Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Releases New iMacs

crockett said:
Give me a quad core system, with a 8800gt card with the ability to update it later for say $2k-2500 and then maybe we can talk about being a Apple switcher.
Click to expand...


Apple store.

Mac Pro - press configure
Choose Single processor 2.8 GHz quad core add 8800GT and you're set at $2,449.00

All within your needs.:rolleyes:
 
D4F said:
And that is my point. Both sides are right it's just a matter of preference.
For what I do windows systems do not give me nothing but trouble and waste of time and Mac does all it needs to do without a choke so higher price for even slightly worse system is something that is totally justified for me. On top of it all that worse like you call it system does it's job faster in the end so it's a win for me.
Click to expand...
I'm glad we agree but please don't ignore the fact that there are a lot of users that don't think Windows is a waste of time when it comes to hardware or software.

Where did you get the idea that my Mac was the worse system? It's a laptop competing with a self-built workstation/gaming system.

k2spitfire88 said:
No, just commenting that for most people don't worry about the video card, and when it doesnt work for their games anymore, they buy a new one, so most people wont care on a mac either. Obviously you wouldnt go buy a new computer right afterwards, because it would work with your games/whatever you use the card for when you buy it, but after it stops working with their new games etc., they buy a new computer.
Click to expand...
I hope you're not ignoring integrated graphics on a wide variety of computers and the need for hardware 3D performance for even simple games.
 
D4F said:
Apple store.

Mac Pro - press configure
Choose Single processor 2.8 GHz quad core add 8800GT and you're set at $2,449.00

All within your needs.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

How about one that doesn't use Xeon processors and can go past the 8800GT which is a pretty average gaming card?

The latter point is actually what he asked you.

Uh huh.
 
Eidorian said:
I hope you're not ignoring integrated graphics on a wide variety of computers and the need for hardware 3D performance for even simple games.
Click to expand...

I don't think I am, but most people (myself included until a short while ago) are not knowledgeable about different graphics cards, etc., and they just get whatever is the stock machine.
 
I prefer Mac to Win because of the apps. I think Apple just puts more effort/love in to their apps than Microsoft. And this sets the tone for the whole platform, with Mac shareware having those little touches that you just don't find on Win. To me that's more important that a few extra MHz on your CPU.
 
D4F said:
Apple store.

Mac Pro - press configure
Choose Single processor 2.8 GHz quad core add 8800GT and you're set at $2,449.00

All within your needs.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Yes I know that but I'm thinking the 8800 should be on the low end (aka $2k) then the ability to upgrade to the 9800 for the high end (aka $2500). Sorry I didn't add that.

The other part, is I'm not sure how that single CPU set up would work preformace wise. The mobo is designed to run 2 CPU's so I think just having them pull one out would hurt the preformace much more than using a purpose built single CPU mobo.
$3k

In other words no way would I buy the current Mac pro with out the 2 CPU's. So that puts me @ $3k with no current ability to upgrade to the 9800.

edit...

The other issue to spell it out a bit more, is all 8800's & 9800 are not equal. Sure they may share the same chip sets but there are many diffrent manufactures that built very diffrent cards. I'm sure Apple is buying a baseline 8800 gt from some company that likely wouldn't preforme as good as say a EVGA 8800 GT.

So you really need the ability to use "any" card manufactuer and not just the one Apple sells. I'm not 100% but I think you have to use the Apple 8800 don't you? You can't just go buy a EVGA, MSI, ect..ect card can you?
 
This is where Apple could do a lot to help the customer. RAM is user upgradeable easily on every Mac. Hard drives are upgradeable easily on some Macs (particularly the MacBook). If they designed the casing to easily swap the graphics cards and built a few aftermarket choices (8800GS, HD3870, 8600GT,...) then the few who would upgrade their graphics cards could do so. As it stands, Apple is making it more and more difficult to do so. Whether this is intentional or a byproduct of the overall design, I don't know.
 
k2spitfire88 said:
I don't think I am, but most people (myself included until a short while ago) are not knowledgeable about different graphics cards, etc., and they just get whatever is the stock machine.
Click to expand...
That's why I have users coming to me to install a new video card because their in stock computer can't play a game. I'm sure they'll enjoy having to buy another Mac.

The pay is good. :D
 
BongoBanger said:
How about one that doesn't use Xeon processors and can go past the 8800GT which is a pretty average gaming card?

The latter point is actually what he asked you.

Uh huh.
Click to expand...

Simple. Mac Pro is a line that always get updates. New cards are coming out with a backward compatibilty which was proven not so long ago.
 
crockett said:
Yes I know that but I'm thinking the 8800 should be on the low end (aka $2k) then the ability to upgrade to the 9800 for the high end (aka $2500). Sorry I didn't add that.

The other part, is I'm not sure how that single CPU set up would work preformace wise. The mobo is designed to run 2 CPU's so I think just having them pull one out would hurt the preformace much more than using a purpose built single CPU mobo.
$3k

In other words no way would I buy the current Mac pro with out the 2 CPU's. So that puts me @ $3k with no current ability to upgrade to the 9800.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure the 9800 will work in a Pro under Windows which is what you will use for gaming anyhow.
 
BongoBanger said:
How about one that doesn't use Xeon processors and can go past the 8800GT which is a pretty average gaming card?...
Click to expand...

While we're nit-picking:
How about a system that doesn't use buffered RAM?
I know, I'm just fueling the fire. :D

I like my Mac Pro, but then again, I don't play demanding games on it either. It works for my needs. Shoot, I have a Woodcrest model currently sporting a 7300. I've got the 8800GT kit, but haven't dropped it in yet since I'm still running El Tigre. No real rush either. To each their own...

As I said earlier, it all comes down to how much users are willing to pay (not just literally) for the OSX experience.
 
D4F said:
Simple. Mac Pro is a line that always get updates. New cards are coming out with a backward compatibilty which was proven not so long ago.
Click to expand...

But you can upgrade a PC now.

Look, I'm not knocking the Mac Pro because it's an excellent workstation, it's just not a gaming PC because it's not designed to be one.

Horses for courses.
 
crockett said:
Yes I know that but I'm thinking the 8800 should be on the low end (aka $2k) then the ability to upgrade to the 9800 for the high end (aka $2500). Sorry I didn't add that.

The other part, is I'm not sure how that single CPU set up would work preformace wise. The mobo is designed to run 2 CPU's so I think just having them pull one out would hurt the preformace much more than using a purpose built single CPU mobo.
$3k

In other words no way would I buy the current Mac pro with out the 2 CPU's. So that puts me @ $3k with no current ability to upgrade to the 9800.
Click to expand...

You wrote 'the ability to upgrade later'.
Last Pro had a lower card with it's new appearence they added the 8800GT with a backward compatibility a little later so again it fits your description.

You can use a single quad and then after a while drop another quad in there simply prolonging it's longlivety. There's no performance problem with single proc setup and it was tested somewhere that it's exactly at 50% of the octo configuration.

If you want to change a card every few months then you have a simple answer. Mac is not for you. I still use 6 Mac Pros in the rendering farm with the 2600 in them and it's all fine.
All comes down to what you need and what compromise can you handle. Both ways actually as both Win/OS X have their pros/cons.
 
BongoBanger said:
But you can upgrade a PC now.

Look, I'm not knocking the Mac Pro because it's an excellent workstation, it's just not a gaming PC because it's not designed to be one.

Horses for courses.
Click to expand...

You can use other cards with Windows they just wont work with Mac. Thats' what I have read but never tried
 
BongoBanger said:
But you can upgrade a PC now.

Look, I'm not knocking the Mac Pro because it's an excellent workstation, it's just not a gaming PC because it's not designed to be one.

Horses for courses.
Click to expand...

Yes that's why I think Apple could go a long way toward convincing PC users to switch if they offered a headless high performance single CPU machine in the $2-2.5k price machine.

It's silly to buy the low end Mac Pro to use for something it wasn't designed to do. Apple dam sure has room in their line up, for a purpose built single CPU tower with the ability to use a high end graphics card.
 
crockett said:
Yes that's why I think Apple could go a long way toward convincing PC users to switch if they offered a headless high performance single CPU machine in the $2-2.5k price machine.

It's silly to buy the low end Mac Pro to use for something it wasn't designed to do. Apple dam sure has room in their line up, for a purpose built single CPU tower with the ability to use a high end graphics card.
Click to expand...


There's one thing you totally miss in here.
Apple was never a gaming system and probably never will.
How many games total are were designed from scratch to a Mac?
 
crockett said:
...Apple dam sure has room in their line up, for a purpose built single CPU tower with the ability to use a high end graphics card.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about that. No matter how you try to market it, the xMac will definitely cannibalize either the iMac or the MacPro (most likely the iMac). Strictly looking at it from a business point of view, it's a bad idea. From a user point of view, I'd love to see it. :D
 
D4F said:
You wrote 'the ability to upgrade later'.
Last Pro had a lower card with it's new appearence they added the 8800GT with a backward compatibility a little later so again it fits your description.

You can use a single quad and then after a while drop another quad in there simply prolonging it's longlivety. There's no performance problem with single proc setup and it was tested somewhere that it's exactly at 50% of the octo configuration.

If you want to change a card every few months then you have a simple answer. Mac is not for you. I still use 6 Mac Pros in the rendering farm with the 2600 in them and it's all fine.
All comes down to what you need and what compromise can you handle. Both ways actually as both Win/OS X have their pros/cons.
Click to expand...

Yes it maybe 50% of what the 8 core can do.. but what is that 50% compaired to say a purpose built quad PC? It seems to me that it's going to take a preformace hit bigger than if you just had a purpose built single CPU set up.
 
BongoBanger said:
But you can upgrade a PC now.

Look, I'm not knocking the Mac Pro because it's an excellent workstation, it's just not a gaming PC because it's not designed to be one.

Horses for courses.
Click to expand...

taken from another post on these forums:

MartinelliMinim said:
Awesome =) Well today i just got the 9800 GX2 for my 8 Core 2.8 Mac Pro. I know the thing is a monster but the problem i am having is the games that i have are not pushing the card to its limit. COD4 is not letting me go past 60 fps.... i don't know why. But i also have two eVGA 8800 GT superclocked and i flashed the bios so it works in both OS X and Windows. The reason I got two so i can try to SLI the two cards together but i am waiting for the bridge. But i have also been reading that you don't need the bridge to run SLI.

Anyways, talking about the 9800 gx2. The Mac Pro only allows you to use 300 watts which will not be enough for what i want to do. It may sound stupid to some of you but my goal for now is to keep the 9800 and one 8800 since the 8800 is flashed to work in OS X. But that means i'm going to need 3 power cables which i do have. So when i turn on the MP it tells me to restart the system. And i'm assuming that it is due to the power drainage.

My ultimate goal is just to have my 9800 as my main card for both OS X and Windows. Does anyone know how that is possible? I will be putting the video of the Mac Pro on youtube. You can just go ahead and type in Mikey Minimo
Click to expand...

So it works huh?:rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back