Apple finally rolls out 8-core Mac Pro

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  • Reply 81 of 164
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    http://www.intel.com/products/proces...chart/xeon.htm



    i cannot find Xeon 3.0 Ghz Quad Core here, am i missing something here?



    120W per CPU, Mc Pro one hot cake
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  • Reply 82 of 164
    bdj21yabdj21ya Posts: 297member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    As I have mentioned a number of times on this forum, unless you have some application that will take advantage of the 8-cores or 4-cores for that matter, don't get all excited and expect a huge performance boost.



    Example:



    PS3 running in the Intel native mode on dual 3.0 xeon (4-cores) with 8 gigs of ram



    Resize 1.3 gig image cymk image CPU usage 20%

    Rotate same image 2 degrees - CPU usage 7% (took about 6 minutes)

    In either case PS3 never used more than 1.8 gigs of the available ram



    Unless there is going to be some huge difference between PS3 beta and the final release, I don't see any real advantage to 8-cores, least not for Photoshop. Maybe Leopard will help some.



    I still maintain you are wrong. Suppose an application is only designed to handle four cores. In that case it the processor will send its instructions to those two cores. Now, while that program is executing (maybe rendering something in 3d or rendering a video file) you still have all those other cores available for instructions sent by other programs. Hence, huge performance boost for using other programs.
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  • Reply 83 of 164
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shanmugam View Post


    http://www.intel.com/products/proces...chart/xeon.htm



    i cannot find Xeon 3.0 Ghz Quad Core here, am i missing something here?



    120W per CPU, Mc Pro one hot cake



    Does anyone know what size the PS is, in the mac pro?
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  • Reply 84 of 164
    zandroszandros Posts: 537member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinney57 View Post


    Yep, that pretty well is the most stupid thing ever written.



    Well, duh, I guess I was too subtle.



    My point was that we haven't seen anything much in the ways of new design lately, except the iPhone (and the AirPort Extreme), as well as the iPod mini shrink, and the Macbook a year ago. I understad that it takes a while to perfect a design, but it's looking more and more like they can't work on things in parallel.



    Here's to hoping for some interesting new designs before July!
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  • Reply 85 of 164
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,954member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    Does anyone know what size the PS is, in the mac pro?



    Supposedly, it's 1kW. The standard model (2.66/1GB/ATI) doesn't take a quarter of that at max CPU. At max CPU, I think it draws 250W from the wall, PSU output is probably just a touch over 200W at that point. There's plenty of headroom. It's not a machine I keep under my desk during the summer, right now, it's on a high shelf. During the winter, I move it below my desk.
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  • Reply 86 of 164
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,954member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    Each CPU shares cache between it's cores, I was under the impression that os x actually assigns the thread to one of the 2 cores on the same cpu it was previously on. This wouldn't thrash the cache at all if this is 100% the case. As I said, under the impression... I can't back that up.



    My problem is that that is not what I've seen on my quad. Sure, a dual core chip shares cache between the cores, but that's just not true for the quads.
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  • Reply 87 of 164
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    You can have illustrator using 2 cores, PS using 4 cores, finder / web browser / etc using the other 2 cores. You can now multitask between applications without your computer being slowed down by the other processes.





    Fortunately that is not how it works. All applications should use all cores at all times.



    If an application is being a hog then it shows up in the activity window as "Nice" which really should be "Not Nice" because it indicates that the programmer decided to ignore sharing the cpu. iDVD is a perfect example of an application which hogs the CPU with a high "Nice%" yet it still cannot use any more than 40%.
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  • Reply 88 of 164
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    My problem is that that is not what I've seen on my quad. Sure, a dual core chip shares cache between the cores, but that's just not true for the quads.



    How are you testing this?
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  • Reply 89 of 164
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Since Apple has made the choice to limit the upgradable line to the Mac Pro, and give card manufacturers no incentive to make cards for us, then it's also Apple's responsibibity to have a fairly broad line, and keep it up to date, even if it costs them money to do so.



    Presumably Apple is waiting for nVidia to get their drivers sorted out before making their announcement!



    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/periphera...ted-241478.php



    We'll just have to wait and see what NAB brings forth!



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  • Reply 90 of 164
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zandros View Post


    Well, duh, I guess I was too subtle.



    My point was that we haven't seen anything much in the ways of new design lately, except the iPhone (and the AirPort Extreme), as well as the iPod mini shrink, and the Macbook a year ago. I understad that it takes a while to perfect a design, but it's looking more and more like they can't work on things in parallel.



    Here's to hoping for some interesting new designs before July!



    It's amazing how people seem to expect a new form factor every 3 to 6 months now. Apple has NEVER changed form factors at that rate, not on a singular product, which is why the other part of your post makes this a funny position for you to take.



    "...we haven't seen anything much in the ways of new design lately, except..."



    As soon as you say "except" the general relevance of your previous statement loses most of its import unless you prefaced the comment somehow. Every product in the Apple line up has a cycle to its development and form factor design... call them iterations.



    And, tower design is always the longest of them all as there isn't a tremendous amount ot be changed when you are buidling to accomodate raw power and expandability. The current iteration of the Mac Pro tower is only a little over a year old internally and two years externally (as the case is carried over from the last G5 configuration).



    The next large form factor redesign is most likely the monitor line-up, particularly when we consider the price cuts implemented today. Shortly after that, I would speculate that there will be a new design for the Video iPod, probably at or soon after the release of the iPhone. I would also expect to see redesigns of the current server line-up around the Developer's conference in June and some form of special event in the last quarter of the year for newly redesigned iMacs.



    But, that's just my best guess based on all the relevant information I have at my disposal.
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  • Reply 91 of 164
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdj21ya View Post


    Now, while that program is executing (maybe rendering something in 3d or rendering a video file) you still have all those other cores available for instructions sent by other programs. Hence, huge performance boost for using other programs.



    When I work with BIG files, be they PS or FCP, I usually want the task at hand to be completed as quickly as possible. I guess I'm not the kind of user that starts rendering a movie and then goes out surfing the web while it works in the background. That's why I have a V8 in my SUV. If I'm towing a boat, I'm not concerned with fuel economy.
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  • Reply 92 of 164
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shanmugam View Post


    http://www.intel.com/products/proces...chart/xeon.htm



    i cannot find Xeon 3.0 Ghz Quad Core here, am i missing something here?



    120W per CPU, Mc Pro one hot cake



    Intel hasn't announced the Xeon 3.0 Ghz Quad Core yet.

    - but apparently it takes 150W



    http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38724



    Also, it's impressive that the FSB is running at 1333MHz

    - i.e. they haven't had to drop it to 1066MHz when they went Quad Core.
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  • Reply 93 of 164
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,954member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    How are you testing this?



    I take any program where it is known that only one thread does the heavy work. Run it on a single, dual and four core system and its CPU utilization for each will be 100%, 50% and 25%, respectively. I just read it off on the per-core readout in Activity Monitor, so it's not exact, but usually good enough to show it within 5-10%. If the OS kept tasks to a core pair, then you would probably see two cores with 50% and two at close to 0%.
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  • Reply 94 of 164
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I take any program where it is known that only one thread does the heavy work. Run it on a single, dual and four core system and its CPU utilization for each will be 100%, 50% and 25%, respectively. I just read it off on the per-core readout in Activity Monitor, so it's not exact, but usually good enough to show it within 5-10%. If the OS kept tasks to a core pair, then you would probably see two cores with 50% and two at close to 0%.



    And who knows how Leopard is planning to handle 8 cores.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by samurai1999 View Post


    Presumably Apple is waiting for nVidia to get their drivers sorted out before making their announcement!



    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/periphera...ted-241478.php



    We'll just have to wait and see what NAB brings forth!







    Awesome news. That just about confirms Apple's intentions for NAB. I was pretty close to ordering a BOXX, or another Alenware. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Reply 95 of 164
    zandroszandros Posts: 537member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by plaidpjs@mac.com View Post


    The next large form factor redesign is most likely the monitor line-up, particularly when we consider the price cuts implemented today. Shortly after that, I would speculate that there will be a new design for the Video iPod, probably at or soon after the release of the iPhone. I would also expect to see redesigns of the current server line-up around the Developer's conference in June and some form of special event in the last quarter of the year for newly redesigned iMacs.



    But, that's just my best guess based on all the relevant information I have at my disposal.



    3-6 months? The iPod is well over 1 1/2 year, the MacPro enclosure is almost four (though it has gone through a significant redesign inside), the Macbook Pro enclosure is more than four, with some subtle changes, the iMac is almost a year and a half, if you count the iSight revision as new and so on.



    The Xserves are even older, and I don't expect any radical aestethical departure in that area.



    I'm just wondering what they are doing. They seem to be hoarding new designs for post leopard computers and accessories, from what we've been hearing.



    I'm not at all dissatisfied with what we have, but I believe Apple has a pretty effective design team, so I just want to know how they work.
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  • Reply 96 of 164
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,606member
    The monitor drop is just a way to clear out inventory.



    They have to have a 23" and 30" with HDMI, Component Video, iSight, Microphone, USB and Firewire in it with VESA mount support for us Apple TV guys.



    Video conferencing in the living room.
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  • Reply 97 of 164
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Game cards don't beat pro cards in pro 3D work, just as pro cards don't beat game cards in games.



    The software on the cards is different in just enough ways as to ensure that the cards do best in the markets they are sold in. You can't look at raw specs. That's never worked.



    Just like your dual-superturbo Mustang GT isn't going to beat my Lamborghini Diablo on a windy road.



    Ok, well I don't have one.... Yet.
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  • Reply 98 of 164
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    Awesome news. That just about confirms Apple's intentions for NAB. I was pretty close to ordering a BOXX, or another Alenware. Thanks for sharing.



    Heh, Haven't you been close for 2 years? You do realize that your Alienware is now Dell



    Why not just build your own box? Take some pride in customization. It's funner, get quality parts, cheaper, etc.
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  • Reply 99 of 164
    slewisslewis Posts: 2,081member
    Two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon

    Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon

    Two 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon

    Two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon



    So you can have Two Dual-Core Intel Xeons, and Two Quad-Core Intel Xeons. Why the hell can't you have One Quad-Core?



    Sebastian
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  • Reply 100 of 164
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    Heh, Haven't you been close for 2 years? You do realize that your Alienware is now Dell



    Why not just build your own box? Take some pride in customization. It's funner, get quality parts, cheaper, etc.



    No my Alienware is still pretty decent. They say you should upgrade your computer if the speed has been doubled. Do cores count as doubling speeds? I went with benchmarks, and my speed had not been doubled two years ago.
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