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MP All Models Why is older MP loosing so much value now?
- Thread starter rmanbike
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They’re all just old, and well out of general demand at this point.
apple has historically let the mac pro languish without regular updates and they've been outdated even while apple has been selling them. unless you have a specific usecase for them, they aren't worth much + they are old and slow
Like cars, electronics do not hold their value upon leaving the merchant.
It's 2023 and any Mac released a decade or more ago will drop in value.
If it was used for paid work then it must have paid for itself within the 1st 2-3 years.
Let the collectors have at it and complete their shelfporn.
This September's iPhone would likely outperform anything a decade ago at 5W if it ran macOS.
It's 2023 and any Mac released a decade or more ago will drop in value.
If it was used for paid work then it must have paid for itself within the 1st 2-3 years.
Let the collectors have at it and complete their shelfporn.
This September's iPhone would likely outperform anything a decade ago at 5W if it ran macOS.
They’re outdated. At this point, they’re only good for collectors and enthusiasts. Normal people that just want to buy a computer for every day use want something up-to-date that will run the current version of an operating system.
Think how much a Windows 8 PC would get you on eBay.
To add more detail typical consumer wants a ~$799 laptop that hopefully consumes ~30W power that will be used for 4-6 years without any parts upgrade then just replace with another ~$799 laptop that hopefully consumes <30W for another 4-6 years.
As the 1st owner they'll hand it down to a loved one, sell it used or sell it to a recycler.
As pointed out only a collector or enthusiasts would buy it. So that's like 2000 or so persons worldwide?
My 6,1 had 12.6.6?
and a 5,1 has 12.6.7 with opencore so I don’t understand this 12.6.5 limitation.
I think traditional Mac Pro customers are switching to powerful PC workstations that can be easily upgraded and don’t have lots of bespoke components.
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THIS is a phenomenon I've seen and taken advantage of (three times!). In my view the slump in value is only partly age and partly the advent of Apple Silicon. However in the UK and probably elsewhere, cMPs have one singular disadvantage.
In a time of high and probably permanently higher electricity prices, the running cost has increased significantly. I'm resigned to that for the next year or so after which I might consider a machine with an M3 or M4 chip. For today, I still prize the power, modularity and upgradeability.
In a time of high and probably permanently higher electricity prices, the running cost has increased significantly. I'm resigned to that for the next year or so after which I might consider a machine with an M3 or M4 chip. For today, I still prize the power, modularity and upgradeability.
there is no reasonable reason to buy an intel mac now.
I think it depends on the spec of the Mac pro, dual 3.46Ghz cpu mac's with Vega 64 or VII cards with SSD drives along with USB-3 cards and M2 PCIe boot drives still command quite decent money. Especially if they dont look like they are bashed around scratched up case's. I have 3 Immaculate 5.1's dual 3.46ghz machines all with original box's and full spec. You never know one day they might become collector's item's 
The single CPU versions with single 2.4ghz CPU and standard spinning drives are cheaper for sure. 2.1's and 3.1's even cheaper. trash can versions i have never had, but i expect prices will fall as do most computers over time.
A non upgradable Mac pro 8.1 or 9.1 makes the 5.1 and 7.1 most likely the best Mac pro's ever produced.
The single CPU versions with single 2.4ghz CPU and standard spinning drives are cheaper for sure. 2.1's and 3.1's even cheaper. trash can versions i have never had, but i expect prices will fall as do most computers over time.
A non upgradable Mac pro 8.1 or 9.1 makes the 5.1 and 7.1 most likely the best Mac pro's ever produced.
Collection for collectors, hand me down or recycling.
Many have hang ups with the dreaded e-waste but with a bit of effort it can be repurposed for someone else.
If I had a 2013 or older MP and the 2023 fits the PCIe card use case then why not replace? You're jumping from a 22nm or older die shrink chip to a 5nm.
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Agreed. Yet last month I was compelled to buy a 5,1 for $200. Mainly cause I never had one, wanted to tinker, and had a 5700XT sitting here doing nothing. I blew another $100 for Wi-Fi/BT upgrade and BootROM update. Now I'm running Monterey and literally have it connected at 6K to my Pro Display XDR.
Probably a waste of $300, but it was kind of a fun project, even if it doesn't get much use. Once in a while I need an Intel Mac to download an old macOS or deprecated app for a friend or similar.
Worst case, I repurpose the 5,1 enclosure as a Windows PC gaming desktop for my son one day.
What kind of benchmarks?
With my 5700XT and FCP, running Monterey, I imagine it would be a hell of a video editor. But I don't edit video so can't provide much anecdotal insight
What kind of benchmarks?
With my 5700XT and FCP, running Monterey, I imagine it would be a hell of a video editor. But I don't edit video so can't provide much anecdotal insight
Some 6900XT will run in it, if you can find reference cards, otherwise most are too long to fit. Also need pixlas mod.
W6800 32GB will also work. Both cards need to be flashed, which is not difficult if you know someone with a Windows machine.
I have a 6 core X5690 machine running a RX6600 XT, that’s quite nice.
That was originally a second hand machine I got for it’s dual CPU tray, then swapped my single CPU tray into it.
My 7,1 is a better machine however. It should be.
I want a 7,1 for the cool factor, but considering the disappointment with the 14,8, I think the 7,1's will hold their value for a while. Maybe by 2029 I can pick up one for 250.
The prices of MacPro5,1 and older were propped up by discussions of this sub-forum in the past, and partially because MacPro7,1 had been pricey still. That enthusiasm of discussion had withered since a year or so ago due to various reasons, mainly: 1) the machines are really _old_; 2) can no longer easily run latest MacOS (even if Apple didn't transition away from Intel)
Due to 1&2, supply in the 2nd hand market increases while demand dwindles at the same time. Prices naturally break down and fall.
Personally I can't think of a reason to buy MacPro7,1 in 2029. Unless you really want one for decoration. However, I think the price will never go down to 250 by the end of this decade. The case alone will be worth $500 or so and there will be a market for that among PC MOD'ing enthusiasts.
Due to 1&2, supply in the 2nd hand market increases while demand dwindles at the same time. Prices naturally break down and fall.
Personally I can't think of a reason to buy MacPro7,1 in 2029. Unless you really want one for decoration. However, I think the price will never go down to 250 by the end of this decade. The case alone will be worth $500 or so and there will be a market for that among PC MOD'ing enthusiasts.
Generally true, but there are exceptions for products that become classics. I have an Oppo Blu-Ray player that was discontinued. It now sells on e-Bay for almost 4x what I paid for it originally.
My original 5,1 which I got brand new back in 2010 (for big $$$) is also pristine, I also have the original box for it, original discs that came with it, all the documents from the purchase, also the original screen and the original box that came in. Now that machine is fully upgraded. I don't use it much now because I have a much better 7,1. I'll keep the 5,1 - maybe sell it one day.
Too many variables without testing
1. Which video editing app to use?
2. Does that app use more CPU than GPU?
3. Does that app use CUDA?
4. Does that app process in RAM?
5. Do you need a certain speed drive/SSD?
There is free video footage for download to test your system.
Will your system yell Uncle @ HD, 2K, 4K, 6K Dragon, 8K?
4K multicam? 8K multicam? 😂
If you want any longevity you might as well ditch Apple completely and buy a proper workstation like a Lenovo PX or HP Z8 workstation. No point to buying locked down Apple Silicon machines unless you want to throw away money every few years.
At $17K you are looking at:
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This is exactly one of the main reasons that make some users uneasy. Once MacOS updates stop in 6 to 7 years time after device launch. Apple Silicon machines are pretty much useless just like piles of old mobile phones and tablets without software updates - too wasteful to throw away too little to continue for daily use.
After generations of users have seen and experienced benefits of MacOS on more or so open hardware, will be really interesting to see how once-again proprietary Macs play out in the longer term.