What are you going to do until the 2013 upgrade of the Mac Pro?

[gpzjock]

Well, apparently you have to pay for Geekbench to do a 64-bit test which I'm not prepared to do for the sake of posting numbers on forums

I'll try it again later once I'm not in the middle of installing software etc.

How about Novabench then, it is free and compares GFX cards plus storage speeds too?

 

[mif]

I have to save some money, i guess. The high end model might be rather expensive.

 

[johnnymg]

Is it hard to sell a hackintosh when the Mac Pro comes out?

Similar to a Win machine.

 

[zzzachi]

in my case (i have a 2006 mac pro 1,1) i think best is :

buy a 12core 2,4ghz mac pro now, and sell it as soon as there are is a new update. maybe with a loss of 1-2k, but if you use the machine for professional work this is nothing. for at least the next 6-12 months i can work on a computer that is not the fastest technology but still renders more than 10x faster than my actual mac pro 1,1.

but... if this 2013 update is not convincing, too...
i will turn and buy a windows maching.
(putting a bag over her head when i sleep w her)

ps. i would even like to pimp it with a gtx570 or gtx580, maybe from macvidcards but i'm not sure, yet, if i trust this service. see here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1360927/

 

[kromekat]

in my case (i have a 2006 mac pro 1,1) i think best is :

buy a 12core 2,4ghz mac pro now, and sell it as soon as there are is a new update. maybe with a loss of 1-2k, but if you use the machine for professional work this is nothing. for at least the next 6-12 months i can work on a computer that is not the fastest technology but still renders more than 10x faster than my actual mac

10x??

What 2006 model is that?

My 2006 8 core 3ghz still gives a score of 6.55 on Cinebench 11.5, and the new 12 core 2.4ghz, only makes about 12.5 on Cinebench, so that's only 2x faster!

 

[Metal Dice]

I will be waiting for the release of the 2012 iMac (hopefully this July). A fully maxed out iMac should be capable enough.

 

[mBox]

I have a slew of 2010 (purchased same year and this year) that are doing great

 

[scottsjack]

This forum has become so sad. A while ago it was "Is the Mac Pro dead?". Then it became "What will the 2012 Mac Pro be?". That morphed into "How disappointing, is the Mac Pro being phased out?". And now, based on almost no information but buoyed by sheer hope and desperation it's "What will the 2013 Mac Pro be like?"

These forums read like unsubstantiated hope in the face of impending tragedy.

 

[derbothaus]

It is based on Tim's letter thing. Not just "hope". No one cares if a "Mac Pro" is released. Just want a decent desktop with upgradable components and zero power compromises to keep a Mac inline with the rest of the computing world. About .005% actually NEED a Xeon if Intel would put dual QPI on i7.

 

[mif]

This site isn't called MacRumors for nothing. Yesterday does not count

 

[Nermal]

Even in 32 bit mode, that's slower than my 2007 2,1 Mac Pro. Are you sure everything is working right?

You know, I was happy until you guys made me do benchmarks! Now you have me worried about what could be wrong with it

 

[scottrichardson]

I have a 2009 8 Core 2.93GHz Mac Pro.

I am going to....

- Upgrade RAM from 16GB to 32GB.
- Upgrade Radeon 4870 512MB to Radeon 5870 1GB
- Install OWC Accelsior 480GB PCI SSD Card To Use as Boot Volume
- Sell my 2 x 24" Cinema Displays and buy 2 x 27" Cinema Displays (Mini DP)

- Possibly by a PCI card to give me USB 3 ports and eSATA ports.

Should carry me for another year or two, as this machine is far from being a 'slouch'.

 

[Tutor]

Similar to a Win machine.

I believe that mine wouldn't be had to sell. I've had lots of offers to buy it for more than I paid to build it. But I wouldn't sell it.

 

[Nostromo]

I have a 2009 8 Core 2.93GHz Mac Pro.

I am going to....

- Upgrade RAM from 16GB to 32GB.
- Upgrade Radeon 4870 512MB to Radeon 5870 1GB
- Install OWC Accelsior 480GB PCI SSD Card To Use as Boot Volume
- Sell my 2 x 24" Cinema Displays and buy 2 x 27" Cinema Displays (Mini DP)

- Possibly by a PCI card to give me USB 3 ports and eSATA ports.

Should carry me for another year or two, as this machine is far from being a 'slouch'.

Should work out nicely until the real Mac Pro upgrade.

By the way, look at NEC displays before you buy the glossy cinema displays.

Also, macrumors lists the 27" display as "do not buy" (update around the corner) - could bring better surface - less glossy.

 

[mBox]

By the way, look at NEC displays before you buy the glossy cinema displays.

Also, macrumors lists the 27" display as "do not buy" (update around the corner) - could bring better surface - less glossy.

For what we do, the 27" glossy has been brutal. We tried to find stock Apple Cinema 30's (we have six) to replace aging 24"s but none to be found.
Our corp wont buy used.
I use a pair of Dell U2711 on my Maya workstation but not a big fan of the input switches on those.
they are cumbersome and slow.

 

[Doc69]

Just bought a 2010 quad Mac Pro.

I've been wanting to replace my Mac Pro 1,1 since about 2010. However, when the 2010 model came out, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't offer much improvement over the 2009 model (I'm talking base model). So I decided to wait for a 2011 model. Well here we are in 2012 and we still have the 2010 model with no update in sight. So yesterday I went along and bought an almost new 2.8 2010 quad on Craigslist. I paid $1600 which I think was a great deal.

I can now keep this one for a year or two until Apple gets it's act together and releases a new pro model of some kind. Then I will sell this one for around $1000. So basically I'm paying $600 to rent this one for a year or two which is an awesome deal. I've also ordered 12GB of RAM and an OWC Accelsior 240GB PCI SSD Card. So it should fly.

Also, there is basically nothing wrong with the current Mac Pro models. They are plenty fast for most people. However, the ONE thing that is completely off is the price. If Apple had lowered the price considerably, and in line with 2+ year old tech, then I think most everyone would be been OK with not having any new Mac pro models this year. At least I know that I'm very happy paying only $1600 for the 2010 model. But I would never have paid $2499 for it. That's way overpriced. Even for Apple…

 

[scottrichardson]

By the way, look at NEC displays before you buy the glossy cinema displays.

Also, macrumors lists the 27" display as "do not buy" (update around the corner) - could bring better surface - less glossy.

I appreciate some people's grievances with the glossy finish on the cinema displays, however I am a room where my screens face a wall, and the reflections are very minimal. I am fairly happy with my 2 x 24" screens - however I just want more real estate to play with etc etc. I like the look of my two apple screens on my desk too

 

[DJenkins]

After this disappointing release from Apple I'm going hackintosh.

My 1,1 to 2,1 conversion has been upgraded as far as possible but has been slowly dying over the last few months (ram/ram carrier failure, random reboots etc). When running it still is actually quite competitive but it's definitely time to lay it to rest.

So on the way is:
12 core Xeon 3.2GHz
GTX 570 graphics card (SLI capable if I want to add another)
48GB ram
SataIII 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 capable
2 x SataIII 6Gb/s OCZ agility 3 system drives (OSX & Windows on each)
and I'm using my existing 4 x 2TB ATTO raid 5 setup.
There are I think 7 x PCIe 16x slots for the above raid card, blackmagic multibridge, and any upgrades I want to do later.

I priced similar specs from BOXX and it was coming in at around $14,500
I'm paying about $7000 to have it built.

If it's a success, there are 3 people from my work in line to order the exact same machine, if not a better one.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

[Sargiel]

Just going to stick with my 2009 Map Pro. I've just upgraded the RAM to 16GB (single Quad Xeon 2.93 so no more slots ) and am looking at adding a SATA 3 card this year. I'd like to upgrade the graphics from the stock 4870 but resent paying £377 for a 5870.. If it continues until 2013 without any possible official graphics card upgrade option I'll probably go NVIDIA.

 

[gpzjock]

You know, I was happy until you guys made me do benchmarks! Now you have me worried about what could be wrong with it

Synthetic benchmarking tools have little to do with real world performance, if your Hack does everything you want it to do, at a speed you are happy with, then you have nothing to worry about. The hypothetical hoops they make the hardware jump through may have nothing to do with what you use it for. They only give a guideline to the overall performance in a broad spectrum of situations, some of which you may never encounter in your daily use of the tested machine. Having said that if you link the tests you have done already, we can analyse the areas where it is faster or slower than comparative equipment. Panic not, paranoia is not the aim of the game.

 

[-hh]

I'm on an old iMac and have to get a new computer...
A mini: I don't know... integrated graphics, low RAM, 2-core only... could be damn slow.

I was thinking about a mini yesterday, but after looking through the RAM & storage options, have decided that it isn't really a cost-effective replacement for a Mac Pro.

[darn it]

I'm one of those people who has needed a MP for years and put it off. Sheesh. I can't put it off any longer and just got a 2012/3.2. If you need it then you need it, and after spending a couple weeks following used MP's on Craigslist and not seeing any attractive options [impressed with MP resale value!], the time has come to pull the trigger, despite everything.

Pretty much the same here. And another consideration is to get something now that will run SL/Lion instead of coming new with Mountain Lion and having to sort out more Apps that get broken with the OS update.

I have a 2009 8 Core 2.93GHz Mac Pro.

I am going to....

- Upgrade RAM from 16GB to 32GB.
- Upgrade Radeon 4870 512MB to Radeon 5870 1GB
- Install OWC Accelsior 480GB PCI SSD Card To Use as Boot Volume
- Sell my 2 x 24" Cinema Displays and buy 2 x 27" Cinema Displays (Mini DP)

- Possibly by a PCI card to give me USB 3 ports and eSATA ports.

Should carry me for another year or two, as this machine is far from being a 'slouch'.

I looked at Apple's refurbs and the discounts simply aren't there vs the discount I can get on Apple's new stuff, so I'm thinking of getting a minimal 2012 ($2299), then going to OWC to add 24GB RAM, an OWC Accelsior (probably 240GB) and a pair of Hitachi 4TB HDDs.

BTW...how much you want for those 24" LCD's? I have a pair of the on my 2009 MP system and while I'll have to measure the destination desk to see what will fit, it is nice way to go...video card ports permitting, of course. It was a wonderfully unpleasant surprise when I originally got in that 2009 system and found that while Apple's OEM video card supports dual-out, it didn't have dual MDP ports to be able to plug both Apple displays in.


-hh

 

[news4jones]

Will wait, but doing an interim buy.

I pondered this all week. My Mac Pro(16 BG Memory w the 5870 graphics card) was bought in 2006. I've upgraded the system as much as possible but it won't even qualify for the Mountain Lion upgrade next month.

I've had money set aside for a year and will buy the new 2013 system for sure.

But in the interim I just ordered the 6-Core 3.33GHz Xeon processor with 16 GB of memory. It's not what I preferred but six core is going to blast past my Dual core...and even the Quad Core Macbook Pro that I work with.

I'll turn my present system into a server and hook it up to my LCD downstairs.

Windows is still not an option. The friends I have who edit with Windows have stability and software issues all the time.

 

[Nostromo]

I pondered this all week. My Mac Pro(16 BG Memory w the 5870 graphics card) was bought in 2006. I've upgraded the system as much as possible but it won't even qualify for the Mountain Lion upgrade next month.

I've had money set aside for a year and will buy the new 2013 system for sure.

But in the interim I just ordered the 6-Core 3.33GHz Xeon processor with 16 GB of memory. It's not what I preferred but six core is going to blast past my Dual core...and even the Quad Core Macbook Pro that I work with.

I'll turn my present system into a server and hook it up to my LCD downstairs.

Windows is still not an option. The friends I have who edit with Windows have stability and software issues all the time.

I'm sure you'll have a great experience with the 6-core, which should be much nicer than the 4-core, as it sports a real XEON processor, not just a kind of rebranded i7.

And I wouldn't want to deal with high maintenance Windows and its ugliness, either.

For what we do, the 27" glossy has been brutal. We tried to find stock Apple Cinema 30's (we have six) to replace aging 24"s but none to be found.
Our corp wont buy used.
I use a pair of Dell U2711 on my Maya workstation but not a big fan of the input switches on those.
they are cumbersome and slow.

I wish Apple would upgrade the cinema display to be more related to the classic 30" cinema display (with a modern wide gamut panel, of course) than to iMacs.

Also, design-wise I don't like that cinema displays look very close to an iMac.

The NECs are excellent displays, but their design is no match for Apple's design.

Eizos are also great - maybe you corp is willing to pay the premium price for one.

 

[derbothaus]

The NECs are excellent displays, but their design is no match for Apple's design.

NEC just has better panels, better specs, better color, faster response, non-LED backlight options, and more options in general like multiple RGB settings and HW calibration. Not to mention regular connectivity options like Dual-DVI, Mini-display, and HDMI, component/composite. Other than that, Apple display's compete with NEC just fine

 

[Nermal]

Synthetic benchmarking tools have little to do with real world performance, if your Hack does everything you want it to do, at a speed you are happy with, then you have nothing to worry about. The hypothetical hoops they make the hardware jump through may have nothing to do with what you use it for. They only give a guideline to the overall performance in a broad spectrum of situations, some of which you may never encounter in your daily use of the tested machine. Having said that if you link the tests you have done already, we can analyse the areas where it is faster or slower than comparative equipment. Panic not, paranoia is not the aim of the game.

Thanks for the voice of reason

Video encoding is faster, I have significantly more storage space available, and it's better for the games I play on the weekend. I'm happy with that until the next "real" MP upgrade.

Now I just need to figure out why I can't play iTunes protected videos...