Apple intros new Mac Pro with "Nehalem" Xeon processors

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple on Tuesday introduced its new Mac Pro workstations using Intel's "Nehalem" Xeon processors and an updated system architecture that delivers twice the performance of the previous model.

"The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade and starts at $300 less than before," said Apple senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller. "The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love."

The new machine starts at $2,499 with 2.66GHz Intel Xeon processors with integrated memory controllers. Three channels of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC memory increase memory bandwidth 2.4 times while lowering memory latency up to 40 percent.

Apple promises three times greater performance with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. An ATI Radeon HD 4870 is available as a custom option, and the Mac Pro has a Mini DisplayPort and DVI port, meaning it can support Apple's new LED Cinema Display as well as existing DVI based models including the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

Other features include:

Four direct-attach cable-free hard drive carriers
Capable of up to 4TB internal storage
Mac Pro RAID card optional
Exceeds current Energy Star 4.0 and future Energy Star 5.0 requirements
Highly recyclable aluminum enclosure
Interior designed to be more material-efficient
PVC-free internal cables and components
No brominated flame retardants
Achieves EPEAT Gold status

Specifications

Quad-core Mac Pro ($2,499):

one 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processors with 8MB of L3 cache
3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 8GB
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
640GB Serial ATA 3GB/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm
18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately)
four PCI Express 2.0 slots
five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse

8-core Mac Pro ($3,299):

two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache
6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm
18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately)
four PCI Express 2.0 slots
five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse

Build to order options and accessories:

One 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor for the quad-core Mac Pro
Two 2.66 GHz or two 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors for the 8-core Mac Pro
Up to 8GB for the quad-core Mac Pro, up to 32GB for the 8-core Mac Pro of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory
Up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm
Mac Pro RAID card
Up to two 18x SuperDrives with double-layer support
ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
AirPort Extreme(R) 802.11n
Apple Keyboard
Apple Wireless Keyboard
Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse
Mac OS X Server Leopard

Pricing and Availability

The new Mac Pro will be available next week through the online Apple Store, Apple Retail Stores, and authorized resellers.

The new quad-core Mac Pro is priced at $2,499 while the 8-core model starts at $3,299.

Originally Posted by UTisNUM1

The updates should have been out about 8 months ago, this is nothing big.

Originally Posted by davebarnes

$2500 for a Mac Pro or $2200 for an iMac.
Both limited to 8GB of memory.
iMac includes display.
Mac Pro is expandable with video and disks.

My personal feeling is: buy the iMac and buy a new one in 2 years instead of expanding your Mac Pro. Especially as you will be able to sell your used iMac for $1000 USD.

Originally Posted by BenRoethig

Would have been a good update if not for massive price increases.

Originally Posted by UTisNUM1

You can upgrade the Mac Pro to 32GB of memory, not 8GB.

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

Maybe this upgrade is meant to make those who already bought a MacPro feel better...

I know I do

Originally Posted by minderbinder

Aren't these chips brand new ones? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these chips didn't EXIST eight months ago.

Originally Posted by solipsism



They didn't, but people have unrealistic expectations.

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Originally Posted by Outsider

I think he's referring to the single CPU model.

Originally Posted by solipsism

I think this settles it: The FW400 interface is dead!!!

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I agree that the price is high, but the price of Mac pros is always pretty high anyway and mostly inconsequential to the purchase decision.

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

I agree that the price is high, but the price of Mac pros is always pretty high anyway and mostly inconsequential to the purchase decision.

My biggest gripe about this machine is that if the picture is accurate, there seems to be a new motherboard, and new configuration of the entire lower half of the insides. So again, while masquerading as an "upgradeable" Mac, this machine is essentially completely different from the previous model.

I'm not really sure why they even bother to let us open the case since the odds of upgrading a Mac pro past the stuff that you generally get when you purchase it, are something like slim to none. Anyone know if the new processors would pop into the older MacPros? It sure looks like the answer is no yet again.

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Anyone know if the new processors would pop into the older MacPros? It sure looks like the answer is no yet again.

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Anyone know if the new processors would pop into the older MacPros? It sure looks like the answer is no yet again.

Originally Posted by noirdesir

How do pop in a processor which connects directly to memory into a motherboard which is designed to hold the memory itself?
A computer is essentially a motherboard (+optionally the box holding the motherboard) plus the components: processor, memory, hard drive, optical drive, graphic card, other cards plus peripherals (monitor, keyboard, printer, etc.)

So, if you want to upgrade a computer, it is essentially either upgrading the components (which you can do in a Mac Pro) or upgrading the computer itself (ie, the motherboard). In the latter case you might be able to re-use some components if the technology has not changed in between (ATA vs. SATA, ADC vs. DVI, FW vs. USB, memory type). If you want to upgrade the computer, Apple only sells you the motherboard + the box together (the box incl. power supply, fans etc.) plus you have to buy at least one processor, one graphic card, one hard drive, a keyboard and a mouse. Whether you can upgrade components like the processor or re-use components is essentially a decision of Intel.