Keep in mind, you can't place a "total amount" to that while she's still breathing...
Same thing with kids.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Is a Mac Pro overpriced? Real world comparison with Dell
- Thread starter pale9
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Same thing with kids.
I've got a Dell Dimension 4300S that's at least eight-years-old. Probably more like nine. Anyways, the BIOS refused to load about a year ago, so I nabbed its HDD and RAM and put that in a PowerMac I received. Well now the BIOS will load, but I've reformatted the HDD as HFS+ and put a ton of data on it, so putting it back is a no-go. This computer is still useful, I just need a HDD.
I've also got a Toshiba Infinia 7650 and that works, but again, no HDD. That's actually fifteen-years-old or more. I'd like to put IBM TopView on it.
My desktops last a lot longer than everybody else's, apparently.
IMO, the Mac Pro is overpriced. You can get a comparable Dell or HP for the same or less money. A lot less if you can live with a Core i7 or i5 or Core 2 Quad.
I've also got a Toshiba Infinia 7650 and that works, but again, no HDD. That's actually fifteen-years-old or more. I'd like to put IBM TopView on it.
My desktops last a lot longer than everybody else's, apparently.
IMO, the Mac Pro is overpriced. You can get a comparable Dell or HP for the same or less money. A lot less if you can live with a Core i7 or i5 or Core 2 Quad.
Yep. Few people truly needs SP Xeon processors, as they don't need ECC RAM.
Xeon's are a necessity for a DP system, but you can do better there too, if you look. And don't go by the web pricing. Call. It will be less $$$ that way.
How is it a necessity? I don't see why you need a server-grade processor if you want more than one processor in your system.
You need the second QPI interface to communicate with the second CPU, and possibly a second chipset.
The SP models only have a single QPI, and can't interface with another chip. But since they're only SP models, they're an i7-9xx part with ECC enabled. Systems engineering at it's finest.
Now take into consideration the additional parts/options available, they can give you more customization at a lower cost than the Quad MP. If a user is willing, they can even hack it to run OS X, if need be. A Core i5 (uses DMI rather than QPI, has fewer PCIe lanes, and 2 DDR3 channels) may also be an option for those who don't need everything in the SP Xeon's or the Core i7-9xx parts, which allows you to save a substantial bit of funds.
And I thought my computers sat idle 99% of the time.and you will actually use them
Just another example of the painful gap between the iMac and Mac Pro.
OK, re-did the configuration, now an more equal match
$2,462 (with a $300 discount)
somebody said with dell you could duplicate a quadcore mac pro for half the price... thats balony, with this config i have taken into consideration the CPU which in the Dell is now slower 2.4 vs. 2.66 but somewhat higher gt/s. there is no identical configuration. The Dell also has a graphics card with only 256 vs. 512 and the HD is smaller too.
Who would take this machine over the Apple at $2,400.....?
$2,462 (with a $300 discount)
- Dell Precision T7500 Workstation Single Processor
- Genuine Windows Vista® Business Bonus 64 -Windows XP Professional downgrade
- Quad Core Intel® Xeon® Processor E5530 2.4GHz,8M L3,5.8GT/s, turbo
- 3GB, DDR3 Memory, 1066MHz, ECC (3 DIMMS)
- 3 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 3 Year NBD On-Site Service
- 256MB NVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 295, 2MON, 2 DP w/ 1 DP to DVI Adapter
- C1 All SATA drives, Non-RAID, 1 drive total configuration
- Integrated LSI 1068e SAS/SATA 3.0Gb/s controller
- 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ and 16MB DataBurst Cache™
- 16X DVD+/-RW w/ Cyberlink PowerDVD™ and Roxio Creator™
somebody said with dell you could duplicate a quadcore mac pro for half the price... thats balony, with this config i have taken into consideration the CPU which in the Dell is now slower 2.4 vs. 2.66 but somewhat higher gt/s. there is no identical configuration. The Dell also has a graphics card with only 256 vs. 512 and the HD is smaller too.
Who would take this machine over the Apple at $2,400.....?
my CPU usage is normally pretty high, its only low when i go to bed and leave my computer on - but then again sometimes i might be converting a movie or whatever.And I thought my computers sat idle 99% of the time.
its not like i do anything THAT intense 24/7, but i do like to have the overhead ready for when i need it.
you would leave the iMac dual core and have apple implement a low end quad (mobile quad?) for an xMac type system?
It just feel that there are quite a few users that bought a Mac Pro only to have it sit idle.
Well Apple did skip mobile Core 2 Quad and the 65W LGA775 S Series.
The iMac can handle up to a 55W processor since it did manage the older stepping of the E8435.
you cant get angry at them for spending their hard earned cash (even if they are completely ignorant).
i know that when i purchase computers i get something more powerful then what i need, i would buy the top end MP if i had the money, but i would make it last a good ten years. the initial investment is nothing over that time period.
that it can, but how likely is it that apple will actually do it? i dont see apple implementing quads for quite some time.
I remember spending $79 to upgrade my RAM to 4 GB and someone else got Apple to do it for $700.
It's my hobby so I spend quite a bit of money on computer hardware. I end up with several spare computers though. I need to see if I can give one to a sibling and a friend for Christmas.
We've only been waiting since 2006.
Now we have the disparity between Core 2 and Nehalem in force.
The Xeon 55xx parts /= Xeon 35xx parts. You don't seem to grasp that concept. The additional QPI channel adds to the cost, and it's enough that any comparison between an SP system using each is flawed.
Much like the addage of "Trying to put a square peg through a round hole". It just doesn't work.
You can.
Go to the T3500 page, and customize it. Make sure you select the W3520 processor, and the 1394 card. That's a base to base comparison. You can adjust for memory and HDD if you wish. The graphics cards aren't the same, so a direct part per part comparison is impossible. This is intentional on Apple's part btw.
But most anyone customizes their systems anyway, and do this via 3rd party, as it's cheaper. The graphics cards are cheaper on the PC side, which is well known. Memory and HDD's are on parity, especially if you use a 3rd party source, as all vendors overcharge for things like memory, graphics,.... Apple's just worse about it, especially with graphics cards.
And don't forget to add Apple Care to any system you get from Apple, as the Dell's do come with a 3yr On Site warranty in the price.
Even the T7500 in a DP config (2* E5520's, used in the base Octad) is cheaper. MSRP on the website is $2356USD.
That's a savings of $943USD. You can get a hardware RAID controller for that, and even a drive or two. This btw, is ugly in a MP, as you'd need an adapter to use the HDD bays, which adds $165USD to the cost (and Apple doesn't make it). They have their own card, and it's total crap.
Don't underthink the other aspects of a system, as Apple's proprietary nature will bite your wallet on more than just graphics card choices and the initial cost of the system itself.
thats when the ignorant part comes into itI remember spending $79 to upgrade my RAM to 4 GB and someone else got Apple to do it for $700.
but i dont see somebody who uses the internet/mail/itunes and purchases a 8-core MP a problem. sure it may be overkill but the machine will last a very long time for them. it also allows expandability etc.keep them
turn them into a server cluster or something fun!We've only been waiting since 2006.
Now we have the disparity between Core 2 and Nehalem in force.
have we really? i cant really see apple using desktop quads in the iMac.. do you really think they would create a new "desktop" iMac? (with desktop parts that is).
It happens more often than you think. "Future proofing" is a trap that many people fall in to. I keep track of the roadmaps so I space out my upgrades with them. The latest one for me was a Q6600 to a Core i5 750. My passive 4830 is more than enough for now too.thats when the ignorant part comes into it
Nah I can get a few of my friends to game with me if I can just get them a new computer. A 4 year old Pentium 4 Dell with no PCI-Express slots is BRAND NEW to them.keep them
I've said this so many times over the past 3 years years. Apple rushed out the iMac Core Duo instead of waiting for Conroe/Meron and we get the strange 64 -> 32 -> 64-bit progression on the iMac.
There's a few at least that fully agree with this. Some could argue the OS X vs. Windows bit, but it's not the same as it was before. Win 7 is due out very shortly, and it's an improvement over XP and Vista (especially prior to SP1
).Personally, the hardware and software is just a tool, and if you look at any combination (that's possible), you can find flaws in it. Nothing's perfect.
with a constant income yes your upgrades make perfect sense. for me they are completely unfeasible. i saved up 3 years to buy my MBP, i still have it now. i am just starting to think about upgrading now as the computer is getting VERY long in the teeth. i could have upgraded after a year but you know..
time to upgrade your friends me thinksNah I can get a few of my friends to game with me if I can just get them a new computer. A 4 year old Pentium 4 Dell with no PCI-Express slots is BRAND NEW to them.
oh you do not have to tell me about that! i am one of the ones who got sucked into the whole "new intel" thing, i have the CD MBP! 5 days after i bought it they bought out the 64-bit C2Ds. boy was i pissed.
I thought I had it bad. Good luck! Now I need to get new brakes for my car.
Lynnfield is out now so there are more options than going with Bloomfield.
Most definitely. I have a few OEM copies of XP laying around as well.time to upgrade your friends me thinks
Yeah I got my iMac Core Duo a month before they refreshed to Core 2 Duo. Then again I got the education discount and sold off the free iPod. I then sold the iMac off and waited 5 months until the MacBooks went Santa Rosa. Now mind you that was a week after the Leopard launch and everyone waited for Leopard to come out and JUMPED on the GMA950 MacBooks. I get Leopard preinstalled and Santa Rosa.
That paid off well.Yeah I got my iMac Core Duo a month before they refreshed to Core 2 Duo. Then again I got the education discount and sold off the free iPod. I then sold the iMac off and waited 5 months until the MacBooks went Santa Rosa. Now mind you that was a week after the Leopard launch and everyone waited for Leopard to come out and JUMPED on the GMA950 MacBooks. I get Leopard preinstalled and Santa Rosa.
I don't follow the laptop/iMacs in depth, as they won't work for me, and professionally aren't even an afterthought.
i also need new brakes haha! but a computer is more useful, i dont care about my life i care about my computer!I thought I had it bad. Good luck! Now I need to get new brakes for my car.
im not sure if i should go a mid/high end 15" MBP, or get a netbook (hack it of course) and build a nice i5 rig for $1500Aus.
that makes it alot harder for me to decide haha!
Yeah I got my iMac Core Duo a month before they refreshed to Core 2 Duo. Then again I got the education discount and sold off the free iPod. I then sold the iMac off and waited 5 months until the MacBooks went Santa Rosa. Now mind you that was a week after the Leopard launch and everyone waited for Leopard to come out and JUMPED on the GMA950 MacBooks. I get Leopard preinstalled and Santa Rosa.
yea i got mine sorta cheap, my dad got an education discount and salary-sacrificed it (basically taking off ~30% of the costs over a few years), so it was not TOO bad.
i will have to plan out my attack of this new upgrade. i am uncertain.
PCs are cheaper if you compare part to part, but it's not too much of a difference.
You can configure a dell workstation here http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&oc=MLB1048_64bit&s=biz
And the Mac Pro here http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/browse/home/shop_mac/family/mac_pro?mco=MTA4MTg2MjM
If you do the quad core, the dell is about $1000 cheaper excluding the graphics card.
I also noticed this too:
the Mac Pro doesn't do that does it?
Kind Regards
The duals are competitive, it is when you drop to the entry level tower that makes people squeal about overpriced HW.
Since Apple killed off their low end $1299-1499 towers, Apple users have felt the lack of lubricant while visiting the Apple sales floor to buy their towers.
Since Apple killed off their low end $1299-1499 towers, Apple users have felt the lack of lubricant while visiting the Apple sales floor to buy their towers.
shows how useful the lower end machines were then. pay an extra ~$1k-$2k and get a machine that lasts much longer!