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Do we have a definitive answer yet?
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The biggest obstacle, even if the MB has 2 CPU sockets, will be getting a second heat sink. Apple uses unique, proprietary heatsinks and they won't sell you a second one.
why do you have to have the exact same heatsink though?
from what i've seen it looks a lot like this one:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-001-SB&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821
Any top of the range heatsink will cool a xeon chip just fine, i don't see what the fuss is all about
from what i've seen it looks a lot like this one:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-001-SB&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821
Any top of the range heatsink will cool a xeon chip just fine, i don't see what the fuss is all about
The space is exactly shaped for the Apple heat sink. Anything else with either not fit, or not work in the same way. The entire case and cooling system is designed as a whole: inserting a foreign body into it is likely to impede it's performance.
The LGA771/socket J spec. holds sway over mounting hole spacing and recommends max dimensions for radiators. Apple tends to use metric screws though ( M3, 0.5 pitch ) rather than SAE sizes ( #6-32 )
Apple heat sinks can be ordered through any AASP/GSX shop. Heat sink for 2.8/3.0 is Apple part number #076-1303.
Apple heat sinks can be ordered through any AASP/GSX shop. Heat sink for 2.8/3.0 is Apple part number #076-1303.
by the time you really need to put a second XEON chip in the quad MacPro you'd probably be able to get a new quad or octo machine anyway. It would be nice if there was some gain in it either immediately or in 2 years but I don't think it would really be worth it.
Yes it is possible.
Whether you'd want to do it is another matter since procuring a fitting heatsink might be a little tough. If you do find one and are able to pick up a matching processor, you could end up saving some money.
That's a lot of "if"s to save $500 up front.
well, it's not just the $500 up front. You'd be able to save $500 now, sell the 2.8 chip later, and upgrade to the octo 3.2 (or the 4.6 or whatever) for what it would cost in 2010 and not what it would cost in 2008.
yes, there's always a marginal cost-benefit to these sorts of things, but if you could outlay $300 in 2 years for two 3.2 quad chips, sell a 2.8 chip for $100, and save $500 now, and end up with a 3.2 octo in 2010 and a perfectly serviceable 2.8 quad now, well, for some people, that would be a good plan.
Or rather, that might be a good plan.
yes, there's always a marginal cost-benefit to these sorts of things, but if you could outlay $300 in 2 years for two 3.2 quad chips, sell a 2.8 chip for $100, and save $500 now, and end up with a 3.2 octo in 2010 and a perfectly serviceable 2.8 quad now, well, for some people, that would be a good plan.
Or rather, that might be a good plan.
I thought about it when ordering a single quad. I would've gotten it now that I think about it, I plan on getting a new nahlem Mac Pro anyway down the line so it's not that big of an issue at this point. I'm running 6gb of ram and have 4 processors, that's still ridiculous!
Now you are being realistic. The tea leaves will not even foretell what the "State of Computerism" will be in 2 years. But, like anything else, it's a gamble.
realism
Well, yeah, no one knows nothing for sure, but what I don't like in many of the responses to this question is the assumption that we all have $3000 laying around to spend on a system every few years. If you were working on a strict $2,000 budget, and needed the upgradeability of the Mac Pro's hard-drives, graphics card, and possibly processor, then you might be persuaded by this line of thinking: buy it now, and upgrade it back to a usable system for $500 in two years.
Particularly for "switchers," this idea that Macs are an end rather than a beginning is a strange thing. I've been over on the imac/mac pro side for so long that I hardly remember, but back in the day I had a Windows box that I built myself and just swapped in new parts when something new came along: the pentium became a celeron, which became a pentium, the cd-drive became a dvd-drive, etc, etc. That particular box lasted for close to 7 years, and while I did upgrade the motherboard a couple times, and by the end of its life, nothing was left from the beginning, I did stay within my budget.
Apple will really be aware of the potentials of its market once it starts to consider these sorts of things: make the quad upgradable and if it stays within my yearly technology budget, I'll go that route. Otherwise, I'm saving up for another 6 years in-between....
Well, yeah, no one knows nothing for sure, but what I don't like in many of the responses to this question is the assumption that we all have $3000 laying around to spend on a system every few years. If you were working on a strict $2,000 budget, and needed the upgradeability of the Mac Pro's hard-drives, graphics card, and possibly processor, then you might be persuaded by this line of thinking: buy it now, and upgrade it back to a usable system for $500 in two years.
Particularly for "switchers," this idea that Macs are an end rather than a beginning is a strange thing. I've been over on the imac/mac pro side for so long that I hardly remember, but back in the day I had a Windows box that I built myself and just swapped in new parts when something new came along: the pentium became a celeron, which became a pentium, the cd-drive became a dvd-drive, etc, etc. That particular box lasted for close to 7 years, and while I did upgrade the motherboard a couple times, and by the end of its life, nothing was left from the beginning, I did stay within my budget.
Apple will really be aware of the potentials of its market once it starts to consider these sorts of things: make the quad upgradable and if it stays within my yearly technology budget, I'll go that route. Otherwise, I'm saving up for another 6 years in-between....
In the 1950's it was "Father Knows Best". Now it "Steve Jobs Knows Best".
If you put "for you" after each one of the above sentences, then you'll get the full meaning.
No dice.
The 3.2 apparently has a different logic board part number so you'll have to change a lot more to get that sweet upgrade.
The state of computing in a couple of years is an unknown - by the time you think you need to upgrade, the 8 core MacPro will have become an old school box.
Good luck with your upgrade plans though, we're rooting for you!