Details of Core i7-980X (Gulftown) Mac Pro Processors Leaked

[Digital Skunk]

Im starting to see your points. In my earlier posts I was thinking only about those that cared about outer appearances or one that looks different to show a new model. I then realized how narrow my thoughts were as I started thinking of my own needs....

Exactly, and it's not short-sighted, I was the same way and it's what 98% of the posters here are actually thinking. They want a nicer looking case with black glass edges and fancy outsides to show off to their friends.

They are going to be doing some heavy duty iPhoto and iMovie editing on their $6000 8 core Mac Pro fashion statement.

Those that actually don't care at all about the outside are asking for a few more internal options. And your comment about SSDs makes me want a fifth HDD bay (like the Dell workstations) all the more.

 

[Speedy2]

I was talking about high-end tweakers, not "people with weak computers". You set the resolution as high as you can while staying above 60fps. Then, guess what? The card is no longer the issue -- the CPU is!

That is total nonsense. "Tweakers" usually have their CPUs overclocked to 4 GHz or something like that. There is no way you can max out that CPU, not even with an SLI/Crossfire configuration.

Go and read up on the issue. Core i5/i7 + quad core CPUs in general are not really the best gaming CPUs. The good old Core 2 Duo clocked at 3+ GHz is still the fastest thing around for that purpose. Also because you can overclock it much better than a Core i7.

 

[cube]

Both spellings are used.

AMD will be REAL icositetracore with 2 Magny-Cours.

And in 2011 there will be triacontakaidicore machines with 2 AMD Interlagos.

 

[jragosta]

More and more software is going to be multicore. If you buy a Mac Pro today and use it for the duration of your AppleCare (3-years) you will get a good return on investment.:

Even today, much software handles threads fairly well - which allows the work to be distributed. I have a couple hundred active threads going on my iMac - so more cores would be of some help even today.

And you think Apple isn't using bargain basement components? I've already replaced the mobo and the battery in my MBP. Great components they purchased there with their stepped down tight integration.

So the fact that you had a couple of failures is supposed to negate the fact that Macs ALWAYS have much higher reliability than any other brand? The fact is that Apple's components ARE much higher quality than average - as shown by repeated reliability surveys.

Um, what? My i7 920 system uses a processor that, outside of ECC support, is identical to the Xeon X5550. I'd argue the manufacturer of nearly all of my components (ASUS) is superior to Foxconn (who Apple typically uses for many of their components). Self-enclosed water cooling, Intel SSDs, 12 GB Corsair DDR3 Dominator memory, the works. Total cost? Just under $1500. Entry model Mac Pro with inferior hardware (outside of its ECC memory)? $2500


Uh, what? The Xeon X5550, the processor model used in the entry-model Mac Pro, is identical to the i7 920 except that the X5550 supports ECC memory and has its second QPI link enabled (which on the entry model Mac Pro goes to waste anyway).

A i7 920 retails for $200-$300. The Xeon X5550 retails for about $1000. So yes, pricing is definitely impacted by the use of Xeons vs. their i7 9XX series equivalents.

What a stupid argument. So your system is the same except it's not the same. Look at the price difference between the i7 and the Xeon. That alone counts for much of the price difference. You can argue that the Xeon is overkill, but for the target audience, it's not. If you don't need ECC or a second processor, get an iMac i7.

As for the rest, you're blowing smoke. First, the case and power supply of the Mac Pro are world class. The motherboard is world class (look at the crappy capacitors your system has). Look at the RAM specs. There are plenty of cases where generic RAM like you're using won't work in Macs because they use a higher quality.

 

[Eidorian]

What a stupid argument. So your system is the same except it's not the same. Look at the price difference between the i7 and the Xeon. That alone counts for much of the price difference.

How is there a price difference when Bloomfield's prices are identical if binned out to Core i7 or Xeon?

As for the rest, you're blowing smoke. First, the case and power supply of the Mac Pro are world class. The motherboard is world class (look at the crappy capacitors your system has). Look at the RAM specs. There are plenty of cases where generic RAM like you're using won't work in Macs because they use a higher quality.

I don't think you've looked at other X58 boards.

 

[Umbongo]

As for the rest, you're blowing smoke. First, the case and power supply of the Mac Pro are world class. The motherboard is world class (look at the crappy capacitors your system has). Look at the RAM specs. There are plenty of cases where generic RAM like you're using won't work in Macs because they use a higher quality.

This is incorrect I'm afraid. Apple are the ones using generic memory; direct from from the top DRAM manufacturers, bar Micron (crucial memory). There is nothing special about Samsung and Hynix DIMMs. Buying from OCZ, Corsair, Crucial, Patriot etc will get you as quality good memory. The current Mac Pro hardware is crippled in comparison to other boards available, 4/8 memory slots instead of 6/12/18 found elsewhere, no support for 1333MHz memory because Apple disabled it. Supermicro, Tyan and Asus make very high quality server and workstation boards, Apple's isn't special. It'll stand up and do the job Apple sell it for, but it's not a shining example of quality.

 

[VenusianSky]

WOW! 6 cores, 32nm, 12MB cache, 3.33Ghz. Can't wait to see the Extreme price .

 

[flottenheimer]

130W!
Not exactly "green" is it?

 

[casik]

6 cores would bo cool... now only if i had 3 grand to go blow on a mac pro.... I agree with lots of the others in this section... we need a solution between the iMac and the MacPro... a headless solution that isn't 3 grand. I would go out and buy a i7 Mac without a display and with options to upgrade the ram and harddrives today if there was the option (sub $2000). I don't want to go waste my money on another barely upgradeable iMac like my last two computers that I have upgraded. I want to be able to upgrade Ram, HDs maybe a SSD boot drive and even a video card.

Dear Apple:

I love the iMac all in one... but seriously the amount of USB cables and extras I have attached to be able to "upgrade" is just rediculous. It looks as messy as any other computer. 3 external HDs.

 

[iMacmatician]

130W!
Not exactly "green" is it?

Yes it is, considering that Gulftown gives two more cores for the same clock speed and TDP as Bloomfield/Gainestown.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I don't think you've looked at other X58 boards.

Nor the other workstations being made by other manufacturers.

This is incorrect I'm afraid. Apple are the ones using generic memory; direct from from the top DRAM manufacturers, bar Micron (crucial memory). There is nothing special about Samsung and Hynix DIMMs. Buying from OCZ, Corsair, Crucial, Patriot etc will get you as quality good memory. The current Mac Pro hardware is crippled in comparison to other boards available, 4/8 memory slots instead of 6/12/18 found elsewhere, no support for 1333MHz memory because Apple disabled it. Supermicro, Tyan and Asus make very high quality server and workstation boards, Apple's isn't special. It'll stand up and do the job Apple sell it for, but it's not a shining example of quality.

Agreed, and let's not start talking about the other options you get with them as well. I've never seen a workstation machine get so little customization options as the Mac Pro.

 

[Bafflefish]

No. The the single quad Mac Pro uses the Xeon W3520, W3540 and W3580 processors. These are $284, $562 and $999 just like the Core i7-920, 940 and 975. Only the dual socket Mac Pro uses 5500 Xeons. The $1000-$1,500 difference in price between Apple's quad systems and what such hardware costs elsewhere isn't due to the processors being used.

I stand corrected. I had once read a disassembly report when the Nehalem-basd Mac Pros had first come out, and could have sworn that it had used the X5550. But I checked Anandtech's disassembly report and yep, it's the W3250 in the entry model.

ECC memory would account for a portion of the price discrepency, but in general I'd say it's simply Apple charging a premium.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

ECC memory would account for a portion of the price discrepency, but in general I'd say it's simply Apple charging a premium.

Aye, and what a premium it is, laddy!

 

[Bafflefish]

Aye, and what a premium it is, laddy!

Mac Pros are my favorite Apple product, so I'm not going to look too badly upon them. I do wish however that, at the very least, the entry model was i7 9** based. That way Apple could once again offer a Mac Pro around the $1500-1800 price point.

 

[Eidorian]

Mac Pros are my favorite Apple product, so I'm not going to look too badly upon them. I do wish however that, at the very least, the entry model was i7 9** based. That way Apple could once again offer a Mac Pro around the $1500-1800 price point.

The refurbished base 2.66 GHz W3520 Mac Pro at US$2,149 comes so close.

I'd rather have a refurbished iMac though if I was considering an Apple desktop.

 

[xbjllb]

I don't care if they put Steve Job's BRAIN in there as a processor...

I'm NOT upgrading until MacOS supports Blu-ray throughout and can help me deliver the Blu-ray discs my clients demand.

 

[lordonuthin]

I don't care if they put Steve Job's BRAIN in there as a processor...

FOR SALE: one Apple computer with Genuine Reality Distortion Processor® slightly used, needs 6 hrs in sleep mode every night, strictly digitarian - will stop working if fed meaty data, very demanding frontside bus, won't do ANY uninsightful algorithms, highly opinionated type shell, outstanding data security. The SteveOS X 10.9® will kill any memory leaks with denials and misinformation.

Buy now before another mismanaged company gets ahold of this unique relic, I mean artifact.

Price: priceless or $15 billion cash, no stocks please!

 

[beleafer85]

The problem is not the Mac Pro, but the fact that Apple has a huge gap in their lineup between the Mac Pro and the iMac. A large group of people, me included, wants a powerful and configurable mid-tower. We don't need a display and we want to be able add our own HDs and PCIe cards as needed. But we don't want to pay a gazillion dollars extra for Xeon server processors. i7 is fine for us.

Exactly! Thank you!

 

[xbjllb]

FOR SALE: one Apple computer with Genuine Reality Distortion Processor® slightly used, needs 6 hrs in sleep mode every night, strictly digitarian - will stop working if fed meaty data, very demanding frontside bus, won't do ANY uninsightful algorithms, highly opinionated type shell, outstanding data security. The SteveOS X 10.9® will kill any memory leaks with denials and misinformation.

Buy now before another mismanaged company gets ahold of this unique relic, I mean artifact.

Price: priceless or $15 billion cash, no stocks please!

Now THAT was PRICELESS and WELL-DESERVED I must say!

 

[MobileDisco]

Hey,
anyone of you guys can tell me anything a bit more specific about the release of the next mac book pro update?

My macbook got stolen a few days ago and now i got to decide when to buy a new one!
Thanks

 

[Digital Skunk]

Hey,
anyone of you guys can tell me anything a bit more specific about the release of the next mac book pro update?

My macbook got stolen a few days ago and now i got to decide when to buy a new one!
Thanks

It's a Mac Pro forum, but don't sweat that too much.

Honestly, the way things are right now, you should just go buy a refurbished one if you need a machine right now.

if you don't, then grab a new one right when new ones are released.

And you can always check the Macrumors buying guide.

 

[Fendorea]

3 months later.. no news.

Tomorrow it's exaclty 1 year ago till the last release.. Cmon Intel & Apple.. im waiting for over 5 months already!

 

[whizpup]

Bang for the Buck makes me move away from MacPro and into 27" iMac

Sure they're not the same animals but.. for 1/3 the cost and expandable to 16GB the new big iMacs makes more and more sense to me... And they're not far behind on processors ither...

 

[MSM Hobbes]

Sure they're not the same animals but.. for 1/3 the cost and expandable to 16GB the new big iMacs makes more and more sense to me... And they're not far behind on processors ither...

I too am in the same kinda boat - love the 24" white iMac I have, but due to more and more digital photography that am getting into, plus a Jr. in HS, and a 5th grader, and a lady that all clamor around the iMac [leaving me to play w. my MB ], am looking at either the 27" iMac i7 [refurb @ $1850] or the 8-core MP [refurb @ $2400 + 27" monitor, ~$500]... love the expandability and updateability of the MP, but almost ~2x the cost is cause for pause - until I recall that the iMac is a impenetrable closed box, no upgrades sans RAM, so it is what it is and always shall be,,, whereas the MP would give me a playable box, opportunity to put in better/newer graphics, larger/more HD's, FW3200 and/or LightWire and/or USB 3.0 [when it FINALLY is released], and so on. Am very curious to see though what Apple will do in the next month(s) or so... given that the MP is 368 days old now (Avg upgrade = 236 days), last upgrade March 3, 2009.

FOR SALE: one Apple computer with Genuine Reality Distortion Processor® slightly used, needs 6 hrs in sleep mode every night, strictly digitarian - will stop working if fed meaty data, very demanding frontside bus, won't do ANY uninsightful algorithms, highly opinionated type shell, outstanding data security. The SteveOS X 10.9® will kill any memory leaks with denials and misinformation.

Buy now before another mismanaged company gets ahold of this unique relic, I mean artifact.

Price: priceless or $15 billion cash, no stocks please!

 

[Keniff]

My 2006 quad core 2.66 MP with 5 Gig of Ram has been running fine for me. I've not noticed slowdown in any of my workflows and it's H.264 encoding has been acceptable. I recently put a Radeon 4870 in it (1 gig) and have been playing Bioshock at 2560x1600 with never a dip below 30 FPS....HOWEVER....

My wife is using a G4 iMac and I put her on notice that towards the end of next year I'll be looking at a New Mac Pro.....so she can have the 4 core machine.

I'm not doing it for me...it's for her, after all....

That's a plan so cunning, if you put a tail on it, you could call it a fox!