Apple Quietly Adds 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Option to Mac Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple has quietly upgraded its Mac Pro offerings, adding the option of a 3.33 GHz quad-core processor and adding the ability to configure both the quad-core and 8-core models with 2 TB hard drives, doubling the machine's total build-to-order hard drive capacity to 8 TB.

The upgraded processor carries a hefty price tag as a $1,200 option over the base quad-core 2.66 GHz model, or $800 over the upgraded 2.93 GHz processor. Pricing, however, remains well below the company's top-of-the-line 8-core models running at 2 x 2.66 GHz or 2 x 2.93 GHz.

The additional option of configuring the Mac Pro with 2 TB hard drives, an increase from 1 TB drives available previously, expands the official total hard drive capacity of the Mac Pro, which carries four hard drive bays, to 8 TB. The 2 TB hard drives are priced at $550 each.

The current generation of Mac Pros were introduced in March 2009, receiving early access to Intel's latest Nehalem processors before they had even been officially announced.

Article Link: Apple Quietly Adds 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Option to Mac Pro

 

[dernhelm]

Woah. That's a hefty price jump for the 3.33Ghz processor!

8TB capacity is pretty welcome though.

 

[VanMac]

Smokin

This thing oughta smoke pretty good. Nice to see them get the quads up over 3GHz .

 

[Cboss]

I guess they needed a processor to compete with the new iMac.

But $1200! Hopefully the entire Mac Pro line will be updated soon.

 

[Hellhammer]

Why no 8-core 3.3GHz? 550$ for 2TB drive is a rip off IMO, much cheaper from 3rd party

 

[GroundLoop]

$550 for a 2TB HDD is just ridiculous. Especially when it is so easy to add new HDDs to a Mac Pro.

Hickman

 

[Maserati7200]

Would there be any significant noticeable difference between a 2.66 GHz and 3.33 Ghz Xeon? I'm thinking paying $1200 for 670 more Mhz isn't really worth it. i'm glad its' there as an option, though, along with 2TB drives, I'm suprised they weren't there before...

 

[Raid]

The new 3.33Ghz CPU option isn't currently up in the Canadian store, but I see the 2TB drives and ram as options in there.

For the record it has never been a bargain to upgrade your RAM or hard drive from the Apple store as a BTO option. Shop around for those and you'll save a bit of cash.

 

[Shanpdx]

wow just wow

the big brother [Mac Pro] cannot take small brother [iMac] growing up huh?

 

[D A]

The only model which would fit the $1200 extra price tag retails for $1600

 

[GroundLoop]

The new 3.33Ghz CPU option isn't currently up in the Canadian store, but I see the 2TB drives and ram as options in there.

But for the record it has never been a bargain to upgrade your RAM or hard drive from the Apple store as a BTO option. Shop around for those and you'll save a bit of cash.

This has always been true. It makes you wonder if Apple is seeing so many drive failures under warranty that they have to jack up the prices to cover the loss/effort to deal with the HDD OEM to get a replacement.

Either way, you can get a 2TB HDD for well under $200 nowadays.

Hickman

 

[jnc]

Sing it with me!


The holiday line up is set! The holiday line up is seeeeeet!



Guess they're trying to extend the current Mac Pro's shelf life. So no new ones for some while?

 

[3587]

So now the question is... How can I upgrade my current 2.66 to this without buying a whole new computer?

 

[chstr]

Would there be any significant noticeable difference between a 2.66 GHz and 3.33 Ghz Xeon? I'm thinking paying $1200 for 670 more Mhz isn't really worth it. i'm glad its' there as an option, though, along with 2TB drives, I'm suprised they weren't there before...

your thinking would be correct. much like your screen name you are paying for flash

 

[NetScheduler]

I'm a Fanboy!

$550 for a 2TB HDD is just ridiculous. Especially when it is so easy to add new HDDs to a Mac Pro.

Hickman

What are you, some kind of Dell Troll?? Go buy your "clunky" and "junky" 2TB drive from some "box assembler".

Apple usually affixes an Apple sticker to whatever brand hard drives they use. They are "just gorgeous" and look "oh so delicious" inside the case. Of course, no one should ever open the case of an Apple computer because Apple doesn't cater to "tinkerers".

Apple's price may seem $300 high to you "Apple Haters", but allowing them to install their Apple stickered HDD is a very "elegant" solution, and something us "REAL" Apple fans will gladly pay.

 

[tezro]

What are you, some kind of Dell Troll?? Go buy your "clunky" and "junky" 2TB drive from some "box assembler".

Apple usually affixes an Apple sticker to whatever brand hard drives they use. They are "just gorgeous" and look "oh so delicious" inside the case. Of course, no one should ever open the case of an Apple computer because Apple doesn't cater to "tinkerers".

Apple's price may seem $300 high to you "Apple Haters", but allowing them to install their Apple stickered HDD is a very "elegant" solution, and something us "REAL" Apple fans will gladly pay.

Good thing to see in your sig you got a hackintosh, so we know you're just messing around ;-)

 

[Jason Beck]

This has always been true. It makes you wonder if Apple is seeing so many drive failures under warranty that they have to jack up the prices to cover the loss/effort to deal with the HDD OEM to get a replacement.

Either way, you can get a 2TB HDD for well under $200 nowadays.

Hickman

It really is nice how the price of storage fell these past few years as technology grew. I remember my first hard drive.. 500 or 750 megs. : p

 

[Maserati7200]

What are you, some kind of Dell Troll?? Go buy your "clunky" and "junky" 2TB drive from some "box assembler".

Apple usually affixes an Apple sticker to whatever brand hard drives they use. They are "just gorgeous" and look "oh so delicious" inside the case. Of course, no one should ever open the case of an Apple computer because Apple doesn't cater to "tinkerers".

Apple's price may seem $300 high to you "Apple Haters", but allowing them to install their Apple stickered HDD is a very "elegant" solution, and something us "REAL" Apple fans will gladly pay.

I know you are being sarcastic, but I would like to point out that the HDD in Apple's computers are no different than others.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Apple quietly rips you off with the 2 TB drives.

 

[ChristoA]

What are you, some kind of Dell Troll?? Go buy your "clunky" and "junky" 2TB drive from some "box assembler".

Apple usually affixes an Apple sticker to whatever brand hard drives they use. They are "just gorgeous" and look "oh so delicious" inside the case. Of course, no one should ever open the case of an Apple computer because Apple doesn't cater to "tinkerers".

Apple's price may seem $300 high to you "Apple Haters", but allowing them to install their Apple stickered HDD is a very "elegant" solution, and something us "REAL" Apple fans will gladly pay.

I had to re-read this about 3 times. Probably the funniest **** I've read in a while

 

[puffnstuff]

but I thought Apple was done with updates for the year

 

[adamwc]

Unsettling implications

Perhaps sometimes a quiet upgrade is just a quiet upgrade and we shouldn't read into it. But other times, and I fear in this case, the unsettling implication is that Apple isn't going to be significantly upgrading the Mac Pro line in the next several months.

Or, if it does, the upgrade will take the form of adding machines at extremely high price points. Apple thinks it makes sense to offer a 3.33 Quad Mac Pro for $3699 as of today. What are the chances that the least expensive of the next gen Octocore machines will cost less than $500 more than that if they were to come out soon? So the new Octocore entry point becomes... $4199? If it's going to cost less, it probably won't be available earlier than March of next year (just imagine how screwed you'd feel upon buying a new $3700 Quad only to have Apple release a $3299 Octocore system that kicks its ass within two months).

All in all, this is a lame development.

 

[Chaszmyr]

I consider this bad news all the way around.
1. The new processor isn't available on the dual Mac Pro for some reason.
2. The 2tb HDD BTO option is ridiculously priced, total ripoff.
3. This update might suggest that a full blown revision of the Mac Pro lineup is further away than we had hoped.

 

[jocknerd]

Screw the Xeon processor

The Intel Xeon's are outrageously priced. Ok, if you want the 8-core Mac Pro, you can have the Xeon, but with the quad-core, Apple could slash the price of the Mac Pro by almost $1000 if they dropped the Xeon quad-core and replaced it with the i7 processor. Its just as fast, but its not a "server" processor.

Give me a i7 based Mac Pro for around $1800 - $2000, I'll whip my credit card out now.

 

[mobi]

Still chugging along with our 2 x 2.66 Dual Core Xeon it has been rock solid since 2006! MR's has to constantly tease us with these announcements