I don't understand what you're complaining about. If you use a Mac currently then you are already burning Blu-ray from an external drive. Just use that same drive.
My blu-ray burner is internal, thank you.
OK, now I didn't read through all twelve pages (or however much longer it gets while I type this), but has anybody taken a look at the specs thoroughly?
I'll break it down for you and let you be the judge. I'm assuming PCIe 3.0 architechture since the bandwidth claims exceed PCIe 2.0 by 100%.
Thunderbolt 2 Array: 20 GB/sec. That's equivalant to an x20 link width card on a PCIe bus. That's also half of the entire PCIe bandwidth for the entire computer just for that array.
Mini-PCIe Flash Connector (SSD): 1.25 GB/sec read / 1 GB/sec write. Assuming incompressible data for those claimed speeds, that requires an x2 (2 GB/sec) PCIe connection.
Graphics: Dual AMD FirePro cards. Now, if you've been paying attention so far you'll realize that twenty two of the maximum 40 lanes of the PCIe bus are taken, leaving eighteen to work with. Most video cards we've used so far have been x16 in link width. However here we run into a problem. There are not enough lanes left for two x16 cards so guess what? Those cards can only be running at
x8 link width.
Now, anybody that knows PCIe 2.0 vs. PCIe 3.0 bandwidth knows that x8 PCIe 3.0 = x16 PCIe 2.0. The FirePro's current lineup consists of PCIe 3.0 cards though, so these are almost certainly running at x8, or half of their potential capability. Two AMD cards in crossfire at x8
can exceed a single AMD card at x16 in certain tasks, but there's another catch.
These are FirePro cards.
Let that sink in for a moment. Not only are they x8 link width maximum for the two cards, but since there is only a single PCIe controller, all slots have to operate on the same specification, i.e. PCIe 3.0, unlike the dual controller motherboards some PCs sport. Now factor in that these are
workstation graphics cards, and not mainstream general purpose graphics cards and you've run into a problem.
The only people that are going to benefit from this setup are those with either a Mac Mini that need more or who use apps that make heavy use of OpenCL and/or are designed specifically for the environments for which these cards shine. Gaming, which is something most of us get the Mac Pro for due to its expandability, is going to
suck on these. Sure they're nifty at first glance, but wipe away the drool for the case and you realize you're gimped out the gate for anything but rendering/editing.
Then there's the cost. If you think FirePro is cheap, think again. The closest spec card AMD has out right now is
this one. Newegg has it for $1429. Now that listed card has only 4 GB VRAM and Apple's versions have 6 GB each. If the retail version, which is lesser costs $1400 conservatively, you can expect these, which are actually beefier in both spec and VRAM to cost more. In fact, these will hit your wallet more than the Xeon CPUs inside will.
Are we starting to get the bigger picture of what this machine is going to set you back and how much clutter its all-or-nothing external expandability brings with it? You'll need a RAID tower that supports Thunderbolt 2 if you want equivalant storage in a single no-muss no-fuss enclosure like you had in your Mac Pro of yore. Good luck finding that on the cheap.
Then there's the requisite optical drive if you want to use the new Pro as your media hub/HTPC as well. Some people have externals already, most current Pro owners do not, so figure that to be another expense.
RAM? You're going to pay a premium to max this puppy out. Remember, you now have
half the slots of the top of the line Mac Pro from previous generations, so that means splurging for 16 GB sticks. And RAM prices are going up, not down. Tack that on as well.
Want extra displays? Well, your current crop of external monitors won't cut it with their connections unless they're already using Thunderbolt or MiniDisplayPort connections. So figure on getting more adapters.
Want to upgrade your internal storage? That's gonna cost you a pretty penny too since Mini-PCIe based SSDs are not that common, and are far from even remotely affordable.
One more thing to consider is that while this is an engineering feat to say the least, there's still the issue of SpeedStep. That "thermal core" is not only dissipating heat for the RAM, but one or two CPUs, and two GPUs. FirePro cards run rather hot. And does anybody know a Xeon that
doesn't run hot on anything other than a typically hideously large passive heatsink? I didn't think so. And there's only one fan and it's pulling double duty as both intake and exhaust. Now the design may well support that, but I'm having trouble envisioning this machine maintaining full load
and remaining relatively quiet. I just don't see it happening. I could be proven wrong, but thus far history has yet to pony up on designs like this kind. That outer casing is probably going to play a
huge role in heat dissipation. Maybe it will do as well as the old Mac Pro's chassis did for that task - time will tell.
Audio wise, there's a slight conundrum: If I want to get audio to my AVR without routing my monitor/TV through said AVR and back to the computer, I'm going to have to shell out for a Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter just for that purpose as there is no S/PDIF onboard, which many people will sorely miss.
All in all it's a nice
looking computer, and hey, it may even function halfway decently. But there are a
ton of pitfalls in getting one, especially if you're already heavily invested in conventional expansion.
I'm not arguing that the design isn't cool - it is. But the lack of internal storage capability, all or nothing external options for expansion, and two GPUs that are pretty much "one trick ponies" make for a very non-compelling purchase for a great many people, especially those that already have a heavy gear investment.
I just thought I'd put that out for y'all to think about before speeding down that rather bumpy and expensive path.
