Apple unveils quad-core 64-bit Mac Pro desktops
At its World Wide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple Computer unveiled the new Mac Pro, a quad Xeon, 64-bit desktop workstation featuring two new Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of the Power Mac G5 Quad.
With advanced performance, greater expansion, higher performance graphics options and unprecedented customization, the newly designed Mac Pro is the ideal system for the most demanding user. The introduction of the Mac Pro marks the completion of a rapid transition for Apple, with the entire Mac family now using Intel's latest processors.
"Apple has successfully completed the transition to using Intel processors in just seven months--210 days to be exact," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "And what better product to complete it with than the new Mac Pro, the workstation Mac users have been dreaming about."
The new Mac Pro features the new Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 series processor based on the revolutionary Intel Core microarchitecture, delivering significantly improved performance and power efficiency. The new professional desktops are up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5 Quad running industry standard benchmarks and features two Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz, each with 4MB of shared L2 cache and independent 1.33 GHz front-side buses. With 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered memory, the Mac Pro also boasts a 256-bit wide memory architecture for amazing bandwidth.
With more than 4.9 million possible configurations, the Mac Pro delivers new levels of customization to meet even the most demanding performance, expansion and storage needs:
The newly redesigned Mac Pro features an all new, direct attach storage solution for cable free, snap in installation of up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives for a total of 2TB of internal storage--the most ever on a Mac--and support for two optical drives to simultaneously read and/or write to CDs and DVDs.
Every Mac Pro includes three full-length PCI Express expansion slots and one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot to support high-powered, double-wide graphics cards without sacrificing multiple slots. Providing quick and convenient access to connect the most popular external devices, the front panel of the Mac Pro includes a FireWire 800 port, a FireWire 400 port and two USB 2.0 ports with additional FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports on the back panel.
Mac Pro also includes dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, optical digital input and output, analog audio input and output, and optional built-in support for AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of video memory, providing built-in support for dual-displays and Apple's 30-inch Cinema HD Display. The ATI Radeon X1900 XT and the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500, both with 512MB of video memory, are available as build to order options and provide built-in support for up to two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays. The Quadro FX 4500 also includes a stereo 3D port to connect goggles for stereo-in-a-window applications and is ideal for the most demanding animation, special effects and scientific visualization applications.
The Mac Pro supports up to four PCI Express graphics cards to drive up to eight displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.
Pricing & Availability
The Mac Pro is shipping today with the standard prebuilt configuration, including two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors and priced at $2,499 (US), through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory expandable up to 16GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of GDDR2 SDRAM;
250GB Serial ATA (3Gb/s) hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
16x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
four PCI Express slots: one double-wide graphics slot and three full-length expansion slots; and
ships with Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers more than 4.9 million build-to-order options including: two 2.0 GHz or 3.0 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 16GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; ATI Radeon X1900 XT and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards, both with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM; AirPort Extreme module, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module; Apple USB Modem; Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; Mac OS X Server Tiger; Apple Xsan; and Apple Fibre Channel PCI Express Card.
With advanced performance, greater expansion, higher performance graphics options and unprecedented customization, the newly designed Mac Pro is the ideal system for the most demanding user. The introduction of the Mac Pro marks the completion of a rapid transition for Apple, with the entire Mac family now using Intel's latest processors.
"Apple has successfully completed the transition to using Intel processors in just seven months--210 days to be exact," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "And what better product to complete it with than the new Mac Pro, the workstation Mac users have been dreaming about."
The new Mac Pro features the new Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 series processor based on the revolutionary Intel Core microarchitecture, delivering significantly improved performance and power efficiency. The new professional desktops are up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5 Quad running industry standard benchmarks and features two Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz, each with 4MB of shared L2 cache and independent 1.33 GHz front-side buses. With 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered memory, the Mac Pro also boasts a 256-bit wide memory architecture for amazing bandwidth.
With more than 4.9 million possible configurations, the Mac Pro delivers new levels of customization to meet even the most demanding performance, expansion and storage needs:
The newly redesigned Mac Pro features an all new, direct attach storage solution for cable free, snap in installation of up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives for a total of 2TB of internal storage--the most ever on a Mac--and support for two optical drives to simultaneously read and/or write to CDs and DVDs.
Every Mac Pro includes three full-length PCI Express expansion slots and one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot to support high-powered, double-wide graphics cards without sacrificing multiple slots. Providing quick and convenient access to connect the most popular external devices, the front panel of the Mac Pro includes a FireWire 800 port, a FireWire 400 port and two USB 2.0 ports with additional FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports on the back panel.
Mac Pro also includes dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, optical digital input and output, analog audio input and output, and optional built-in support for AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of video memory, providing built-in support for dual-displays and Apple's 30-inch Cinema HD Display. The ATI Radeon X1900 XT and the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500, both with 512MB of video memory, are available as build to order options and provide built-in support for up to two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays. The Quadro FX 4500 also includes a stereo 3D port to connect goggles for stereo-in-a-window applications and is ideal for the most demanding animation, special effects and scientific visualization applications.
The Mac Pro supports up to four PCI Express graphics cards to drive up to eight displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.
Pricing & Availability
The Mac Pro is shipping today with the standard prebuilt configuration, including two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors and priced at $2,499 (US), through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory expandable up to 16GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of GDDR2 SDRAM;
250GB Serial ATA (3Gb/s) hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
16x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
four PCI Express slots: one double-wide graphics slot and three full-length expansion slots; and
ships with Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers more than 4.9 million build-to-order options including: two 2.0 GHz or 3.0 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 16GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; ATI Radeon X1900 XT and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards, both with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM; AirPort Extreme module, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module; Apple USB Modem; Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; Mac OS X Server Tiger; Apple Xsan; and Apple Fibre Channel PCI Express Card.
Comments
Its label has Intel Xeon. Who would have ever thought.
Two optical drives and four HDD sounds great. Four 750GB HD is 3 TB of storage. But Apple did not mention the ability of RAID configuration.
The DIMM slot slide out trays are a great idea.
Five USB 2 ports, two firewire 400, and two firewire 800. For those of you accusing Apple of abandoning firewire. Dual Gigabit ethernet.
A pretty solid machine, I still feel Apple should offer a lower cost desktop model however.
A pretty solid machine, I still feel Apple should offer a lower cost desktop model however.
Drop to the 2.00GHz, 160GB drive, and you're almost at $2000, and yet you still have an incredibly powerful machine.
Drop to the 2.00GHz, 160GB drive, and you're almost at $2000, and yet you still have an incredibly powerful machine.
Way too powerful. No consumer needs Dual dual core Xeons or expensive FB-DIMMS. The Mac Pro is a workstation, not a consumer desktop by any stretch of the imagination.
However, drop the Xeons for the Core 2 Duo range, 5000 series chipset for P965, FB-DIMMS for 4 standard DDR2 slots, x8 PCI express for x1, and less powerful power supply but keep the case and Apple would have a wonderful prosumer machine that could easily start near $1000.
Way too powerful. No consumer needs Dual dual core Xeons or expensive FB-DIMMS. The Mac Pro is a workstation, not a consumer desktop by any stretch of the imagination.
However, drop the Xeons for the Core 2 Duo range, 5000 series chipset for P965, FB-DIMMS for 4 standard DDR2 slots, x8 PCI express for x1, and less powerful power supply but keep the case and Apple would have a wonderful prosumer machine that could easily start near $1000.
I like the one model-multiple configurations approach. I hope we will have something equivalent for a Conroe-based Mac in the near future: based model 2.66GHz for $1499, 2.93GHz for $1999 and 2.13GHz for $1199 (all in a smaller case than the current Mac Pro).
...
I was looking at Intel's price list and I found something odd in Apple's Mac Pro offering, according to the bulk price of CPUs ($316 for 2GHz, $455 for 2.33GHz, $690 for 2.66GHz and $851 for 3GHz), the premium for going from 2.66 to 3.00 should be a small $322, and to go down from 2.66 to 2.00 should be $748. But if you take the 2.33GHz as the center model, now the premium to go 3.00 is $792 and to go down to 2.00 is in fact $278, I found this numbers more real, than the ones on the Apple Store.
Can it be a mistake in the Apple Store?
A late change without updating the premium prices?
Or did Apple get a really nice price on quantities of 2.66GHz chips and standard prices on other speeds?
Way too powerful. No consumer needs Dual dual core Xeons or expensive FB-DIMMS. The Mac Pro is a workstation, not a consumer desktop by any stretch of the imagination.
However, drop the Xeons for the Core 2 Duo range, 5000 series chipset for P965, FB-DIMMS for 4 standard DDR2 slots, x8 PCI express for x1, and less powerful power supply but keep the case and Apple would have a wonderful prosumer machine that could easily start near $1000.
Yeah. The Mac Pro is in a word - spectacular. Yet in another word the problem that causes for Apple's overall lineup is - stretch.
I'm as pleased as punch with the new machine when it comes to prestige and the true top users out there ... I'm also quite surprised at just what a workstation it is without a low end model for said prosumers.
Hey, I expected a new case style too but clearly we've got to wait until the 2nd rev of everything for those, bar the sweet sweet MacBook.
So, could this spell a new middle range of headless Mac? The legendary mid-range headless advanced switcher / tinker box? Yeah, well, maybe. I wouldn't count on it but this has really moved the Pro bar ...
Incidentally: AirPort still a BTO!? Bummer. And those FB-DIMM's, though mandated by Intel's design decisions with the Woodcrest are expensive buggers. Upping the RAM in this machine is not only "not for the fainthearted" but downright audacious!
Anyway, count me impressed. So want to see the benchmarks of the 3GHz one.
? $2,499 standard price of Mac Pro ($2,299 for Education)
??$2,124 is the lowest you can configure the Mac Pro ($1,962 for Education)
???To get it that low, you have to drop the processors from 2.66GHz to 2GHz and and the hard drive from 250GB to 160GB
? Airport Extreme & Bluetooth 2.0 still not standard
? Weak graphics card standard (GeForce 7300, ugh)
I like the one model-multiple configurations approach. I hope we will have something equivalent for a Conroe-based Mac in the near future: based model 2.66GHz for $1499, 2.93GHz for $1999 and 2.13GHz for $1199 (all in a smaller case than the current Mac Pro).
I like it as well.
Make an E6600 with a 256mb GeForce 7600GS, 1gb of DDR2 Ram, and a 250gb harddrive the base model for $1499. From there you'll be able to downgrade to the E6300/6400 or upgrade to the E6700 or the x6800. BTO videocard choices would be between a 128mb Geforce 7300GS, 256 or 512MB 7600GT, or a 512mb 7900. The front drive bay would be removed for a card reader.
If they arlready have the chips, how come they havent gone to core 2 duo yet? And when do you think they will?
Because these processors are BETTER than core 2 duo???
LAME
• $2,499 standard price of Mac Pro ($2,299 for Education)
——$2,124 is the lowest you can configure the Mac Pro ($1,962 for Education)
———To get it that low, you have to drop the processors from 2.66GHz to 2GHz and and the hard drive from 250GB to 160GB
• Airport Extreme & Bluetooth 2.0 still not standard
• Weak graphics card standard (GeForce 7300, ugh)
For publishing tasks, the 7300GT is more than good enough. The graphic pros are going to get something high end anyway. I'm not really sure the clients for these kinds are machine are going need airport or bluetooth though. They are more likely to have a hardwired highspeed network.
If they arlready have the chips, how come they havent gone to core 2 duo yet? And when do you think they will?
Woodcrest is core 2 architechture.
I think this improves the odds that iMac will get Conroe upgrade when these chips are more readily available. No way the iMac will get to close in performance to the Mac Pro with their dual processor Xeons.
iMac is going merom. It's a mid range consumer machine, not prosumer. Conroe would require another redesign and make a louder and hotter running system. Merom is plenty fast and would use the existing hardware.
Will they be made exclusively at the Apple Stores only?
Will Apple become like Dell and require people to Build To Order on their online store?
LAME
? $2,499 standard price of Mac Pro ($2,299 for Education)
??$2,124 is the lowest you can configure the Mac Pro ($1,962 for Education)
???To get it that low, you have to drop the processors from 2.66GHz to 2GHz and and the hard drive from 250GB to 160GB
? Airport Extreme & Bluetooth 2.0 still not standard
? Weak graphics card standard (GeForce 7300, ugh)
- no sli or cross fire support as well
LAME
? $2,499 standard price of Mac Pro ($2,299 for Education)
??$2,124 is the lowest you can configure the Mac Pro ($1,962 for Education)
???To get it that low, you have to drop the processors from 2.66GHz to 2GHz and and the hard drive from 250GB to 160GB
? Airport Extreme & Bluetooth 2.0 still not standard
? Weak graphics card standard (GeForce 7300, ugh)
So, you're going to post the exact same thing on every mac site?
iMac is going merom. It's a mid range consumer machine, not prosumer. Conroe would require another redesign and make a louder and hotter running system. Merom is plenty fast and would use the existing hardware.
I hope you're wrong. Yes the iMac would require a redesign but better now than later. If Merom replaces Core duo, only a modest improvement in performance could be expected. Anand had a very thorough comparisson of merom to yonah and only modest speed improvement was seen. Conroe clocks higher and has a faster FSB (which Anand thought hampered meroms performance). I'm not saying that a Merom iMac would be a bad machine but that a Conroe iMac would be much better and able to grow over the next year or so until the core 2 replacement arrives in 2008(?).