First Benchmark Result Surfaces for Mac Pro With M2 Ultra Chip

[Ethosik]

Which software encoder did you use? Which codec? Which Profile? Settings?

If you just used a mediocre to poor software encoder (Adobe, Apple, etc.), that may be. With a very good software encoder, like x265, this contradicts my own experience and those I've read about (e.g. here, Handbrake forum, etc.).

I have tried many programs and configurations. It’s pretty common that file sizes are about the same with single pass software encoding.

Like I said, it really doesn’t matter. It’s not like the file size is 100MB with software encoding but 700GB with hardware encoding. The best difference I have seen in my workload is when I configure it for multi pass and very slow software encoding. But that makes my export take two days. Yes 48 hours for ONE PROJECT. Compared to 5 hours hardware.

I have 150TB NAS. Getting a second one. Storage is relatively cheap these days. I would rather use hardware encoding than software when I can’t even tell the difference visually.

 

[DeepIn2U]

And with that, any reason to get this over the Mac Studio is now gone. There is now ZERO reason at all to buy a giant Mac Pro over the smaller Studio

"But the Mac Pro can be rack mountable!"

So can the Mac Studio, even moreso since it's considerably smaller so you can mount a lot more

"But I need the Mac Pro for the PCIE to put my BlackMagic cards in!"

Do you? Do you really? Because BlackMagic PCIE is slowly on it's way out as there's external rack mounted boxes that are performing better than the PCIE cards did.

Even Neil Parfitt, the audio studio pro who famously unboxed a fully specced Rack Mount Mac Pro, is saying the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is kinda redundant

I don't see a future for the Mac Pro anymore.

5:11 ... WHY is this guy talking about swapping out his entire motherboard as something modular?!
Even 15yrs ago moving out your entire motherboard was NOT something users even on Windows PC's thought as something modular (essentially buying a new CASE). Sure a that would occur if a case offered you something unique but its NOT something one would consider as modular as some cases would not align port holes etc properly. Different cases for different use cases.

 

[enb141]

5:11 ... WHY is this guy talking about swapping out his entire motherboard as something modular?!
Even 15yrs ago moving out your entire motherboard was NOT something users even on Windows PC's thought as something modular (essentially buying a new CASE). Sure a that would occur if a case offered you something unique but its NOT something one would consider as modular as some cases would not align port holes etc properly. Different cases for different use cases.

Agreed with you. Reusing case, even in the PC world is very hard, I had to retire my old good Antec P180 because that case only had USB 1.1 Front Panel (not even 2.0) and because there were no space for radiators.

In apple world, this is even way no to, they won't sell you parts, apple only sells complete products, this has always be their way of doing business.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Agreed with you. Reusing case, even in the PC world is very hard, I had to retire my old good Antec P180 because that case only had USB 1.1 Front Panel (not even 2.0) and because there were no space for radiators.

In apple world, this is even way no to, they won't sell you parts, apple only sells complete products, this has always be their way of doing business.

I can appreciate the need to upgrade from USB 1.1 ports ... but most likely that was the motherboard or the case daughter board - which could have been replaced and for a LOT cheaper than purchasing and less time consuming moving the entire computer platform components to a new case no?

 

[enb141]

I can appreciate the need to upgrade from USB 1.1 ports ... but most likely that was the motherboard or the case daughter board - which could have been replaced and for a LOT cheaper than purchasing and less time consuming moving the entire computer platform components to a new case no?

No, there was no way to upgrade the front panel of the case, if there were a way to buy those parts to upgrade I would buy them instead but there were no options for that.

Also as I said, that case wasn't designed to handle 3x120 radiators/fans, which is very common now days, that case only supports 1x120 radiators/fans.