Which is best to buy?

[Melbourne Park]

Needing a new mac for video and photography, at them moment I am now tempted back to a more flexible form factor - a Mac Pro. I'll likely add a USB 3 card to it too.

But what is good value?

Either:

An under warranty August 2010
Single 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor
1TB Serial ATA 7200 rpm
ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB GDDR5 memory
Speed tests: Mac Pro "Quad Core" 2.8 (2010/Nehalem) 8673 / 9715 All MacPro5,1

Or a used 2008 2 xs Quad 2.8Mhz machine with an old and likely to fail 2800 card?
Speed tests: Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.8 (2008) 9162 / 10564 All MacPro3,1

The cost for both machines - the 2008 box is about 20% cheaper.

and how difficult is it to add a WiFi radio network card to the older machine, and are they expenisive?

And does either machine have a worthwhile CPU upgrade path?

 

[flatfoot]

I'd take the 2010.

It can be upgraded to a 6-core CPU (W3670, W3680, W3690), plus has warranty and better graphics.

WiFi for the older Mac Pro can be had via eBay for around 20 to 30 bucks and is relatively easy to put in.

 

[CaptainChunk]

Agreed. 2010 machines are a better overall value long-term. Better CPU architecture (and more CPU upgrade choices), faster standard graphics, much cheaper memory, etc.

Harpertown-based (2008) MPs have almost zero CPU upgrade path. You're essentially limited to three CPUs that work (E5462/E5472/X5482) and the relative performance difference between the three isn't much.

I'd only consider a 2008 MP at this point if you're getting it really cheap in comparison (and 20% really is not).

 

[Melbourne Park]

Thanks guys.

I also know that a 2009 second hand would be fine, but they don't seem to be available.

It seems better value to get refurb Pro than a soon to be superceded iMac ... the extra cost is just a Dell monitor ... and I can buy a USB 3.0 PCI card. No thunderbolt, but there are few thunderbolt devices anyway ... and instead of loosing money selling an iMac and buying a new one, I can upgrade to a 6 core CPU in a year.