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.
New 12-Core Mac Pros Now Available for Order
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What does that have to do with anything? They use Xeon processors, not Athlon or Phenom. Although, the rumors say they may start using AMD processors in at least some of their computers, that isn't the case at the moment.
geez louise these prices are sick.. Im gonna start looking at the older used mac pros to run pro tools and logic in my studio... sheesh.......
Well, that is definitely true, intel does charge a lot for their processors, and that might be a factor if Apple ever decides to switch to AMD processors in the future, but for now, they don't give us a choice of AMD processors. Also, intel processors, last I checked anyway, tend to perform better than current-gen AMD processors, so if they ever used them, I would expect them to be in low end MBPs, MacBooks, and Mac Minis, not Mac Pros.
I am contemplating very much between getting the 6-core 3.33 or the dual quad cores. I have seen lots of posts before asking similar questions. Is there a good consensus on which will be more beneficial for video and photo editors?
I use FCP to edit HD video on my 2003 Power Mac G5 Dual 2.0GHz machine and it actually still can do it pretty well. I mean waiting for things to render in FC and things to encode in iDVD is quite painful so I'm guessing either choice (the 6 core or the dual quad) will really kick the crap out of my current rig!
Basically I'm wondering like someone else before me where you can find out if Final Cut Studio and Aperture/Photoshop utilize multiple cores or if the 6-core option would be the way to go at 3.33GHz of course. Also, didn't Steve mention a revamped Final Cut Studio coming soon? Wouldn't this most likely benefit from more cores and utilize multi-threading and the like?
Any help on this matter would be very much appreciated. I've waited 7 years for an upgrade I just want to make the same quality choice I did before and have a new computer last that long! Thanks!
I use FCP to edit HD video on my 2003 Power Mac G5 Dual 2.0GHz machine and it actually still can do it pretty well. I mean waiting for things to render in FC and things to encode in iDVD is quite painful so I'm guessing either choice (the 6 core or the dual quad) will really kick the crap out of my current rig!
Basically I'm wondering like someone else before me where you can find out if Final Cut Studio and Aperture/Photoshop utilize multiple cores or if the 6-core option would be the way to go at 3.33GHz of course. Also, didn't Steve mention a revamped Final Cut Studio coming soon? Wouldn't this most likely benefit from more cores and utilize multi-threading and the like?
Any help on this matter would be very much appreciated. I've waited 7 years for an upgrade I just want to make the same quality choice I did before and have a new computer last that long! Thanks!
how long before we start to see these being sold at the apple retail stores? I just called and the guy sounded like he didn't even know they were on sale online. He just said, "sometime in aug."
also, I know they tend to only stock the base of the single and dual cpu models. What will they upgrade in the stores? I would like to jump to 8gb of ram and up the vid card. Would they do that for me?
Thank you for the help.
jB
also, I know they tend to only stock the base of the single and dual cpu models. What will they upgrade in the stores? I would like to jump to 8gb of ram and up the vid card. Would they do that for me?
Thank you for the help.
jB
You can have double the cores in the same amount of sockets with an Opteron machine, so the performance will be competitive.
The 6100 CPUs also work in 4P configurations, so you can have cheap 4P machines.
Probably the best mix would be:
- 1-way: Phenom (for cheap ECC)
- 2-way: Xeon (for single-threading)
- 4-way: Opteron (for cheap power)
Hehe, I agree it's a bit silly. When/if I buy this new 6-core, I will buy it with those 3x1GB, throw them out immediately and replace them with Crucial 4 GB modules. That is much less expensive than any Apple RAM upgrade.
Either Apple doesn't want to be competitive at the high end or it can't be competitive at the high end.
A while back, Apple gave up on the rack mount storage business as it just couldn't compete. The poor value/price ratio of the current, old tech Xserve looks like Apple is soon to give up on the rack mount server business too. And with the latest Mac Pro offering, it appears that Apple will say goodbye to that line as well in a few more years.
Apple once offered ink jet printers, laser printers, scanners, still cameras, and all sorts of hardware that has since been dropped from its catalog. It's been a long time since they've had a product that could survive work-alike competition. Only the existence of Mac OS/X and the crapitude of Windows keeps Apple going in the all-in-one desktop market. How long until Apple gives up an that as well? If they can maximize profits by selling only consumer gadgets to indiscriminate hipsters, the end may be sooner than you think.
A while back, Apple gave up on the rack mount storage business as it just couldn't compete. The poor value/price ratio of the current, old tech Xserve looks like Apple is soon to give up on the rack mount server business too. And with the latest Mac Pro offering, it appears that Apple will say goodbye to that line as well in a few more years.
Apple once offered ink jet printers, laser printers, scanners, still cameras, and all sorts of hardware that has since been dropped from its catalog. It's been a long time since they've had a product that could survive work-alike competition. Only the existence of Mac OS/X and the crapitude of Windows keeps Apple going in the all-in-one desktop market. How long until Apple gives up an that as well? If they can maximize profits by selling only consumer gadgets to indiscriminate hipsters, the end may be sooner than you think.
As always...
The RAM prices are daylight robbery and the total package is actually competitive. I compared to the Dell Precision 7500 and the HP Z800, and with the same 2.66Ghz 6 Core Xeons (x2) and 6Gb of RAM the Mac Pro was about £200 more (£6700) but I had added the better graphics card (HD5870) than the same basic spec Dell and HP.
So at the high end, there is no Apple Tax for a serious workstation. The others are just as much. Its also impossible (in the UK) to buy a Z800 or Pr7500 Online with the same spec as a Mac Pro. You have to buy from a supplier who will rip you off just as much. So it actually evens out.
Of course the prices for the memory and SSD upgrades are SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS!
Apple is up to its usual tricks. The same rules seem to apply - upgrade the RAM and HD yourself.
The RAM prices are daylight robbery and the total package is actually competitive. I compared to the Dell Precision 7500 and the HP Z800, and with the same 2.66Ghz 6 Core Xeons (x2) and 6Gb of RAM the Mac Pro was about £200 more (£6700) but I had added the better graphics card (HD5870) than the same basic spec Dell and HP.
So at the high end, there is no Apple Tax for a serious workstation. The others are just as much. Its also impossible (in the UK) to buy a Z800 or Pr7500 Online with the same spec as a Mac Pro. You have to buy from a supplier who will rip you off just as much. So it actually evens out.
Of course the prices for the memory and SSD upgrades are SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS!
Apple is up to its usual tricks. The same rules seem to apply - upgrade the RAM and HD yourself.All these comparisons that show Apple dead-on with pricing parity when considering Dell, HP, etc dual Xeon boxes and this is what you come up with?
I don't know why so many people are getting worked up over the $5000 price of the top model? I just specced out a Sony Vaio Z notebook on their website and it came up to $5000. I'm saying this because it's just a notebook computer with a fraction of the power of the top Mac Pro for the same money. I've seen several workstations running over $5000 as well. Not that big of a deal. If you can't afford it, it's not for you.
exactly
I have been waiting for the Westmere upgrade to come, and having done the research I will be buying a Mac Pro. The HP and Dell options are pretty much the same price but the Mac has OSX. The memory and Hard drives I can add myself (and I can have windows as well)
I have been waiting for the Westmere upgrade to come, and having done the research I will be buying a Mac Pro. The HP and Dell options are pretty much the same price but the Mac has OSX. The memory and Hard drives I can add myself (and I can have windows as well)
Ymmv
The best thing to do is to wait for comparison tests on the quad, hex, octo and dodeca - on the software that you plan to run.
In particular, note that the octo and dodeca are NUMA machines with two independent banks of memory. If your operating system and application aren't NUMA-aware, performance can drop a lot on a dual socket machine.
The best thing to do is to wait for comparison tests on the quad, hex, octo and dodeca - on the software that you plan to run.
In particular, note that the octo and dodeca are NUMA machines with two independent banks of memory. If your operating system and application aren't NUMA-aware, performance can drop a lot on a dual socket machine.
The pros who really need big time calculation for video, rendering, or science aren't interested in ANY desktop. Instead, they will buy multiple, relatively inexpensive semi-generic rack mount servers from a very competitive market. These will be stuck in a dark server room where they belong. They don't need costly video cards because they don't need video output. They don't need a shiny deco-modern enclosure because no one but the system administrator is going to see them. And they don't need any Mac OS/X features other than its Unix underpinnings, and those can be provided for free by the Ubuntu 64 bit Server distribution.
Oh man,
First a bunch of you whine non-stop about Apple not offering the latest and greatest and now that Apple gives it to you, you whine non-stop about the price.
So what you want is...everything, but cheap.
Apple is in this to make a profit, remember, not as a public service. Shocking, I know.
Ordering mine up on Friday. Can't wait.
First a bunch of you whine non-stop about Apple not offering the latest and greatest and now that Apple gives it to you, you whine non-stop about the price.
So what you want is...everything, but cheap.
Apple is in this to make a profit, remember, not as a public service. Shocking, I know.
Ordering mine up on Friday. Can't wait.
There are indeed a lot of people who bought the single quad core chip instead of 2x4core along bare minimum ram that they intended to later upgrade with cheaper OWC ram. Im not sure how you came to that conclusion
And chances are if you are a professional using a Mac Pro most of the bundled iLife apps arent really added value. Also competitors have much better in-home servicing than AppleCare. I have seen people luggin their MPs on the subway and it didnt look like fun.
That's not fact, that your personal experience that proves nothing. I could tell you the same thing about me, does that prove anything?
While I applaud Apple for finally doing something to the Mac Pro, I again have to question the pricing. Baby Steps though I am sure.