Again, it's NOT overpriced. An Intel Xeon Westmere 3.33 6-Core processor ranges from $1500-1900 depending on seller. It's a SERVER class chip, NOT a desktop chip as the i7. The Intel Core i7 doesn't come in a 3.8GHz, but it does come in a 2.8GHz:
Intel Core i7 Processor Specs from Intel
For the SP systems, it is. And the comparison was with a proper workstation = same Xeon processors.
You can't get exact parity between systems due to the HDD and graphics cards for example, but it's close enough that the substantial cost difference is blatently obvious. But don't forget to add in Extended Apple Care, as the PC workstations come with 3yr warrantys standard (don't have to carry the system in to get it fixed either - they send someone to you).
The
Dell T3500 would be a good unit to compare to. And you can usually get better pricing over the phone with companies like Dell and HP.
DP systems are another story (much closer in listed prices, but can still get them cheaper than an ~ equivalent DP MP over the phone - not drastically, but cheaper).
It also retails for about $200-250 depending on seller. It also doesn't COMPARE to the Xeon grade chipsets. You are comparing two entirely different systems.
For consumer parts, sort of. The biggest difference is the RAM (remember, the consumer LGA1366 parts are the same as the SP Xeons with the ECC functionality Disabled).
And for most usage listed here on MR, you don't actually need a Xeon anyway (ECC being the truly differentiating characteristic), as it's not using recursive algorithm based application software (where you really do need ECC).
If you need a simple desktop, get an i7 based system. You can build them on the cheap, then fuss around with bootloaders, kext's, mach_kernels, DSDT's, and praying the board you have is fully OS X friendly and doesn't kernel panic with a 10.X.X update (
Gigabyte P45 motherboards are the best for hackintosh systems at the moment. Do not believe that a Core i7 system is the same or better than an Intel Xeon Westmere based Mac Pro unit.
Lack of having to do your own warranty support is one reason some users won't build their own systems. But for some (those that can spare the time), it might be a viable solution (i.e. enthusiast vs. professional).
But as per the i7 based systems not a solution to the Xeon MP, it depends on what they're doing. For most however, it actually is (there are 8GB UDIMM's out there by Samsung, which would run as non-ECC with an i7, so it's still possible to get up to 32GB total with 4x slots, and using other boards, you can usually get more DIMM slots).
Have you fully examined the guts of a Mac Pro? It's not just "pretty", the industrial design plays a crucial role in its function. Aluminum keeps the system cooler, the heatsinks are specifically designed for these systems. I've built many boxes, and let me tell you the interior chassis on a Pro is genius! No messy wires to tie together, swapping out SATA drives is as easy as pulling it out of its bay, easy access to everything makes for better maintenance and usage.
The aluminum was used for appearance purposes, not cooling. Now the internals are clean, but the cables used to do this are custom assemblies (= expensive and harder to find).
In the end, there is no way you can claim the Mac Pro is overpriced. The chip alone is more than half the unit. It's also not a desktop system for the average user as Core i7's. Now I agree that Apple should produce a mid range tower that utilizes a Core iX processor as most do not need server grade chipsets, and it would fill a niche that many need: an affordable system with the expandability of the Mac Pro. Yet keep in mind, your system is not the same as the Mac Pro systems.
See above.
The Xeon supports ECC RAM (if your RAM is working properly this is completely unnecessary).
Not quite true.
You need ECC for some applications (think of calculations that depend on the previous result, and continues until some point n; this is called recursion). There's not a lot of stuff that does this, but scientific/engineering simulations rely on this to generate results. So in these instances, you need it to prevent an error from occuring anywhere in the calculation run, otherwise one mistake blows the entire simulation). Ouch.
But for say video editing, 2D photo work, or 3D work (animation), it's not a necessity to have ECC memory at all (a single memory error won't blow the entire animation run). That doesn't mean it's not nice to have, but it's not a true necessity for such work.
It has the ability to run in dual-socket motherboards (not relevant because I was comparing my i7 to the base Mac Pro which comes in a single-socket configuration). This is the biggest difference. And in this case, it doesn't even matter!
Not from a technical POV, but it is a waste of money, as DP boards will outcost an SP board, especially if the features (i.e. built-in RAID and whatnot) are the same or close to it.
To get a DP board near enough an SP board in terms of cost, it's fairly stripped down (fewer if any additional features).
The Xeon supports a larger amount of memory, however most users rarely need to go above 24GB.
This is one instance that you may need to go with ECC when your applications don't need it for error correction (need more capacity than non-ECC RAM can provide).
But proper board selection can make a difference too, as not all boards have the maximum number of DIMM slots possible per Intel's design (2009/10 MP is a perfect example).
