Where to buy a cheaper current mac pro

[YosemiteSam]

um how about this most people don't want to go through the hassle of installing a new processor in the mac pro and any system how about this for 500 u upgrade the iMac to a 3.3ghz intel core i9 6 core and have a machine that gets 20k on gekkbench cus i don't want to and how about instead of a decent monitor for a couple hundred i get a 1k one thrown in and ok if u want to go there then say u just bought a used iMac 2010 2.93 i7 and upgrade that for the same but get it for 1400 think about it

Your suggestion (or suggestions? I can't really make out what you're saying in the stream of words and fragments you've written) does nothing to address the main point in wonderspark's post (which you've quoted). The iMac does not dissipate heat well, and for some that is a critical issue. Not to mention all the things ActionableMango mentioned as well, which are not covered by the iMac. I'd also add that the Mac Pro runs much more quietly.

Really, for the vast majority of Mac Pro users/buyers, the appeal of the Mac Pro is only partially about horsepower, and much more about other professional (or power user) needs. Using wonderspark's suggestion, not only would one's Mac Pro be much stronger in the bang-for-the-buck category (than other Mac Pros), you would still get a MAC PRO and all that it is (and that a closed-system iMac, no matter how powerful, could never be).

mayhone1- did you make a decision? Just curious which way you end up going.

 

[Nostromo]

iMac can't dissipate heat very well. If you do heavy work, that's a critical issue. Say you bought that used Mac Pro for $1600. Then for free, update firmware to 2010. I just saw someone bought the W3680 chip for under $500. RAM is only $438 at OWC for 32GB@1333MHz now. Monitors can be had for a couple hundred. Why not spend $2800 for a Mac Pro with 3.33GHz 6-core and 32GB of 1333 RAM instead of spending $2200 for the iMac and another $780 to OWC on 32GB of RAM which totals about $3000 with only four cores and .07 faster processor? Building the Mac Pro can be/is cheaper for a better machine that won't suffer a heat stroke.

I appreciate your knowledge about Mac Pros, but a monitor for a couple of hundred won't cut it for image work (if the OP plans to do this on more than casual level).

The least I'd get for photography or video is a NEC regular gamut display. A 27" would cost about $650.

Note: the one for $650 is no longer available at B&H. There is one for $498, but I don't know this model and who the targeted user is - a matter of research.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/830977-REG/NEC_EA273WM_BK_MultiSync_EA273WM_27_Widescreen.html

 

[wonderspark]

um how about this most people don't want to go through the hassle of installing a new processor in the mac pro and any system how about this for 500 u upgrade the iMac to a 3.3ghz intel core i9 6 core and have a machine that gets 20k on gekkbench cus i don't want to and how about instead of a decent monitor for a couple hundred i get a 1k one thrown in and ok if u want to go there then say u just bought a used iMac 2010 2.93 i7 and upgrade that for the same but get it for 1400 think about it

I've thought about it. You're an iMac customer. There's nothing shameful about that, but the question was where to get a cheaper Mac Pro. Maybe a cheaper monitor will work fine for now, I don't know. Changing the CPU in a Mac Pro is easier than changing a car tire, and it's that way by design. Apple didn't make the iMac for easy mods, because it's for those like my mom that want to buy something simple and cookie-cutter. If someone is looking for a Mac Pro, there might be a good reason for it, such as the need for PCI expansion, or any number of things that automatically rule out an iMac.

If someone asked you where to buy a cheaper van, would you tell them to buy a new convertible sedan? Think about it.

 

[YosemiteSam]

If someone is looking for a Mac Pro, there might be a good reason for it, such as the need for PCI expansion, or any number of things that automatically rule out an iMac.

If someone asked you where to buy a cheaper van, would you tell them to buy a new convertible sedan? Think about it.

Exactly. On both points.

 

[AkuskaUK]

I have recently (yesterday) bought a 2009 8-core Mac Pro for £1000 off of eBay, just make sure you collect and check that it is working first!

 

[Nostromo]

I appreciate your knowledge about Mac Pros, but a monitor for a couple of hundred won't cut it for image work (if the OP plans to do this on more than casual level).

The least I'd get for photography or video is a NEC regular gamut display. A 27" would cost about $650.

Note: the one for $650 is no longer available at B&H. There is one for $498, but I don't know this model and who the targeted user is - a matter of research.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/830977-REG/NEC_EA273WM_BK_MultiSync_EA273WM_27_Widescreen.html

Just checked out this monitor. Do not buy it. It has a TN panel. Why does B&H suddenly sell such junk?

There was a model with an isp panel that cost $650.

I suppose a new series of monitors are coming out, and the low-end, do-not-buy TN panel model came out first.

I suggest to wait until the better models come out (the TN model came out in November)