Professionals Successfully Push Mac Pro to Absurd Limits With 558-Day Video Timeline in Final Cut Pro

[Naimfan]

What a sterile debate.

If you don't think the new MP meets your needs, don't buy one.

And for those who haven't heard: To think that any of the decisions around the design, engineering, production, support, marketing, et al, were intentionally downgraded by Apple in a vacuum, or just because they felt like it, only one conclusion is possible - that you're ignorant of all the complexities involved.

 

[paulsdenton]

What a sterile debate.

If you don't think the new MP meets your needs, don't buy one.

And for those who haven't heard: To think that any of the decisions around the design, engineering, production, support, marketing, et al, were intentionally downgraded by Apple in a vacuum, or just because they felt like it, only one conclusion is possible - that you're ignorant of all the complexities involved.

Hits the nail right on the head!

Most of the comments in this thread seem to be from people who don't have one and don't intend to get one. That's fine, but I do have one and it's FABULOUS. Chews through video conversions at several times the rate of anything else I've ever had. I'm not interested in cobbling together some half apple machine to make a point. I bought mine for results and I got them. It just works. Like they said it would.

 

[chirpie]

Ofc you can't say that the cards are the same

But you can and did.

You know that the D700 cards in the nMP ARE HD7970?

Maybe it's your writing style, but it's hard to tell when you are and aren't being literal.

 

[winston1236]

500,000 pixel wide timeline

Sounds like some files an intern handed off to me once.

 

[TheDoctor7x]

E5-1650 - $550
2 Firepro D500 - $490 a piece ($980)
12 GB DDR3 1866 ECC - $180
Motherboard - $160
PSU - $90
256 GB SSD - $140

= $2,100~

Apple Mac Pro cost - $2,999

I don't even pay the prices mentioned above, anyone with Google does. I pay even less, probably $1,900. So $1,000 off. I didn't include a case or any 'innovation' though.

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"It is. Period.."

That's not how you make a point. If fitting already existing components into a smaller case is innovative to you then Apple has a fan for life and doesn't have to do much.

The retina displays are innovative. Touch ID as well. Motion co-processor. They are plenty innovative, but shrinking a tower is not new. They shrunk the iMac a while back if you heard. They shrink things all the time.

Clearly, you're high or an idiot and here's why:
Listing a single D500 as $490 isn't only laughably wrong, it's intellectually disingenuous. A D500 is a Firepro W8000 with slightly worse specs. The W8000 retails on Newegg for $1300 a piece. If we were to knock off even $300 per GPU (I'm sure the real discount is less), we'd get $2000 in just graphics cards. Your computer is up to $3100.

A E5-1650 V2 is $580 (a minute difference). Your computer is up to $3400.

The SSD in the MP is no ordinary SSD. If you want to match it's performance, your SSD has to be capable of gigabit/second read and write speeds. The only one I've found that gets close is this:Cavalry High Speed 256GB MLC PCIe SSD - OEM for $430. Your computer is up to $3700.

I don't have time to go into everything else, but you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Next time you decide you want to comment on something, try a little reading beforehand.

Sources:
http://architosh.com/2013/10/the-mac-pro-so-whats-a-d300-d500-and-d700-anyway-we-have-answers/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195117
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3X518W4231

 

[TruthFinder]

E5-1650 - $550
2 Firepro D500 - $490 a piece ($980)
12 GB DDR3 1866 ECC - $180
Motherboard - $160
PSU - $90
256 GB SSD - $140

= $2,100~

Apple Mac Pro cost - $2,999

I made this account for the purpose of responding back to you. Your math is very much off, or you're getting some very good deals.

Now, I like the truth, and backing up what I say. It sounds like you're a DYI person who loves building his own machines, right? If you are, you should be familiar with www.pcpartspicker.com - a website that finds the lowest price for most computer parts, and checks compatibility between them.

So I decided to go there, and try to build one. What price did I get for an entry level MacPro equivalent?

$3,800

What parts did I use? Go http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3fZn2 and see for yourself.

Now, is this a match-for-match to a MacPro? No, it is not. It doesn't have a motherboard with ECC Ram, and the Ram isn't ECC. The motherboard might not fit in the case, and the motherboard might not handle the Thunderbolt cards, and the power supply might not have enough wattage. Plus, the D300 isn't as good as a W7000, but I just did a quick job, and not too much research on this.

But I'm sure my list is a whole lot closer spec-for-spec then your list.

(I'm assuming you're trying to spec the entry level machine, the D500/ W8000 is in the mid-range. If you want to include the W8000, add another $1,000 to my total).

Unless, of course, you're willing to cite your source, ideally from pcpartspicker.com , so we can all look at your sources, build our own MacPro, and undercut Apple.

(Note, I do not work for pcpartspicker.com , I just really like their site).

 

[Keebler]

What you've forgotten is that the Mac Pro requires significantly more peripherals than a normal desktop.
If you add the inefficiencies of all the external enclosures things aren't looking so good are they and let's be honest. There will be peripherals. Lots.
Four extra hard drives requires at least one additional box with its power supply and not forgetting the hardware costs of this box and packaging and green footprint of the whole setup.
ROI might look a little different now?

You are correct - I seriously did forget about the peripherals. I'll admit that.

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Hits the nail right on the head!

Most of the comments in this thread seem to be from people who don't have one and don't intend to get one. That's fine, but I do have one and it's FABULOUS. Chews through video conversions at several times the rate of anything else I've ever had. I'm not interested in cobbling together some half apple machine to make a point. I bought mine for results and I got them. It just works. Like they said it would.

Well I am one of the jealous ones! I have a 12 core 2010 and I'm very much considering selling it and another older Mac Pro to make the funds to buy one.

I find rendering colour correction on old VHS and camcorder dv files takes longer than I like.
Then outputting to DVD or h.264 files isn't as snappy as I'd like (although I use a Matrox card for the latter).

You seem to be one of the folks who realizes that time is money and if you're time to finish something decreases, you get paid faster therefore able to pay it off faster and more efficiently without headaches.

I like that line of thinking!

 

[epic-retouching]

Seriously, how long has it been since a stock Mac ran with water cooling?

huh? I am talking about water cooling on PCs.

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I find it weird how these so called video professionals that need this kind of power always go on about how expensive it is, the mac pro is cheap as chips when you compare it to their other expenses like $30k cameras etc. Not to mention the money they make off each project would pay for 5-6 of these machines alone.

I think we have a lot of wannabe pros out there on PCs thinking they are know it alls and have never worked in a professional environment and not even joined a team for a B grade movie. Just hobbyists thinking they're something more than they are.. Reminds me of that AdobePC guy on youtube, he makes awful videos in terms of visual, audio and narrative yet thinks he is king of it. He is also very arrogant, typical Apple hater.

 

[4jasontv]

Something like that would sell for a price in the six figures. Make it for charity (like a project red) and that figure won't start with a 1.

I guess I wasn't clear. Cost had no relevance. I want them to spend what they need, and make a Mac like no Mac before.

----------

So I decided to go there, and try to build one. What price did I get for an entry level MacPro equivalent?

$3,800

What parts did I use? Go http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3fZn2 and see for yourself.

Where I come from we call that $3900.

 

[Truffy]

huh? I am talking about water cooling on PCs.

Hardly obvious.

 

[epic-retouching]

Hardly obvious.

are you like a bit feverish in the head or something? You are going on about Apple computers have water cooling.

Let me guess, you are a PC user that is here on a mac forum because this is one of the few forums that have a decent enough mac following that you can openly troll about using your FCP competitor software and/or Apple in general.

Go back to your beloved PC mate, we do not need your kind here. Now, back to FCP I go to do some multi-cam editing of my amazing weekend with the D800, Hero3+, Hero3 all going. Ciao !

 

[fredaroony]

....And they said apple could not innovate.

What exactly have Apple innovated in this instance?

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OK, people saying the Mac Pro is not innovative need to shut up. It is. Period. It is unique in the market, nothing else is or has been, like it.

Whether or not you like the Mac Pro, or feel that Apple should have gone in a different direction, is another story.

This thing is powerful as hell, and while I'd rather had an updated "old" Mac Pro (both design and price-wise), I can see that Apple's target market would be happy. I am not in it, so it sucks to be me (kinda).

Other than the shape, how is it unique?

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

What exactly have Apple innovated in this instance?

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Other than the shape, how is it unique?

Certainly the way it works.

 

[Truffy]

are you like a bit feverish in the head or something? You are going on about Apple computers have water cooling.

Let me guess, you are a PC user that is here on a mac forum because this is one of the few forums that have a decent enough mac following that you can openly troll about using your FCP competitor software and/or Apple in general.

Go back to your beloved PC mate, we do not need your kind here. Now, back to FCP I go to do some multi-cam editing of my amazing weekend with the D800, Hero3+, Hero3 all going. Ciao !

No, I think it's you who must be feverish in the head. I use a Mac, so you can take your assumptions and stick them to the wall.

The later high-end G5 PMs were water-cooled.