Mac Pro Updates? + Recommendation for a budget!

[acearchie]

Recently I have just got enough money for a base Nahelem Mac Pro and noticed that in the buyers guide it is close to the end of an update cycle.

Any ideas on what we will see?

Incidently I will be using the Mac for mostly video editing, compositing and to get started in some 3D work. Anyone got an ideal machine for the student on a tight budget? (i.e. Nahelem or the old 2.8?)

Thanks

 

[Hellhammer]

Middle 2010, Gulftown

 

[acearchie]

Middle 2010, Gulftown

Really, even though its so expensive? I can't see the basic machine having it!

 

[pr33tz]

Why not pick up a refurb? £2099 gets you a 3.2 octo which is a better overall machine than the base Nehalem.

 

[alphaod]

Really, even though its so expensive? I can't see the basic machine having it!

It's expensive because the parts are expensive and Apple can charge this much. It won't get updated until Intel puts out new parts that's work updating to and I don't think Apple will switch to AMD anytime soon.

 

[acearchie]

Why not pick up a refurb? £2099 gets you a 3.2 octo which is a better overall machine than the base Nehalem.

This is the very question I am wondering? Is the newer tech really worth the large introductory price even though the 2.8 octo from early 2008 beats it in most benchmark tests.

Does snow leopard make a difference with the newer machines? (Even though I realise that the multiple cores will be accesible on the older machines too)

 

[alphaod]

This is the very question I am wondering? Is the newer tech really worth the large introductory price even though the 2.8 octo from early 2008 beats it in most benchmark tests.

Does snow leopard make a difference with the newer machines? (Even though I realise that the multiple cores will be accesible on the older machines too)

If you can find the older generation model for a good price it is definitely worth it. Most parts are cheaper and almost all peripherals for the 2009 model works on it. You really won't find much of a difference between the 2009 and 2008 model unless you're always crunching numbers and encoding videos.

 

[Macinposh]

It's expensive because the parts are expensive and Apple can charge this much. It won't get updated until Intel puts out new parts that's work updating to and I don't think Apple will switch to AMD anytime soon.

Yup. The intel is really bending peeps over as they dont have competition from the AMD atm..
Gen after gen gets a price hike.
Ad to that that apple wants to keep its margins,it takes us where we are at the moment. And my wild guess is that gulftown will ad a 10-15% to todays prices,if not more.

I personally would get a refurb at the moment,if I would have to buy a rig.
Best bang for buck.
Most of the proaps are still so bloody poorly multithreaded that I will pass on making a investment present MPs until the CS5s and FCP 8s are around.
IF they start to be optimized.
If.

 

[acearchie]

Most of the proaps are still so bloody poorly multithreaded that I will pass on making a investment present MPs until the CS5s and FCP 8s are around.
IF they start to be optimized.
If.

But surely even the 2006 quad cores would be good at multicore work if I were to buy one?

Hopefully I have my eye's set on a 2008 2.8Ghz if I can actually find a decent price!

Anyone know any good stores apart from the refurb where I might have a shot?

Thanks

 

[Macinposh]

But surely even the 2006 quad cores would be good at multicore work if I were to buy one?

Actually,yes.

For example the photoshop test :

MacPro "Nehalem"
2.66 Dual Quad
12GB RAM
Boot Drive: 640GB WD Caviar Blue
Skratch Disk: RAID 0 Seagate Barracuda (2x 750GB)
CS4

23 Seconds.

08 Mac pro 2.8x8
2 gb ram
Leopard, CS3

26.4 seconds

PS CS 3
MP 4x3.00
Raid10
CS3
10Gb
10.4.11

=27.8s

So...

And programs like color,fcp and compressor are very poorly threaded as well,so you dont get all the benefits in them either.
But obviously there is progs that scale well.You just have to know if you program of choice is among them or not.