MP 7,1 Are you happy with how long the 7.1 Mac Pro has lasted?

[rondocap]

It seemed for a while that the 7.1 Mac Pro would have a shorter life, with all of the Apple Silicon macs coming out.

Given some of its strengths, such as the GPUs and expandability, I must say I am very happy with how the 7.1 Mac pro has turned out.

Furthermore, with the delays in a 8.1 Mac Pro - it seems like the life of this Mac has gone even further.

it's still a very capable machine, and working with computers all of the time, I am amazed at how reliable it has been working every single day without a hitch.

Are you happy with how the Mac Pro has turned out this generation?

In my opinion, it's the best one so far of the Mac Pros and I think it has aged well.

 

[rm5]

I don't own a 7,1 Mac Pro, but I think it's a good computer. However, I think it's far too overpriced for what you're getting. I think the base model needs to cost AT MOST $2000, if that. But it's Apple and they overcharge for the most simple things. But I think it's a good computer that has held up VERY WELL over the years.

 

[prefuse07]

I absolutely LOVE my 7,1. It is literally an engineering work of art and feels extremely premium in build quality and design -- truly Jony Ive's last gift to apple and to the world. I sometimes just sit and stare at it when I am not using it, and I love how cold and smooth the aluminum feels to the touch; the smoothness of the front bevels; the way the black apple logo reflects. The design is simply beautiful.

IMO, there is no reason that it can't be extended even further. Hell, all apple would need to do is push out drivers for the AMD 7000 series and then 8000 series when those come out, but sadly, it seems they are hell-bent on not doing that. The other alternative is for them to continue releasing MPX modules, which I think is also highly unlikely, but it could have been a way to continue generating revenue from the product.

It is a shame that the processors are not upgradeable though (I mean, you can't upgrade to a more recent gen).

I just think they could've gotten more out of it than they did, as it seems to have plateau'd, and with their rush to bring about an AS Mac Pro, its future remains unknown.

 

[apostolosdt]

[...] It is a shame that the processors are not upgradeable though (I mean, you can't upgrade to a more recent gen).

I didn't know that! I don't own one, but I have and run MP 5,1 (2012), whose processors I understand are upgradeable (though I never intended to---I acquired an MP 6,1, instead), and I took it for granted that MP 7,1 follows suit. So, it's only the RAM, the disks, and the video cards, right? Still a lot!

 

[prefuse07]

I didn't know that! I don't own one, but I have and run MP 5,1 (2012), whose processors I understand are upgradeable (though I never intended to---I acquired an MP 6,1, instead), and I took it for granted that MP 7,1 follows suit. So, it's only the RAM, the disks, and the video cards, right? Still a lot!

No no, you CAN upgrade the processors, but you are stuck within the Cascade Lake family. So you can't throw a Raptor Lake or more recent processor in there, just like with the 5,1 you couldn't go beyond Westmere.

 

[avro707]

The 7,1 is still going, hasn’t stopped yet and I don’t intend to stop using mine soon. I purchased mine new from Apple last year.

It’s brilliant. I just wish the CPUs weren’t so darn expensive to find - I want to upgrade to a W3275M, the 28 core 2.5ghz but ouch, expensive and hard to find non QS versions.

I also intended to put another W6800X into it (so two of them) but might instead go Nvidia 4090 for Windows if there are no further newer AMD upgrades possible. Or I could go newer AMD cards in Windows. At least we aren’t stuck with macOS.

If Apple ceases support then it will be a high end W11 Pro for Workstations machine (it already has that).

As much as the (non-owner) naysayers throw mud at it, the 7,1 is the best Mac Pro so far. It is quiet, powerful and massively expandable.

 

[Juicy Box]

truly Jony Ive's last gift to apple and to the world.

He isn't dead.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

I got mine in December of 2019. I was worried that it’s lame and old pcie3 would be upgraded a year later, but gambled that they would make another disaster of updating the Mac Pro or that it might have even been the very last Mac Pro. In retrospect, betting on apple’s incompetence with the Mac Pro has become more than a safe bet, but sound investment advice.

I had upgraded the 5,1 pretty much as far as it could go, so I’m super glad I took the plunge and can still stay current with the OS.

And I’m going to likely get over 4 years of use from the machine, so it turned out to be a really good spend of admittedly a lot of money.

TLDR, right now it’s the best Mac ever made, the GOAT, and I’m super glad I got it.

 

[ivion]

I could write down many reasons why this machine is solid gold for work purposes (even from home! : ), but sometimes an image says...

 

[TobiasT]

It was (and still is) a SCAM. The price is a joke.

 

[mectojic]

Furthermore, with the delays in a 8.1 Mac Pro - it seems like the life of this Mac has gone even further.

The release of a new product doesn't reduce the life of a former product. That's buying into Apple's marketing. A computer is useful to you until it isn't.

 

[TimmuJapan]

The release of a new product doesn't reduce the life of a former product. That's buying into Apple's marketing. A computer is useful to you until it isn't.

Yes, except that Apple stops supporting perfectly capable older products, because they release a new product…. That’s not “buying into Apple’s marketing” —it’s just what Apple does. By cutting off OS support for perfectly capable older hardware, they are attempting to obsolete that perfectly capable (but older) hardware to make the customer buy something new. (Praise be to OpenCore Legacy Patcher❤️🕊️💫)

Depending on the needs of a particular user, losing OS support may or may not matter. (Certain 3rd party apps eventually stop working with older versions of macOS).

 

[Joe The Dragon]

It seemed for a while that the 7.1 Mac Pro would have a shorter life, with all of the Apple Silicon macs coming out.

Given some of its strengths, such as the GPUs and expandability, I must say I am very happy with how the 7.1 Mac pro has turned out.

Furthermore, with the delays in a 8.1 Mac Pro - it seems like the life of this Mac has gone even further.

it's still a very capable machine, and working with computers all of the time, I am amazed at how reliable it has been working every single day without a hitch.

Are you happy with how the Mac Pro has turned out this generation?

In my opinion, it's the best one so far of the Mac Pros and I think it has aged well.

they could of done and bump to the next intel socket or AMD / pci-e 4.0.

But by now at least they should done some repricing / same socket base level cpu bump up.

 

[flat4]

I could write down many reasons why this machine is solid gold for work purposes (even from home! : ), but sometimes an image says...

View attachment 2185690

Nice, my ocd noticed your Ethernet falling off the ledge

 

[Realityck]

It seemed for a while that the 7.1 Mac Pro would have a shorter life, with all of the Apple Silicon macs coming out.

Given some of its strengths, such as the GPUs and expandability, I must say I am very happy with how the 7.1 Mac pro has turned out.

Furthermore, with the delays in a 8.1 Mac Pro - it seems like the life of this Mac has gone even further.

Even though I never owned this last model, of all the Power Macs to Mac Pros it remains the best example of a workstation Apple has created. While pricy no one can argue at the time of release it was highly useful for an extended period of usage.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Yes, except that Apple stops supporting perfectly capable older products, because they release a new product….

i’d modify that a little bit…
“Apple stops supporting older products, *and* they release new products….
The two don’t always go Hand In Hand.
For example, the iPod touch didn’t receive iOS 16… But it wasn’t replaced with a new product.
Meanwhile the first generation of HomePod and the tvOS running ATVHD were replaced or updated ages ago, both are still chugging along on the most recent versions of the OS’s.
Even if Apple never again made a Mac Pro, the 2019 Mac Pro would still eventually lose support because that’s what software does.
Even windows 11 has trouble running on computers older than five years, even Ventura has less demanding system requirements.
Ventura supports all Macintoshes with seventh generation Intel processors and newer… Windows 11 requires eighth generation, processors or newer.
Obviously, the differences between macOS and windows are plentiful, so it’s not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but you can also install Windows on all Intel Macs so…

 

[Wokis]

I think its legacy depends a bit on wether or not they continue supporting new GPUs.

If I had one for work and couldn't put in a 7900 XTX I'd be quite rightfully mad. All that extra money for expandability and upgradeability and Apple becomes this unengaged display-driver gatekeeper.

Otherwise it's cool.

 

[SDAVE]

It's the best computer I've ever owned. I got it second hand for a killer deal about 2 years ago and still love it especially with dual Studio Displays. Reminds me of the 2010s when I had the cheesegrater Mac Pro and dual apple display setup.

I can do literally anything with this machine and it has made me money and then some since I fully work remote. You have to pry it off my cold dead hands. When macOS stops being supported, I will then start thinking about what the next move is, and I hope by then Apple has a M based Mac Pro.

 

[H. Flower]

Yes - it's been an absolute homerun. Pricey, but worth it.

 

[SDAVE]

It was (and still is) a SCAM. The price is a joke.

It's not really.

There are 4 factors for the high price:

1. Intel Xeon CPUs are very expensive via MSRP (For example the 28 core CPU was $7,000+)
2. Registered DDR Ram is expensive.
3. R&D costs they have to recoup
4. Niche product. Apple doesn't sell a lot of these.

I think for #3, if Apple keeps the same design but puts in their lower cost M chips (since they have less of an overhead than outsourcing from Intel, for example) they will have a killer product if its priced at $2999 for the base model.

I get that the 2019 Mac Pro really excluded a lot of people compared to the 4,1 and 5,1, but it makes sense. The Mac Studio for example is a solid machine for most people. Even the M2 Pro mini is enough for most.

However, I will personally always want a tower + MacBook Pro for on the road work.

 

[goMac]

My guess is that M series SoCs are more expensive for Apple to produce than buying from Intel. Every M series changeover has usually resulted in price increases.

Apple just doesn’t have the volume to bring M series prices down. That’s why M series Extreme died. They were never going to make enough to make it cost effective.

Meantime Intel does have the sort of volume to make Xeon cost effective to produce.

 

[mectojic]

Yes, except that Apple stops supporting perfectly capable older products, because they release a new product…. That’s not “buying into Apple’s marketing” —it’s just what Apple does. By cutting off OS support for perfectly capable older hardware, they are attempting to obsolete that perfectly capable (but older) hardware to make the customer buy something new. (Praise be to OpenCore Legacy Patcher❤️🕊️💫)

Depending on the needs of a particular user, losing OS support may or may not matter. (Certain 3rd party apps eventually stop working with older versions of macOS).

Dropped support is typically based only on number of years, not new product introductions.

E.g. The 2017 MacBook will probably lose OS support in the next year or two, based on age- it has no successor.

 

[prefuse07]

It's not really.

There are 4 factors for the high price:

1. Intel Xeon CPUs are very expensive via MSRP (For example the 28 core CPU was $7,000+)
2. Registered DDR Ram is expensive.
3. R&D costs they have to recoup
4. Niche product. Apple doesn't sell a lot of these.

I think for #3, if Apple keeps the same design but puts in their lower cost M chips (since they have less of an overhead than outsourcing from Intel, for example) they will have a killer product if its priced at $2999 for the base model.

I get that the 2019 Mac Pro really excluded a lot of people compared to the 4,1 and 5,1, but it makes sense. The Mac Studio for example is a solid machine for most people. Even the M2 Pro mini is enough for most.

However, I will personally always want a tower + MacBook Pro for on the road work.

And there is even one more factor to be added to your list:

5. It was actually MADE IN THE USA (in Austin, TX)

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

And there is even one more factor to be added to your list:

5. It was actually MADE IN THE USA (in Austin, TX)

Well it was assembled in the USA. A lot of the parts were made outside the USA, but such is the state of things. Interestingly the Mac Pros made/assembled outside the USA seemed to encounter more problems, if I recall correctly, particularly the USA ones had less problems and made less noise.

 

[prefuse07]

Well it was assembled in the USA. A lot of the parts were made outside the USA, but such is the state of things. Interestingly the Mac Pros made/assembled outside the USA seemed to encounter more problems, if I recall correctly, particularly the USA ones had less problems and made less noise.

According to this, it was actually manufactured in the USA. So to the folks referring to the high pricetag -- now you know why.