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yellow_lupine

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 18, 2020
66
45
Hello everyone,

I am interested into buying a new Mac Pro for music production.
I will use it with a DAW software and many virtual instruments, which shall push the CPU to very high usage.
The configuration I'd get is the 16-core one with base RX 580 GPU, 2 TB SSD and 256GB of RAM and I'm looking for some power consumption details.
On Apple website are listed the 8-core and 28-core configurations only for power usage.

Could you please list the power consumption you get from yours on both normal usage and high CPU usage?
If you have Intel Power Gadget installed you can see them on the "Power" block.

Thanks in advance :)
 

arock

macrumors member
Apr 29, 2005
70
66
I have almost the exact configuration you specified (16 core, 2 TB SSD, 384 GB RAM). At idle, I see around 35 watts for the cpu/package and 60 watts for the RAM. Fully loaded (all cores at 100% usage and heavy RAM usage) I see about 200 watts on the cpu/package and 120 watts for the RAM. I guess "normal" usage would be somewhere between those two extremes.
 

MacFlaX

macrumors member
Dec 15, 2019
56
24
Here a recent article with some Mac Pro 7.1 power consumption data:
English: https://translate.google.com/translate?client=safari&client=tw-ob&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=de&sl=de&tl=en&u=https://www.heise.de/mac-and-i/meldung/Neuer-Mac-Pro-mit-Schlafstoerungen-4716089.html
German (original): https://www.heise.de/mac-and-i/meldung/Neuer-Mac-Pro-mit-Schlafstoerungen-4716089.html
  • Idle + Screen off: approx 101W
  • Deep sleep: 14,7W
  • Off (and connected to mains): 0,61W
Remark: Beside this the article references occasional sleep issues
 
Last edited:

OkiRun

macrumors 65816
Oct 25, 2019
1,005
585
Japan
I have almost the exact configuration you specified (16 core, 2 TB SSD, 384 GB RAM). At idle, I see around 35 watts for the cpu/package and 60 watts for the RAM. Fully loaded (all cores at 100% usage and heavy RAM usage) I see about 200 watts on the cpu/package and 120 watts for the RAM. I guess "normal" usage would be somewhere between those two extremes.
Although might be a little off the main topic, if the OP is running a company, they also need to keep in mind that budgeting needs to include increased electrical usage from additional devices, such as ~ we also have two external hard drives drawing power, an AU that draws power, audio monitors that draw power, a hub that draws power. Most of which run 24/7. So just calculating the 7.1 alone won't be enough to get the whole picture if that type of metric is important economically.
 

yellow_lupine

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 18, 2020
66
45
In my case it will be placed into a small studio of about 3 x 5 meters and I'd like to have an idea of the expected heat emanation and the amount of Watts required to power it.
I am also looking at the 18-core iMac Pro for comparison, which seems to consume less and produce less heat, someone can confirm that?

About the Mac Pro I am getting different data for the wattage:

- Apple lists the 8-core CPU with 32GB RAM at 430W Max, but apple2me reports his 12-core with 96GB RAM at 204.62W (162.87W CPU + 41,75W RAM) (https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-after-running-cpu-intensive-process.2218430/), much below the 8-core advertised by Apple and arock lists 320W (200W CPU + 120W RAM) for his 16-core 384GB RAM

- zhpenn lists a consumption of 398W for the 28-core CPU Max (https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...update-macpro-power-consumption-test.2217625/)

So I am a little confused.
Someone can help me?
 
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