MP 7,1 Thoughts - New AMD Epyc Server CPU's, benefit MP 7,1?

[AnimeFunTv]

AMD has been on a roll as of late with its new consumer/prosumer CPU's, but I didn't even see coming was a server CPU from AMD. From what I read and seen the new AMD Epyc server CPU out performs Intel's current Xeon's both in price and performance.

It got me thinking, if AMD's Epyc server CPU's do become popular and eat into Intel's Xeon market I could see Intel possibly dropping the prices on it's Xeon CPU's (quite drastically maybe), which COULD mean that the 7,1 MacPro might see a drop in price.

What do you guys think?

 

[ssgbryan]

Eypc WILL eat into Intel's marketshare.

Intel will drop prices, but I don't see Apple passing the savings onto the customers, if they can up their margins.

I don't think that would matter anyway - the 7,1 is yesterday's technology at today's prices.

 

[AidenShaw]

I don't think that would matter anyway - the 7,1 is yesterday's technology at today's prices.

Please elaborate. PCIe 4.0 is tomorrow's technology - PCIe 3.0 is today's technology.

Are you auditioning for the post of "Chief AMD Sycophant"?

 

[AnimeFunTv]

To be fair, from what it looks like 7,1 MacPro is pretty dependent on Intels Pricing on its Xeon CPU's, especially considering the high end Xeon's.

 

[ssgbryan]

I didn't move to Apple and OSX because of P.T. Barnum's Reality Distortion Field. I moved for better hardware and better software. That is not the case in 2019. Apple has measurably worse hardware and software.

Moving to Windows means It just works.....

Ain't that some s@*%. I'd never thought I would write that, but here we are, dealing with Tim Cook's Apple - touch bars and emojis.

In 2020, I won't have to spend time trying to get today's hardware working on a 10 year old system. I can use TODAY'S hardware today. PCIe 4.0 is here TODAY. Storage Hardware that uses it is here TODAY. I've been pricing out NVMe modules for my next system, TODAY. My next system will have a Navi card, not a 3 year old Polaris.

I don't have to worry about the next version of OSX screwing up my production pipeline, like Mojave has done.

It just works.....

 

[deconstruct60]

To be fair, from what it looks like 7,1 MacPro is pretty dependent on Intels Pricing on its Xeon CPU's, especially considering the high end Xeon's.

We'll see at the high end. Apple's spec indicate they intended to sell the 'M' model variants at the highest end of the CPU BTO options. Intel's list prices come with a $3K for memory capacity over 1TB tax. ( same other feature but simply addressing over 1TB of RAM somehow costs $3K more).

EPYC models addresses 4TB and zero RAM capacity tax on any model. ( even the most inexpensive one in the $500 range with 8 cores ).

Intel may be able to charge some mark-up for the memory capacity that comes through Optane ( as make up the lower $/GB of that versus regular RAM), but there are no indications that Apple is implementing that on the new Mac Pro (unless a feature they decided not to 'crow' about until launch. ).

At the highest ends of Intel pricing list, the haggled price is decoupling even further from their list prices. Typically, Apple pockets that kind of difference. Given Mac Pro is about to be hit in the USA with a 10% tariff I don't see Apple giving up on that difference. [ perhaps tax some of the higher end BTO options and try to hold the line as much as they can on their already high base chassis pricing. ]

Apple's list prices will probably be like Intel's list prices .... not changing. What may change is the deals brokered on bulk and negotiated purchase orders. ( maybe some 'sales' pricing by 3rd parties at the high end later on after the initial demand bubble where Apple is contributing behind the scenes a bit. )