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Mac Pro 2010 worth buying
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'Worth' is a personal thing, it might be 'worth' it to you because you will use it for professional work and make money with it. On the other hand, it might no be 'worth't if you are just going to surf the internet and do email. If you tell us what you plan on using it for, we can give you a more informed answer or suggestion.
The 2010 5,1 Mac Pro is the latest iteration (Hardware wise) the 2012 was a speed bump only, of the last internally expandable Mac. I bought mine 9 months ago and plan to hold on to it for a loooong time. It is expensive in the EU, because of some silly safety rule having something to do with the internal fans and their shrouds. Due to this rule they can't be sold as new, and haven't been available as new for quite some time in EU countries.
Lou
Lou
When I saw the route that the nMP was going then I could see that was going to be too expensive for my taste.
I basically use mine for
DVD / BluRay Rip
FCP X Video Editing ( Elgato Recordings )
Handbrake Encode recordings and Rips
I aim to get a GoPro Camera and for Start Photo Editing as well.
As such I don't use professionally so the outlay of the nMP isn't justifed to me.
I picked mine up as a 2.8GHz Quad with a 5770 and 12Gb for £999 and then upgraded to what is now in Sig. I figure should last me more then long enough till the nMP starts hitting second hand at more reasonable pricing.
It really does depend upon what looking for and if using professionally or not as to if is "worth it" or not.
I basically use mine for
DVD / BluRay Rip
FCP X Video Editing ( Elgato Recordings )
Handbrake Encode recordings and Rips
I aim to get a GoPro Camera and for Start Photo Editing as well.
As such I don't use professionally so the outlay of the nMP isn't justifed to me.
I picked mine up as a 2.8GHz Quad with a 5770 and 12Gb for £999 and then upgraded to what is now in Sig. I figure should last me more then long enough till the nMP starts hitting second hand at more reasonable pricing.
It really does depend upon what looking for and if using professionally or not as to if is "worth it" or not.
Thanks for the replies.I want to know the lifespan of such a machin because it is 4 years old..Or it will be better to save some money and buy in the future(2-3 years from now) a newer Mac.I want a Mac for general purpose capable to anything I want to run.
^^^^It may not be four years old. I bought my 2010 5,1 nine months ago. It was brand new. So, it depends on when it was first sold and the box was first opened.
My last Mac Pro, a 3,1 2008 Mac Pro was bought in in early 2009 and was still going strong when I sold it almost 5 years later. There are many threads in this forum about folks still using 1,1 and 2,1 Mac Pros.
They are very durable.
Lou
My last Mac Pro, a 3,1 2008 Mac Pro was bought in in early 2009 and was still going strong when I sold it almost 5 years later. There are many threads in this forum about folks still using 1,1 and 2,1 Mac Pros.
They are very durable.
Lou
You are really going to have to specify what you want to run. Different products have different requirements.
For example if you want to run a product that requires CUDA then you definitely don't want an nMP with only AMD Graphics cards available.
For some software then less cores but more GHz is better, the 6 Core oMP was reckoned to be the sweet spot for a lot of tasks as was 3.33GHZ vs 2.93GHZ for the 12 Core ( officially sold CPU's ) if you bought a top of the line 12 Core.
For what is considered "General Purpose" then a 12 Core Mac Pro is way overkill.
In terms of Lifespan then is less then 12 months since the oMP was being sold which is still a 5,1, the same as if bought a 5,1 back in 2010.
I am typing this on a 2008 MBP which is now 5.5 years old. I couldn't say that Apple will support 10.10. with it however this laptop has gone through 5 OS updates and I would expect Apple to support the 5,1 for another 5 years as they were still selling 5,1 models brand new less then 12 months ago.
Don't get caught up in paper specs. I bought an ATV3 this year in the Apple Store and they were amazed when I said that still running a Mac Mini 2009 as my Elgato/iTunes Server. It still does the job and streams iTunes perfectly fine, even when being served from a DroboPro which a lot of people here say is a slow product, however for what I use it for it is fast enough.
For example if you want to run a product that requires CUDA then you definitely don't want an nMP with only AMD Graphics cards available.
For some software then less cores but more GHz is better, the 6 Core oMP was reckoned to be the sweet spot for a lot of tasks as was 3.33GHZ vs 2.93GHZ for the 12 Core ( officially sold CPU's ) if you bought a top of the line 12 Core.
For what is considered "General Purpose" then a 12 Core Mac Pro is way overkill.
In terms of Lifespan then is less then 12 months since the oMP was being sold which is still a 5,1, the same as if bought a 5,1 back in 2010.
I am typing this on a 2008 MBP which is now 5.5 years old. I couldn't say that Apple will support 10.10. with it however this laptop has gone through 5 OS updates and I would expect Apple to support the 5,1 for another 5 years as they were still selling 5,1 models brand new less then 12 months ago.
Don't get caught up in paper specs. I bought an ATV3 this year in the Apple Store and they were amazed when I said that still running a Mac Mini 2009 as my Elgato/iTunes Server. It still does the job and streams iTunes perfectly fine, even when being served from a DroboPro which a lot of people here say is a slow product, however for what I use it for it is fast enough.
Though the technology is 4 years old, the lifespan can actually last more than 5+ years. They're built for long hours usage. It also helps with proper maintenance and avoid any kind of misuse. A client of mine is still using his old 2.1 Mac Pro and running smoothly up to now. The interior design is one of the best for long term usage.
I disagree, the nMP is an unproven platform, there are users experiencing issues, it hasn't been in the field long enough, sure it has up to date current technology, but the oMP is tried tested and proven, IMO.
And proven to be a stinker too. My 2009 Mac Pro has been continual problems for years. Need I mention the famous Bluetooth connectivity problem? I never did get BT to work. Or poor wireless, or the eSata hot disconnect bug, or the MANY USB bugs? Though some of these (eSata and USB) have been fixed, my nMP is out of the gate far more reliable than the oMP.
I still have the oMP and use it for gaming. Here's the sad fact; it's a far better Windows box than it is OS X. I keep it mostly booted in Win 7, and whenever I boot into OS X something glitches. Such as, it always forgets and blanks the one Cinema display attached (I have three attached in a Eyefinity configuration).
I think your experience with the oMP is the exception rather than the rule, personally, I have owned three, a 1,1 a 3,1 and now a 5,1 and they have been great, of course nothing is perfect, but I think most will agree they are solid machines. Time will tell how well the nMP does and how stable it is.
The bluetooth problem is common knowledge, the eSata affected everybody who added eSata cards, as did the USB which was common knowledge to anybody who used a large variety of USB devices (especially keyboards). The reason was because the first was a faulty hardware design they never fixed and the second two were software problems they finally fixed about a year ago. Those were only a few examples too, I've got over 10 macs and the Pro was by far the stinker which excited these problems. It was pretty clear that Apple spends the most resources (testing and fixing) on their laptops and iMacs.
At any rate my point is that it's clear the old Mac Pro was the least favored child. Glad you were happy with yours but I'd say it was an idea that never materialized. In other words, it was supposed to be a highly configurable mac, but as soon as you did the bugs became obvious.
The new Mac Pro is Apple acknowledging that they can't handle configurable computers (they're not a Microsoft), and never really owned up to what they promised with the old Mac Pro.
I'm Aghast, simply Aghast buy your erroneous statement. I've been internally modifying and expanding Macintoshes since my first real expandable Mac, the Mac IICI and have never had any issues I couldn't conquer.
Lou
Well this thread has just become another useless nMP vs oMP debate.
That's a very vague statement. A Mac Mini would do for "general purpose", and "anything I want to run" is so openly broad of a requirement that there is no correct answer.
That's a very vague statement. A Mac Mini would do for "general purpose", and "anything I want to run" is so openly broad of a requirement that there is no correct answer.
Bluetooth? Really? I've have three MacPros that greet me reliably every morning and typically put in at least a twelve hour day. Guess I've been missing out on hooking up to toy keyboards.
Come back in three years and let us how how reliable your nMP is, it's way too soon to tell at this point.
you DON'T HAVE nMP...so what are you talking about? It's hardly 6 months with it..yes...still people who have it will state that it's effective...i don't know what you use mp for, but things i do and how people on youtube do demonstrations...yes it is...
For that 12 core model in really good condition, that's an OK price, perhaps at
the top of it's value but they are much more expensive here in the EU than in
the USA.
I was VERY fortunate to find a "New in box" 2012 MP Hex core just 6 weeks ago.
It's perfect for my specific use and is working flawlessly with PCIe SSD / USB3.0
upgrades.
It's my third MP, having had a 1,1 / 3,1 now 5,1 and before that a G5 in the same aluminium
style case.
( I have had Mac "towers" since the Quadra700 !! )
I have found them to be totally reliable and only had 1 fault with the 3,1 that required me
to buy a FW800 PCI card for 70 ... !! not so bad.
( FW was intermittent but reappeared after I bought the card )
I'm also not a casual user, these machines were often running 24/7 and under quite some
stress as music production/editing tools.
I have almost never used any bluetooth devices, so can't comment on that as it did not
affect me.
Martin.
Flow where do some of this folks on this site get there info from!!??
I feel the same way you do! The only thing I haven't done to my MP 5,1 is put in faster HDs (which I'm currently looking at different solutions as I type this message). The MP 5,1 you recommended for me to buy is simply FLAWLESS!!. It's quiet, fast and I leave it on 24/7. I run FCP X, Logic X, Lightroom 5.X, and I'm barely scratching the surface of what it can do!! Comments like this keep me afraid from posting messages on a regular basis on this site.
It's a great system. I personally use and have no bluetooth problems. I have several USB 3.0 drives running 24/7, and other misc. devices hooked to USB 3.0 and have no problems at all... BAR NONE...
I'm sure the nMP is just a great machine too, but I feel I made the right choice for myself with the 5.1 and would make the same choice again without a second thought.
While you're on that topic, what's your preferred USB 3.0 solution for the 5.1?
I've got an old USB 3.0 card around here somewhere, but by the time I find it, USB 4 will be out.
^^^^Check out this thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1501482/
I'm using the Inateck KT4004 Card mentioned in the first post along with a powered USB 3.0 Hub.
Lou
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1501482/
I'm using the Inateck KT4004 Card mentioned in the first post along with a powered USB 3.0 Hub.
Lou