Purchasing new Mac Pro

[mrgq]

I am currently considering purchasing a new mac pro. I am currently looking at the single CPU quad-core Mac Pro. My question is, since i really don't want to pay the premium of 1k for the upgrade to the 6-core, would i be able to replace the CPU from the nehalem to a westmere in the future? Should i consider the 8-core option? Your advice on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hellhammer]

If you buy the current gen with 2.8GHz (or 3.2GHz) quad core, then you can swap it for a 6-core later on.

 

[mrgq]

Thanks for the reply. It's funny because in the live chat of the online store they told me that if the CPU ever got damaged i would have to replace the whole computer. I was like WTF?! Do these people actually know the products they are being asked questions about?

So basically the socket on the nehalem and the westmere are the same even though the nehalem is 45nm and the westmere is 32nm?

 

[philipma1957]

Thanks for the reply. It's funny because in the live chat of the online store they told me that if the CPU ever got damaged i would have to replace the whole computer. I was like WTF?! Do these people actually know the products they are being asked questions about?

So basically the socket on the nehalem and the westmere are the same even though the nehalem is 45nm and the westmere is 32nm?

yes a 2.8 quad 2010 model will direct fit a 2010 hex.

one more cash saver buy 1333 ram for your 2.8 quad it will work. it will downclock to 1066 ram. then when you put the hex in the hex will use the ram fully at 1333.

these will work in the 2.8 quad and the 3.33 hex

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/1333D3ECC4GB/

 

[Hellhammer]

So basically the socket on the nehalem and the westmere are the same even though the nehalem is 45nm and the westmere is 32nm?

Both use LGA 1366. The reason why 6-core won't work in 2009 Mac Pro is because 6-core uses new B1 stepping which didn't exist when 2009 was released and thus its EFI does not support 6-core CPUs. 2010 comes with updated EFI which brought the support for B1 stepping

 

[Winni]

I am currently considering purchasing a new mac pro. I am currently looking at the single CPU quad-core Mac Pro. My question is, since i really don't want to pay the premium of 1k for the upgrade to the 6-core, would i be able to replace the CPU from the nehalem to a westmere in the future? Should i consider the 8-core option? Your advice on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

By the time you will reach that bridge, you won't cross it anymore because your Mac Pro will most likely be out-dated and unsupported by Apple.

I remember how Apple treated the 2006 Mac Pro, and I know that I won't buy one of their "professional" workstations anymore. Just to mention three things Apple did that ticked me off:

1. Snow Leopard does not run in 64-Bit mode on this 64-Bit Workstation. But Windows and Linux do.

2. Official, 64-Bit Windows is NOT supported on this 64-Bit workstation. But, of course, 64-Bit Windows runs perfectly on this computer - Apple just doesn't make it easy for you to install it.

3. The nVidia 8800 GT was the last graphics card that Apple made available for this machine. Later nVidia and ATI graphics card would not be compatible on a machine that was not even three years old by the time the graphics cards were released. How "professional" are three years of support for a high-end machine, I'd like to ask? In Germany, you have not even written it off from taxes in three years.

You can get more SUPPORTED life out of a "dull grey box" than you can get out of a "awesome, magical, beautiful, revolutionary PRO" machine from Apple. Sad but true.

And before the Apple thought police shows up here: No, you do NOT buy a Mac Pro to replace a full computer after a few months with a new one. You buy a workstation class machine because you can upgrade the CPU and the graphics card when needed. Well, at least in the PC world you can. And you also buy a 64-Bit workstation to run 64-Bit operating systems on it. Not a 32-Bit kernel pretending to be a 64-Bit platform. And, yes, there ARE performance differences and YES, you pay the additional money because you want or need that performance difference.

But, well. They've stopped selling their server hardware. They'll probably stop selling their workstation hardware soon, too.

 

[Transporteur]

3. The nVidia 8800 GT was the last graphics card that Apple made available for this machine. Later nVidia and ATI graphics card would not be compatible on a machine that was not even three years old by the time the graphics cards were released.

But you do realise that the 2006 Pro runs perfectly fine with AMD's 4870, 5770 and 5870?

Still, I completely agree with your statement. All this indicates that the Mac Pro will probably be discontinued in the near future.

 

[mrgq]

But you do realise that the 2006 Pro runs perfectly fine with AMD's 4870, 5770 and 5870?

Still, I completely agree with your statement. All this indicates that the Mac Pro will probably be discontinued in the near future.

You really actually think that Apple will discontinue the Pro lineup? That means that they will discontinue the macbook pro too? I disagree with you in this. And even if they did, i do not think it will be any time soon.

 

[mrgq]

Thanks to everyone for responding so promptly. I will be making my purchasing decision so your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[Hellhammer]

You really actually think that Apple will discontinue the Pro lineup? That means that they will discontinue the macbook pro too? I disagree with you in this. And even if they did, i do not think it will be any time soon.

MacBook Pro is far from being a pro machine. It's pretty normal laptop if you look at PC laptops. Mac Pro with its Xeon CPUs and ECC RAM plus lots of other things make it a true pro machine.

 

[mrgq]

Would it be wise to buy now, or should i wait and see what happens on the next update, which will probably be at around July.

 

[you39]

... next update, which will probably be at around July.

Are you thinking of July 2012?

 

[Hellhammer]

Would it be wise to buy now, or should i wait and see what happens on the next update, which will probably be at around July.

Sandy Bridge Xeons (for Mac Pro) are scheduled for H2 2011. I wouldn't expect an update in July, maybe around October depending when the CPUs will be released. I would just buy now, it's awfully long wait for next gen, possibly a year or more.

 

[Garen]

Go for the most cpu power you can buy now, very few upgrade the cpu later b/c it makes no sense (me included) that's why I went for 6C. On my 07 2.1 8C 3.0 MP (32Kernel) I upgraded the RAM, HD, SSD and GPU but apple and technology made sure I can't or shouldn't upgrade the CPU.

Garen