Mac Pro: How many year you can do with?

[Caithsith]

I'm on the market for a powerful Desktop, my goal is to make some video rendering and stuff like that.

My question is: How long can you do with your Mac Pro.

I know thing break and so on but would you say apple has a product that can last without having to change part or replace the whole thing?

 

[flat five]

in my experience with macs, they'll last as long as you want them to.

the problem with apple is they drop software support after around 5 years.. you can go a couple of more years after that but eventually, application developers will drop support for the older OS which your computer is stuck on.. so you're looking at maybe 8years tops due to software issues..

i don't think you could go 8 years without replacing a part (but i did have a powerbook which lasted that long without anything breaking).. my track record with the mp1 was frying a gpu every 2-3 years.

if you're doing video and rendering and pushing the machine pretty hard, i'd be surprised if a gpu doesn't fry within 5 years.. there's no info yet on how much a replacement gpu will cost for the nmp in 5years but it's certainly going to be less than the cost of buying a complete new machine.


anyway- my answer to your question "How long can you do with your Mac Pro." is 8 years.
(but i personally prefer to replace a desktop after 5 or 6)

 

[treehorn]

I have a 2008, so I've had it just shy of 6 years (got it as soon as they came out). In those 6 years I've replaced the DVD drive (which isn't a concern with the new ones) and the graphics card. Right now it works but is showing its age in regard to being able to run some software and HD ProRes video. Everything works, it just can take a very long time to process things, or resolution et all needs to be severely downgraded to do any work in real time. So does it work? yes. Does it work within my current needs? Not really. Am I upgrading to a new computer? most definitely. But it's been a very sturdy workhorse putting in many many hours almost every day since I bought it and has more than paid for itself many times over. And I rarely want to throw it out the window...

 

[AcornCinema]

I can usually go 5+ years on a macpro just fine, these things are usually built like tanks. Macpro's from 10, even 15 years ago were strong enough to edit feature films (cause I did, even on a plastic G4) I still have my Quadra 650 from like 18 years ago, still works just fine. (civ2, doom, warcraft 2)

my macpro 3.1 however is a different story. It's 6 years old, but more importantly it's heavily damaged from repeated moving and repeated flooding. Neither dvd drive has worked in 3 years, same for the bluetooth. random drive ejects while working, constant lock ups for no reason, opening a finder window can lock everything up, it's pathetic, and i have to edit HD vids and whatnot on it. Some days all I do is get it to turn on, it drives me ****** crazy. would have prob just gotten an older model mac pro if I had known "later this year" meant, "go f--- yourself", but it's too late now...

 

[Gav Mack]

I can usually go 5+ years on a macpro just fine, these things are usually built like tanks. Macpro's from 10, even 15 years ago were strong enough to edit feature films (cause I did, even on a plastic G4) I still have my Quadra 650 from like 18 years ago, still works just fine. (civ2, doom, warcraft 2)

my macpro 3.1 however is a different story. It's 6 years old, but more importantly it's heavily damaged from repeated moving and repeated flooding. Neither dvd drive has worked in 3 years, same for the bluetooth. random drive ejects while working, constant lock ups for no reason, opening a finder window can lock everything up, it's pathetic, and i have to edit HD vids and whatnot on it. Some days all I do is get it to turn on, it drives me ****** crazy. would have prob just gotten an older model mac pro if I had known "later this year" meant, "go f--- yourself", but it's too late now...

If your flood damaged Mac Pro could talk to you it would love a logic board bath in isopropyl, gently scrubbed all over with a brand new soft toothbrush and left to dry in a warm place for a day or two, with the logic board connectors too having a nice dunk with it in a cup! I can hear it and that's what it's just said to me 3000 miles away

 

[unfragile]

I've bought my Mac Pro 2008 in March 2008, it gave me no problems at all.
I work with audio for Post-Productions TV series, PUBS, Feature films, music. It worked almost 24/5.

I used a Avid HD3 TDM PCIe system.

I upgrade since day one to 14GB of ram. Then later (2011) to a new graphic card (ATi5870) and a SSD 256gb for OS. I upgraded the graphic card not that it was damaged but i felt the need to upgrade. the Nvidia GT8800 was getting from OS to OS.

I've sold it this year because it have a great value in the marker, I did sell it for 1500€ 6 years later, It was a great deal.

Now I'm jumping to this new MacPro, let's see. I hope that will last more 5 or 6 years.

 

[AcornCinema]

If your flood damaged Mac Pro could talk to you it would love a logic board bath in isopropyl, gently scrubbed all over with a brand new soft toothbrush and left to dry in a warm place for a day or two, with the logic board connectors too having a nice dunk with it in a cup! I can hear it and that's what it's just said to me 3000 miles away

Thanks for the tip! How risky is that? If it helps I'd def think about it, but I could have my nMP "any day now" so I'm hesitant to chance what work I'm still able to do. (as slow and crashy as it is) I prob couldn't take a full day or two off getting any work done in the next few weeks anyway.

At the very least I'd prob be interested in doing that once my 3.1 isn't my prime workstation.

 

[Gav Mack]

Thanks for the tip! How risky is that? If it helps I'd def think about it, but I could have my nMP "any day now" so I'm hesitant to chance what work I'm still able to do. (as slow and crashy as it is) I prob couldn't take a full day or two off getting any work done in the next few weeks anyway.

At the very least I'd prob be interested in doing that once my 3.1 isn't my prime workstation.

Yes I wouldn't even dare go there until it's relegated to auxiliary use.

As long as you take static precautions disassembling it and don't stand on anything that generates static, use rubber gloves and a large plastic bowl it doesn't do any harm as long as you are gentle scrubbing. All you are doing is removing any dirt and residue from the pcb, they come out sparkling and as long as you leave it to dry out long enough it will work fine. You will be surprised just how much crud comes off it. Impatience and rushing the drying process will cause a short though on power up. With a large bowl of flammable alcohol it's a very good idea to have the room vented well, do not smoke or light any flames unless you want to join the Fantastic 4! I usually have it underneath the cooker extractor - all done when the missus is out obviously!

I've bathed flood and fire damaged PCs, Macs and Server mobos in the past and unless fire damaged components have melted all of them have come back to life. Fortunately in your case it isn't fire, the sticky soot requires multiple baths and is much more nasty than flooding.

 

[sigmadog]

I bought my Mac Pro (early 2008 Dual Quad 2.8GHz model) about a month after the newer models were released April(?) 2009. It was brand new with a slight price reduction since it was by then outdated.

My goal at the time was to hold on to it for 6 years.

I use it for Adobe creative apps (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign mainly) and Corel Painter.

I'm almost to 5 years with it and it's still purring along. Nothing has died on it yet, though I've upgraded the video card to an ATI Radeon 5770 in order to use three monitors.

To make it feel fresh, I'm considering purchasing a SSD PCie to speed up my OS and apps. With that, I'm certain I'll make it to my 6 year goal easily, and perhaps even longer, though I am very interested in the new models.

These Mac Pros are solid machines, in my opinion. They are built to last. I think 6 years is a good length to shoot for, given my usage. If you are doing heavy video work, 4 or 5 years might be more realistic, but to be honest, I have no insight into how that sort of work load would adversely affect the life of the computer, since that's what it was built for in the first place.

 

[CH12671]

Thanks for the tip! How risky is that? If it helps I'd def think about it, but I could have my nMP "any day now" so I'm hesitant to chance what work I'm still able to do. (as slow and crashy as it is) I prob couldn't take a full day or two off getting any work done in the next few weeks anyway.

At the very least I'd prob be interested in doing that once my 3.1 isn't my prime workstation.

Isopropyl Alcohol comes in many flavors. Dont' get the 70% stuff....too much water. Get the 90% at least.....or better yet, go get denatured alcohol (0% water)

 

[Gav Mack]

Isopropyl Alcohol comes in many flavors. Dont' get the 70% stuff....too much water. Get the 90% at least.....or better yet, go get denatured alcohol (0% water)

Sorry forgot that very important bit. Denatured is the best but also the most dangerous, not only with flammability but the fumes too, there's about 3-4 pints in the bowl. I stick with 90% and let nature take its course in my nice warm airing cupboard!

 

[brand]

I can usually go 5+ years on a macpro just fine, these things are usually built like tanks. Macpro's from 10, even 15 years ago were strong enough to edit feature films (cause I did, even on a plastic G4) I still have my Quadra 650 from like 18 years ago, still works just fine. (civ2, doom, warcraft 2)

TheMac Pro was released in August 2006 so it is not 10 years old. The Mac Pro is not a Power Mac.

 

[AcornCinema]

TheMac Pro was released in August 2006 so it is not 10 years old. The Mac Pro is not a Power Mac.

"mac with power" then, either way it's their professional line. i've cut feature films on both a G4 and a G5, so both were pre-"pro" and still able to handle it.

Kinda ridiculous when I think about how impossible that would have been to do in windows back then.

 

[spaz8]

My MP 1,1 (bought in 2007) is still humming along. I guess I'm at about 7 yrs.

My 6 core nMP is on order hoping apple under promises and over delivers with its "February" ship date.

I have upgraded the GPU 3 times by choice. Started with xt1900, then 8800GT, now 2x 5770.

Both Dvd drives still work, but one seems flakier.

In the last couple months the microphone jack I plug my headphones into has started to go. One of the FW800 ports I suspect is dieing also.

Otherwise no issues, its been bullet proof. I'd never expect the Haswell i7 Dell I have to go this long.

I'd conservatively say you should get 4 years out of the machine at least.

I'm hoping to get 4 years out of this nMP, to me its mostly contingent on if there is an upgrade path for the GPU's.