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A Chance at a used Mac Pro

mcavjame

mcavjame

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 10, 2008
1,031
1
phased to this universe
I was looking through the used listings in my area and found a Mac pro with the following specs:
8 core 2.8
2 GB RAM
1 TB drive
Geforce GT 8800 512MB
2 x DVD drives

Seller is asking $2800
Is this reasonable and is there anything I should be checking? Is it worth getting this system over waiting for Nehalem chip sets?

I edit video on the side and would like to dramatically reduce render times over my 2.16 macbook. If I buy the system, what kind of render improvements can I expect? For example, I occasionally use a flash based camera that stores HD files in mp4 format. The macbook can take 2-3 times longer to render a clip than the clip duration.

Thanks for any direction. It's not my first Mac, but it is my first Mac Pro.
 
snberk103 said:
Have tried going to the online Apple store and configuring a system to match or at least closely match these specs? That will help you decide how much of a deal it is.
Click to expand...

Yes, I had. I am a little worried there is something wrong with it. I do get to see it before buying, which is why I was asking if I should be checking anything. Of course I will look at system profiler and I'll put it through a boot cycle, but I was wondering if there is a system check I could do or something along those lines.
 
That's not much of a deal considering you can get all that cheap from OWC. I say decline, wait until the new chip set comes out, and enjoy your new mac.
 
Always buy your computer from Apple.com. It is just too big of an investment to take the gamble on. Sure, get a discount on a mouse or piece of software, it's worth the risk but not with your baby! Spending money wisely is the sure bet and that means from the company that has a stake in your investment.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.
 
It's a fair price for a used Mac Pro with those upgrades. You might be waiting 4-6 months for Nehalem, longer for a used system, and while you will get speed increases, you should already be getting much bigger ones from this over what you currently have.
 
I don't know whether that price is okay or not, you have to compare for yourself.

If this baby has Apple Care, then you won't risk anything, because the Apple Care can be transferred to you. (The original owner must contact Apple and instruct them to transfer the Apple Care Protection Plan.)

If this machine does not have Apple Care, but it less than twelve months old, then you can still purchase Apple Care for it. My Mac Pro was also used, but only ten months or so old. I submitted the serial number to Apple and received the protection plan from them. So no risk here either.

However, if this machine is older than twelve months and does not have Apple Care, then you are entering a slightly risky zone. If the machine breaks on the evening that you've purchased it, you'll have to pay for the repair yourself. If you get a real deal on the used box, the risk might be worth it. If you only safe a few bucks, forget it and rather check out Apple's refurbished store.
 
I would ask for a hardware diagnostic to be ran on it and make sure you're certain there is still AC on it. It is a fair deal considering the taxes and such. I would also say that while the new chipset is coming, that machine runs fast even with just 2GB ram. Another 8GB can be had for under $400 at OWC giving you 10. Plus the second optical is nice ... which I had a Bluray drive in mine to be honest. Then again I'd have to throw windows on there to be able to watch/rip. I digress.

I really think it's a decent deal. I paid about $3200 for mine I believe after taxes, it sounds to me like you have higher taxes than I paid.

I would see if the buyer would accept $2400 on account of the holiday season, the fact the new chipsets are rumored to come next year (soonish), and just because you can always offer $400 less and let him only knock off $200. You have nothing to lose.
 
Winni said:
If this baby has Apple Care, then you won't risk anything, because the Apple Care can be transferred to you. (The original owner must contact Apple and instruct them to transfer the Apple Care Protection Plan.)

If this machine does not have Apple Care, but it less than twelve months old, then you can still purchase Apple Care for it. My Mac Pro was also used, but only ten months or so old. I submitted the serial number to Apple and received the protection plan from them. So no risk here either.

However, if this machine is older than twelve months and does not have Apple Care, then you are entering a slightly risky zone. If the machine breaks on the evening that you've purchased it, you'll have to pay for the repair yourself. If you get a real deal on the used box, the risk might be worth it. If you only safe a few bucks, forget it and rather check out Apple's refurbished store.
Click to expand...

If the machine is an 8 core 2.8, wasn't it released in January of 2008? That would mean it would have to be less than a year old. The seller says 5 months, but why unload a machine after 5 months? I should be able to check his serial number before buying.
 
jessica. said:
I would see if the buyer would accept $2400 on account of the holiday season, the fact the new chipsets are rumored to come next year (soonish), and just because you can always offer $400 less and let him only knock off $200. You have nothing to lose.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your feedback. I don't mind the digression at all. It's good to see how other people think.

Actually, he was asking a lot more originally because he had purchased some major apps and was including a small monitor. I already have all the apps I need and I want to use my 24" monitor that my laptop currently docks to. He agreed to try and sell those apps and monitor separately and then dropped the price accordingly.

We have already done that kind of back and forth and am trying to decide if the $2800 is something I can live with.
 
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