This is not an update to the Xeon E5 ... the Xeon E56XX series is a Westmere/Nehelem processor, not a Sandy-Bridge processor. Dual-slot Xeon E5 part numbers should start with a E5-26XX value, as well as natively support PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0.
What Apple has done is merely bump the processor specs slightly to a chip that has still been out for nearly two years.
This is not an update to the Xeon E5 ... the Xeon E56XX series is a Westmere processor, not a Sandy-Bridge processor. Xeon E5 part numbers should start with a E5-26XX value, as well as natively support PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0.
What Apple has done is merely bump the processor specs slightly to a chip that has still been out for nearly two years.
I have a feeling you're right....this was the cheapest update route Apple could do (update the EFI to take the slightly higher speed CPU). Couldn't even do a graphics card update.
What a total bummer, really a bummer.
As to those folks waiting on the iMac, it'll come around...Apple isn't giving that up yet, you'll just have to wait a little while.
Great to see they didn't kill it anyway. Seriously though it severely needs a GPU update. It is ridiculous they none are available for the Mac yet. As a Motion Graphics professional, I'm stuck. After Effects CS6 is only optimized for Nvidia cards. I stuck 2 (nearly outdated) Quadro 4000 cards in it for $1600, and while it did help some with the Adobe apps, it caused a slow down with just about everything else. I sent them back . . .
For the first time in more than 20 years I am seriously thinking about switching platforms. It is very difficult to see the Windows world advancing so much faster. If it costs me money for my business to stay with a Mac, I will have no choice at all to leave.
Despite throwing us pros a very small bone here, I really don't think they give a damn about us. Soon it will be a mutual feeling I think.
This is pretty sad. I would be disappointed if I was waiting for a Mac Pro. No Thunderbolt or USB 3, and the top end graphics card offered is still two years old.
I think maybe they really didn't update the specs and put the NEW moniker by mistake until the REAL machines are announced when they do the desktop refresh. First laptops, then desktops. Because they are going to have to come out with a Thunderbolt display update for USB 3.
So the single processor machine went from 3.3GHz 6 core chip to a quad core with no Thunderbolt nor USB 3? Clearly, the Pro line is over... and it's a damn shame.
Whoops, my bad, just double checked, one CAN get the 6 core for an extra 500 bucks... so it looks like they just slapped a New label to try and convince the weak minded they actually updated the line!
Good grief! The MacPro is still, two years later, faster than most PC's. In order to get any better you have to spend a heck of a lot of money on PC Workstation class hardware. Only a couple of Ivy Bridge Xeons are even out yet. Most people who use Mac Pro's can't even push them hard enough to max out their capabilities. Quit the attitude!
I have a Mac Pro (last produced model), it cost me $8k and I didn't even max it out on options. They are not selling a lot of these machines. Instead of fretting over this machine, I am building a rackmount cloud server instead. Future computers will be laptops and anything that needs real power will be on the cloud server. I just remote connect to the private cloud and kick off my rendering jobs there. It's faster that way anyway!
Apple isn't fooling anybody with this update, no doubt just securing their supplies from Intel and huge profit margins. No USB 3.0. No faster, quad channel memory. No eight-core processors (16 cores for the system). No SATA III. No Thunderbolt. The E5645 was launched over 2 years ago. No wonder this "update" was kept quiet. The consumer market isn't everything, but Apple apparently can't chew gum and walk at the same time. My support for Linux just improved enormously.
Good grief! The MacPro is still, two years later, faster than most PC's. In order to get any better you have to spend a heck of a lot of money on PC Workstation class hardware. Only a couple of Ivy Bridge Xeons are even out yet.
But not Sandy Bridge PCs in the same category, which is the only thing that is important. This IS workstation hardware, and this timeframe for updates is actually pretty inexcusable.
If they do give it a new case, I'll dance around like everyone else here. Until then, we have to assume it's dead.
Comments
This is not an update to the Xeon E5 ... the Xeon E56XX series is a Westmere/Nehelem processor, not a Sandy-Bridge processor. Dual-slot Xeon E5 part numbers should start with a E5-26XX value, as well as natively support PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0.
What Apple has done is merely bump the processor specs slightly to a chip that has still been out for nearly two years.
This is not an update to the Xeon E5 ... the Xeon E56XX series is a Westmere processor, not a Sandy-Bridge processor. Xeon E5 part numbers should start with a E5-26XX value, as well as natively support PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0.
What Apple has done is merely bump the processor specs slightly to a chip that has still been out for nearly two years.
Wow. That's really quite pathetic!
Quote:
Originally Posted by tuncer
Looks like the end of the line for the Mac Pro
I have a feeling you're right....this was the cheapest update route Apple could do (update the EFI to take the slightly higher speed CPU). Couldn't even do a graphics card update.
What a total bummer, really a bummer.
As to those folks waiting on the iMac, it'll come around...Apple isn't giving that up yet, you'll just have to wait a little while.
Great to see they didn't kill it anyway. Seriously though it severely needs a GPU update. It is ridiculous they none are available for the Mac yet. As a Motion Graphics professional, I'm stuck. After Effects CS6 is only optimized for Nvidia cards. I stuck 2 (nearly outdated) Quadro 4000 cards in it for $1600, and while it did help some with the Adobe apps, it caused a slow down with just about everything else. I sent them back . . .
For the first time in more than 20 years I am seriously thinking about switching platforms. It is very difficult to see the Windows world advancing so much faster. If it costs me money for my business to stay with a Mac, I will have no choice at all to leave.
Despite throwing us pros a very small bone here, I really don't think they give a damn about us. Soon it will be a mutual feeling I think.
Technical specs from the UK store:
Quad-Core
One 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon W3565 processor
Turbo Boost dynamic performance up to 3.46GHz
12-Core
Two 2.4GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5645 processors
Turbo Boost dynamic performance up to 2.67GHz
Hyper-Threading technology for up to 24 virtual cores
Good by Mac Pro.
It’s been nice.
Off to Windows I go.
Will my next laptop be Apple?
Probably not.
Apple you lost a very good customer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redgreen21
Despite throwing us pros a very small bone here, I really don't think they give a damn about us. Soon it will be a mutual feeling I think.
This wasn't a bone they threw, it was a finger.
I think maybe they really didn't update the specs and put the NEW moniker by mistake until the REAL machines are announced when they do the desktop refresh. First laptops, then desktops. Because they are going to have to come out with a Thunderbolt display update for USB 3.
So the single processor machine went from 3.3GHz 6 core chip to a quad core with no Thunderbolt nor USB 3? Clearly, the Pro line is over... and it's a damn shame.
Whoops, my bad, just double checked, one CAN get the 6 core for an extra 500 bucks... so it looks like they just slapped a New label to try and convince the weak minded they actually updated the line!
Good grief! The MacPro is still, two years later, faster than most PC's. In order to get any better you have to spend a heck of a lot of money on PC Workstation class hardware. Only a couple of Ivy Bridge Xeons are even out yet. Most people who use Mac Pro's can't even push them hard enough to max out their capabilities. Quit the attitude!
I have a Mac Pro (last produced model), it cost me $8k and I didn't even max it out on options. They are not selling a lot of these machines. Instead of fretting over this machine, I am building a rackmount cloud server instead. Future computers will be laptops and anything that needs real power will be on the cloud server. I just remote connect to the private cloud and kick off my rendering jobs there. It's faster that way anyway!
Apple isn't fooling anybody with this update, no doubt just securing their supplies from Intel and huge profit margins. No USB 3.0. No faster, quad channel memory. No eight-core processors (16 cores for the system). No SATA III. No Thunderbolt. The E5645 was launched over 2 years ago. No wonder this "update" was kept quiet. The consumer market isn't everything, but Apple apparently can't chew gum and walk at the same time. My support for Linux just improved enormously.
Mac Pro => Mac Zombie
Someone is trolling AI.
12-core (standard configuration)
Two 2.4GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5645 processors
This is not an E5, the page is unchanged.
The E5's have part numbers like E5-1xxx or E5-2xxx
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM
Is this just a case of a mistaken "new" tag added?
Well, it is new compared to the previous config, but it's not new in any meaningful way.
This is just a bump and there is still a chance there will be a real update in the future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redgreen21
Despite throwing us pros a very small bone here, I really don't think they give a damn about us. Soon it will be a mutual feeling I think.
Quote:
This wasn't a bone they threw, it was a finger.
Yeah you are right, I was being way too kind. So very frustrating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBrickley
Good grief! The MacPro is still, two years later, faster than most PC's. In order to get any better you have to spend a heck of a lot of money on PC Workstation class hardware. Only a couple of Ivy Bridge Xeons are even out yet.
But not Sandy Bridge PCs in the same category, which is the only thing that is important. This IS workstation hardware, and this timeframe for updates is actually pretty inexcusable.
If they do give it a new case, I'll dance around like everyone else here. Until then, we have to assume it's dead.