Or just about anything I throw at it. As for your comment, I don't know where you get your sex (nor do I want to know), but I have to respectfully disagree.

 

[DreederOcUK]

I recently bought an Apple 30" display for my Macpro to replace my 24" Dell and found it to be too big, after 5 hours of use I had a sore neck and just couldnt get along with it so returned it to my local apple store for a full refund.

Bringing my post back on topic, Ive since bought another 24" Dell for my hopefully soon to arrive 8-core Macpro.

 

[rxse7en]

U.S. Store is down. C2D Macbooks? Octo-Core Macs? Video iPod?

 

[BenRoethig]

I thought the same thing the first time I saw a 30" display... Then I actually used one and realized that you have to sit about 30 to 40 inches away from it. Anyway, the 30" displays rock. The Dell units are a better buy vs. the Apple ones for sure and I've been very pleased. I own two Dell units and one Apple 30. I attached a pic of the two Dells side by side on my desk for your amusement.



Dual 30" displays is pretty darn nice for video and graphics work and programming. Or just about anything I throw at it. As for your comment, I don't know where you get your sex (nor do I want to know), but I have to respectfully disagree.

Apple needs to drop the 20" $300, the 23" $200, and the 30" $400. I can see a $100-150 premium for the Apple name, but nobody is going to bite when your low end display is twice as expensive as the competitors.

 

[BJNY]

Dell's 8-core
http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/11/08/dell.takes.on.mac.pro/

http://www.electronista.com/articles/06/11/08/dell.quad.core.workstation/

 

[jaguarx]

I love the 'buy it from the Apple store!' link at the bottom of that article.

 

[Multimedia]

Isn't DELL Violating Their Agreement With Intel?

Dell's 8-core: MACNN - Dell takes on Mac Pro with eight cores

Electronista - Dell launches first quad-core workstations

I thought no one was allowed to announce until after Intel's Press Conference next Monday. The Dell pricing is amazingly aggressive. $2,223 Is that without RAM? Oh I see that's a single Kentsfield not dual Clovertown. I can't figure out where on the DELL site you buy an 8-core DELL. What a confusing site it is.

Haven't found the Dell page yet. Anybody got a link to it?

I still believe Apple will release the 8-core next Tuesday November 14.

 

[AppliedVisual]

I thought no one was allowed to announce until after Intel's Press Conference next Monday. I still believe Apple will release the 8-core next Tuesday November 14.

They're allowed to announce as the new CPUs aren't secret. Actually, Kentsfield are now shipping in OEM channels as of last tuesday I think. Clovertown's official ship date is the 14th. Several system vendors have already announced, and have started taking orders for, quad-core Xeon based systems. HP has been taking orders for nearly a month through their corporate purchase programs.

These new Dell systems just look OK. The available graphics card options stink as they have no mid-range choices. And Dell has yet to announce a system with dual Clovertowns, whereas HP has and as I said, is taking orders for them. But looking at these units from Dell and the pricing, I think this shows that Apple needs an offering between the iMac and Mac Pro lines with a single Kentsfield CPU offering. I would also like to see a true SLI offering in the next major Mac Pro revision for full use of dual video cards. A dual 7950GX option in the Mac Pro would really be a welcome addition, but I doubt it will happen. But I could definitely see Apple producing a smaller form Mac Pro with a single optical drive bay and a single CPU socket inside...

 

[BenRoethig]

I thought no one was allowed to announce until after Intel's Press Conference next Monday. The Dell pricing is amazingly aggressive. $2,223 Is that without RAM? Oh I see that's a single Kentsfield not dual Clovertown.

Haven't found the Dell page yet. Anybody got a link to it?

I still believe Apple will release the 8-core next Tuesday November 14.

The desktop parts it's using are quite a bit cheaper than the workstation parts in the Mac pro. At that price, Dell could actually have higher margins than Apple.

 

[Eidorian]

I thought no one was allowed to announce until after Intel's Press Conference next Monday. The Dell pricing is amazingly aggressive. $2,223 Is that without RAM? Oh I see that's a single Kentsfield not dual Clovertown. I can't figure out where on the DELL site you buy an 8-core DELL. What a confusing site it is.

Haven't found the Dell page yet. Anybody got a link to it?

I still believe Apple will release the 8-core next Tuesday November 14.

Oh yay Kentsfield. Release the Xeon chips and impress me!

 

[Umbongo]

I thought no one was allowed to announce until after Intel's Press Conference next Monday. The Dell pricing is amazingly aggressive. $2,223 Is that without RAM? Oh I see that's a single Kentsfield not dual Clovertown. I can't figure out where on the DELL site you buy an 8-core DELL. What a confusing site it is.

Haven't found the Dell page yet. Anybody got a link to it?

I still believe Apple will release the 8-core next Tuesday November 14.

It's an upgrade to the current Precision 490 and 690. Only 1.86Ghz available and Octo-core costs $200 more than quad-core 2.66Ghz.

 

[SRSound]

On Dell.Com, customization of a precision workstation:
8 x E5320 1.86GHz [4MB L2, 1333] = $1589
4 x 5160 3.00GHz [2 x 4MB L2, 1066] = $2209

$620 more for something that will run almost half as fast on any non-multithreaded applications? Is that right?

Wait. Upgrade from 2GB RAM to 32GB RAM for only $6,100?? Is THAT right?

 

[boff]

Hi Guys

Watching the threads intently - but only first post.

Just ordered a MacPro Dual 3G with 30" screen 2Gb Ram 1Tb HDDm X1900 ATI, gets shipped today......

Have I made a mistake the processor upgrade was expensive - but will be worth it in my application. I have this feeling that being as excited as I am, a situation is about to take away the gloss..... that 14 day policy may have to be used.

Boffster

This forum btw saved me from buying the old Core duo for the C2D Macbook pro - thanks guys!

 

[dbater]

I sure wish I didn't need an 8-core Mac Pro to do the video compression work I do. It's going to be the most expensive Mac I've ever had to buy. I find it kind of ironic that my application is so mundane that on the surface you would think I was the last person who needed 8-cores. But when you look a little closer, you see I do in spite of the inanity of the "simple" applicaitons I need it for. It's almost embarrassing.

Oh I almost forgot, I will also be running the full Final Cut Studio suite for HDV projects on it.

One More Week Gang.

Well you are a special person. I too was involved in multimedia and always bought the latest greatest machine not only so I could keep current with technology and do my job faster but also because I just had to have it. I have moved on to other things (still computer related) but still buy the latest and greatest even though I don't require the power any more.

I am in the market for a new system and have decided upon a MacBookPro 15" 2.33 with a few external drives and a 30" HD monitor with a wireless keyboard and mouse for working at my desk.

It was difficult not waiting for the latest desktop model but I just won't use the power they offer checking my xservers. Of course that brings me to the other problem.... I just have to upgrade to the latest xserve when they come out

Bottomline: the majority of people won't need the power of more than two (maybe one) processor. By the time software catches up to use the power of 8 processors hardware will be offering 24 processors with the one catch...all software will require rewriting to take advantage of them all. (that would be a bad dream)

 

[Umbongo]

Wait. Upgrade from 2GB RAM to 32GB RAM for only $6,100?? Is THAT right?

That's a fair price, if you mean it's cheap note that they are using 16 dimms rather than the 8 a Mac Pro would use.

 

[ironjaw]

I attached a pic of the two Dells side by side on my desk for your amusement.

Thanks for the picture - i think I'm growing into liking the 30" Dell...let me just check how much they are in the UK.

 

[Multimedia]

DELL Lowered The 30" List Again To Only $1499 15% Off Sale Price $1274.15

Can you believe it? DELL Lowered The 30" List Again To Only $1499 15% Off Sale Price $1274.15

 

[ironjaw]

Can you believe it? DELL Lowered The 30" List Again To Only $1499 15% Off Sale Price $1274.15

Its about little over a £1000 here - not bad...

 

[Multimedia]

Bus Speeds Are Written Backwards SRSound

On Dell.Com, customization of a precision workstation:
8 x E5320 1.86GHz [4MB L2, 1333] = $1589
4 x 5160 3.00GHz [2 x 4MB L2, 1066] = $2209

$620 more for something that will run almost half as fast on any non-multithreaded applications? Is that right?

Wait. Upgrade from 2GB RAM to 32GB RAM for only $6,100?? Is THAT right?

Your bus speeds are written backwards. The 1.86GHz Clovertowns only run 1066MHz buses. And the 3GHz Woodies only run 1333MHz busses.

You must know your workflow to buy the right computer. If you know you have a Multi-Threaded Workload then the 8-core is for you. It's not so much about how many cores each application can use as it is about how many cores you can put to work simultaneously in the course of an average work day. It could be you know how to run 8 single core applications simultaneously all the time or 4 dual core or 2 quad core ready applications simultaneously all or most of the time. It's a MYTH that you have to have applications that are 8-core ready.

The unknown factor is those applications that are so incorrectly written - not knowing how to operate when faced with more than 4 cores - as to not work at all when faced with 8 cores instead of 4.