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Mac Pro refresh?
- Thread starter Zeldain
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I wouldn't imagine it will happen much sooner that August. The pro is usually only refreshed about once every 12-13 months.
The CPUs for Mac Pro (i.e. Sandy Bridges with LGA 1356 and 2011 sockets) won't be out until Q4 2011 so we are looking at late 2011 or early 2012 update.
Ah wasn't aware of that...
I was wondering/hoping that Apple might speed up the refresh/update since dropping the Xserve, but this makes that look unlikely.See, that's the issue. It's one thing about processor availability, etc... but 18 months between updates?
That's ridiculous to still be paying a premium, for example, for severely outdated graphics card (of which there isn't even an Apple upgrade path from, even if I wanted to let them gouge me for it.)
Thunderbolt can be added via PCIe card, no need for a complete refresh. Sooner than later there should be a 3rd party PCIe card that works in a Mac Pro.
Not according to CNET via the home page on this very site:
10:25 a.m. (Dong Ngo) : There won't be TB PCIe cards it seems. You'll need a new computer.
10:34 a.m. (Dong Ngo) : There won't be add-in TB adapters, you'll need a new computer/motherboard that supports TB.
Weird and disappointing. I'd been looking forward to adding in TB to my MP. I suspect a very minor refresh in the next few weeks. I'll bet MP sales drop off as people wait for the TB enabled models.
So Intel will build Drop in cards for their customers but not the general public?
That will go down well.
You should only need another computer/motherboard if you only have 1 x 16PCI slot or something. As the Mac Pro from 2008 onwards has more than 1 it shouldn't be a problem for many.
That will go down well.
You should only need another computer/motherboard if you only have 1 x 16PCI slot or something. As the Mac Pro from 2008 onwards has more than 1 it shouldn't be a problem for many.
No drop-in card for lightpeak is hugely disappointing. That means all existing hundreds of millions of PCs can't upgrade to lightpeak.
Aren't those the high end chips... isn't this what Apple would use in the Mac Pro? Apple never goes for the top end tech:
http://www.servethehome.com/intel-xeon-e3-1220-sandy-bridge-benchmarks-review/
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the current Mac Pro Xeons are based on Core i7.
That article seems to be about Core i3 Xeons.
Apple have always used the top tier of Intel processors intended for workstations.
The ones that are scheduled for release on Q4 will be around $2000 just for the CPU. Apple will not use those.
Where did you get that price?
If Apple still wants to call the Mac Pro a "workstation", they have to use workstation grade processors, which are XEONs, and as already said before, those are scheduled for Q4.
Suitable processors have 2 to 8 cores and the mid stream processors (4 to 6 cores) won't be any more expensive than current 4 or 6 core processors.
The desktop processors aren't more expensive either, so why would the XEONs?
Well, the chips released already are Xeons
http://www.servethehome.com/intel-xeon-e3-1220-sandy-bridge-benchmarks-review/
I don't claim to have all of the knowledge about why they would or wouldn't wait for the Q4 Xeons... I guess that's why I'm still posting here.
I just don't see a 20 month release cycle for the Mac Pro particularly when something as big for the Pro market for Thunderbolt has hit.
I don't know if I buy this. Thunderbolt is just another bus protocol. If anything, someone could implement a bridge between PCIe and Thunderbolt, much like in the past they had PCI to ISA bridges, PCIe to PCI bridges, and so on.
The only reason I could think of that this wouldn't happen is if Intel or Apple decide not to license any add-in Thunderbolt host adapters. And if they do this, they suck big time.
Never underestimate ingenuity. In particular, ingenuity of Chinese companies who can implement what western companies won't and make millions selling $5 cards. (I've yet to see things like USB to IDE adapters and firewire SCSI cards from western companies!)
Those chips are SP versions only and have only up to 4 cores.
The suitable chips for the Mac Pro are socket R (LGA 2011) processors, with both SP and MP versions and up to 8 cores.
Why would Apple release a new 4-core only Mac Pro and half a year later release a completely new machine with new internals again to finally utilise socket R chips? That would be far from cost effective and therefore highly unlikely.
Well, the chips released already are Xeons
http://www.servethehome.com/intel-xeon-e3-1220-sandy-bridge-benchmarks-review/
I don't claim to have all of the knowledge about why they would or wouldn't wait for the Q4 Xeons... I guess that's why I'm still posting here.
...Those cheapo CPU´s are not attended for MacPro´s...
Feel free to do some research before posting.