I will be keen to see how Apple sorted thermals/cooling on this machine. Especially for high end SKUs.
Haswell or not, 12 cores on 3.7GHz and dual D700 graphics, on their own, should be releasing some respectable heat. By the design of the case, I'd expect a huge fan (diameter of the case itself) pushing air through the whole enclosure, or even two of them - one sucking air in at the bottom of the case, on pulling out at the top... But I'm thinking, IBM server with comparable hardware (2x 6-core Xeons etc) has enough fans inside to fill new Mac Pro's enclosure full.
Average server we deal with nowadays does have more storage, more RAM and redundant power, but no dual graphics... I'd expect that power consumption is not much off. Do we know power supply specs of new Mac Pro? As example, new IBM x3650 M4 comes with dual 550W power, but this is for redundancy - server will operate with single power supply.
Granted, 2U server in rackmount chassis is designed to work 24x7, but pro graphics workstation is also expected to work under full load for hours when rendering... and more often in less favourable environment than server, which is expected to be running in cooled server room.
Additional question - can you plug 2nd SSD in there? Even if data is sitting on NAS/SAN, I'd prefer to have system installed on redundant storage. I'd personally rather go for dual 256GB in RAID1 (with all data on external redundant storage) than for one 1TB SSD.
- The FirePro D300 is probably based off the Tahiti core which makes it equilvalent to the Radeon HD 7800 series of GPUs released back in late 2012. You can get a pair of Radeon HD 7870 XT for less than $500.
No he does not. He's a one-post troll just being an idiot. Sure I can grow my own vegetables at 1/2 the cost. Oh wait, I got to factor in water, fertilizer, good weather, several weeks to grow it, and let's not forget my time I have to allocate to tend to the crop. Oh, last night was freezing temperatures... I lost my crop. Bug infestation? Damn...
How's that "1/2 the cost" looking to ya? Or maybe I just continue working, earning more income, and go to the supermarket/costco instead and be done with it?
That argument gets so old. Thank you, but I'm done building rigs, with components from multiple vendors, hoping all the drivers for those pieces behave nicely, and of course NOT running OSX.
No... stupid comments from idiots like him are usually reserved for people that have way too much time on their hands, probably have dinner being served to them by mommy, don't pay rent, and do not have a social life outside of WoW parties.
My first paragraph was sarcastic. It's clearly silly to say that having a restaurant prepare good for you is a stupid idea.
so those two components would add $650 on top of the CPU + GPU + memory cost of $1000. that would leave about $1400 for power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">so those two components would add $650 on top of the CPU + GPU + memory cost of $1000. that would leave about $1400 for </span>
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.</span>
How do you get a CPU+GPU+memory cost of $1000? From what I've seen we're talking about $1000 for CPU and $1200 for the GPUs.
On the other hand, if you are working in Windows environment, you will probably not be considering Macs in general.
I work in a Windows environment but I don't want a giant workstation box to put somewhere. I switched to a MacBook Pro that sits on my desktop, closed, flat, used as another surface, plugged into my monitor, keyboard and mouse. I just set the power savings control panel to not put the computer to sleep when the lid is closed.
Why not use an iMac? Because it doesn't have a video input, and I'm required to use my work Dell laptop to connect to my work's network, so I have to connect a second laptop to my same monitor on my desk at home, (which has multiple inputs.)
Why not use a personal PC laptop to run Windows at home too? Because they are bulky, slow, cheap plastic crap with short battery life for the same price as a MBP.
I built the first 6-core i7 Extreme a few years ago and put up with the huge and loud do-it-yourself box because that was the only way I could get the speed. Now the Macbook Pro i7 4-core is just as fast but without the bulk, plastic, or noise.
I have every intention of getting the new Mac Pro to run Windows in Dec. as it's even faster, (I've been at the same speed now for 3 years,) and the bottom line is that I now need to run more servers in VMWARE Workstation at one time and can't on a laptop that only holds 16 GB RAM. I need for my learning environment: Win2012 AD Domain Controller, SQL Server 2012, SharePoint 2013 App, SharePoint 2013 Web, etc. I'm at 15.8 GB used right now with no room to grow.
The new Mac Pro looks awsome for running Windows fast, in my living room next to my recliner without the bulk or noise!
I am a bit surprised that Apple went with ATI. The CUDA by NVIDIA is more accepted in the industry. For PRO users that is an important point...
On OSX you would not develop to a proprietary GPU layer. You use OpenCL for any GPU computing. In fact, OpenCL abstracts so that it uses both the CPUs and GPU for processing.
How do you get a CPU+GPU+memory cost of $1000? From what I've seen we're talking about $1000 for CPU and $1200 for the GPUs.
see my post on page 2.
also, a slight correction: the Intel C600 family of chipsets might be better for the base model Xeon E5 than the Intel X79 chipset. the price delta would not be more than $150 between the two chipsets. As such, we have
If my math is correct, the total is $1800. The additional $1200 would apparently be for the power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
also, a slight correction: the Intel C600 family of chipsets might be better for the base model Xeon E5 than the Intel X79 chipset. the price delta would not be more than $150 between the two chipsets. As such, we have
Intel Xeon E5 1600-class CPU - $300
Two Tahiti-based GPUs (Radeon HD 7800-class; 256-bit lanes) - $500
12 GB RAM - $200
Intel C600-based chipset - $550
256GB SSD - $250
If my math is correct, the total is $1800. The additional $1200 would apparently be for the power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
First off, you would have to have the same ports, the same speed SSD, ECC memory, same processor, same level of GPU w/memory. Seriously, I don't think you have supplied enough or the proper information to articulate what these descriptions and price is actually for.
So far, your abilities to come up with something that is similar is a TOTAL failure. Plus, you have to add $200 for Windows 8 Pro, which you left out.
Go back and supply me with EXACT description and part numbers and source for me to double check your work. You would FAIL in terms of what you have supplied thus far. Piss poor job.
And while you are at it, start adding up how much time it takes you to look everything up, add another 4 to 8 hours to gather everything, unbox it, assemble it and install everything. Now, the other part that you are COMPLETELY missing is support. Your DIY POS doesn't have anyone that really supports it well, if a component fails, your system is down until you can get a replacement part and then you have to crack open the case, send the back part back, if it's even covered under warranty, and you don't get the ability to resell it and recoup much money should you decide to sell it to upgrade. Apple products retain FAR more resale value than your DIY POS, and you still have a big space heater that's costing more money to keep it on and heating your room.
Sorry, but DIY computers are TYPICALLY for people that don't want to spend any money since they typically use them for playing games and screwing around. REAL professionals will buy something by a REAL company rather than putting it together, just like people buy cars. Sure you can take some rice burner, spend some money and throw together some cheesy fast and furious car to compete against a Ferrari or a Porsche, but it's STILL not a Ferrari or a Porsche it's just some modified rice burner that doesn't hold it's resale value.
also, a slight correction: the Intel C600 family of chipsets might be better for the base model Xeon E5 than the Intel X79 chipset. the price delta would not be more than $150 between the two chipsets. As such, we have
If my math is correct, the total is $1800. The additional $1200 would apparently be for the power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
Ah, so you're not trying to figure out where the cost of the Mac Pro comes from, but rather using superficial and limited specs to find what you consider an equivelant DIY for less money.
Ah, so you're not trying to figure out where the cost of the Mac Pro comes from, but rather using superficial and limited specs to find what you consider an equivelant DIY for less money.
BTW, where did you find a PCIe SSD for $250.
He's just using the absolute cheapest (SLOWEST) SSD that's being dumped on the market. He's using 480Mbps instead of the faster SSD Apple is using.
drblank: I'd like to see Kootur lay out a parts list with all the same specs and then build one for less than $6K - but then there would the fans the ginormous box to make room for all the TB2 ports, etc, etc, etc.
The real issue is whether he could bet Mavericks to run on the silly thing. Windows is, after all, Windows.
The only thing I'm beginning to dislike about this new design is that Apple doesn't offer "triangle modules" so that you could update your Mac Pro later. I think it would attract users who never bought a $3000 machine before.
For example, if there's a new generation of Xeons two years from now, just changing the CPU triangle module you could have an up to date Mac Pro at a fraction of the cost, making the original $3000 investment a wise price even for those users who want a powerful machine at home.
They should consider this kind of future upgrades, IMHO.
Parts are parts, but then there is the round case and the single, very quiet fan.
I'm wondering what configs will be like and prices? Quad-core D300 machine, if upgraded to 6, 8 12 cores, how much do you think it will be? The flash memory will be plus $300 and $800 for the 512 and 1TB over the base model, based on the iMac (so it could be a little more).
If a user has a 2013 iMac with 3.4 i7 quad-core, 16GB RAM and a 3TB Fusion (128GB flash + HD), how will the multicore machines compare? Apps that don't use multiple threads/cores could slow down at the 8-core mark?
drblank: I'd like to see Kootur lay out a parts list with all the same specs and then build one for less than $6K - but then there would the fans the ginormous box to make room for all the TB2 ports, etc, etc, etc.
The real issue is whether he could bet Mavericks to run on the silly thing. Windows is, after all, Windows.
He STILL probably couldn't do it. I haven't seen any Xeon based Thunderbolt 2 mother boards. the only ones that exist are Haswell. He obviously hasn't been to the Thunderbolt page that lists every Thunderbolt enabled motherboard. All of them are either 2nd or 3rd generation Chipsets (non-Xeon) that are only Thunderbolt 1, and the only Thunderbolt 2 boards are Haswell and they only have a couple of ports, NOT 6 of them, so quite frankly, it is IMPOSSIBLE are this juncture for him to even say they can build something with Thunderbolt 2 and Xeon chipsets. Apple is basically the only game in town for Xeon and Thunderbolt 2. Plus I haven't seen any Thunderbolt 2 PCI slots for them to add TB 2 ports to a standard POS clone. Then, it's getting the faster SSD memory that Apple is now using. The only memory that is the same speed comes on a PCI card and it's about $1000 or more for something similar. And that's JUST for SSD memory.
Yeah, by the time they figure out the size of the power supply and cooling system, the box will end up being a great, but ripping expensive, space heater and NOT quiet enough for Professional Studios, plus it might be a big box that takes up a lot of room.
At this time, it's basically IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to create a LIKE product at ANY price. But they seem to discount the need for Thunderbolt 2 which is GOING to be more widely used for the PROFESSIONAL markets.
Parts are parts, but then there is the round case and the single, very quiet fan.
I'm wondering what configs will be like and prices? Quad-core D300 machine, if upgraded to 6, 8 12 cores, how much do you think it will be? The flash memory will be plus $300 and $800 for the 512 and 1TB over the base model, based on the iMac (so it could be a little more).
If a user has a 2013 iMac with 3.4 i7 quad-core, 16GB RAM and a 3TB Fusion (128GB flash + HD), how will the multicore machines compare? Apps that don't use multiple threads/cores could slow down at the 8-core mark?
There is NO XEON based motherboard that has 6 Thunderbolt 2 ports, so it's impossible to create a clone box that comes close. Sorry, but parts is NOT parts.
Some apps that the pros are using do use multiple threads/cores, some apps don't. So it's all dependent on the app.
SSD memory that's the same speed at what Apple is using is more like $1000 or more. Go look it up. OCZ makes PCI cards that are over $1000 for 1250mbps SSD and it takes up a PCI slot. Remember, the XEON boxes that are going to run the faster processors and GPU cards NEED additional cooling (many times water cooled) and big power supplies and those things GET REAL expensive. Look at HP Z800 series systems. they don't even have Thunderbolt 2 ports, which are going to be used in the upper end pro market.
The only thing I'm beginning to dislike about this new design is that Apple doesn't offer "triangle modules" so that you could update your Mac Pro later. I think it would attract users who never bought a $3000 machine before.
For example, if there's a new generation of Xeons two years from now, just changing the CPU triangle module you could have an up to date Mac Pro at a fraction of the cost, making the original $3000 investment a wise price even for those users who want a powerful machine at home.
They should consider this kind of future upgrades, IMHO.
Apple has to look at next year's generation processors. They might have to end up making a bigger box with a bigger fan/heatsink or a taller cylinder, so they have to design it based on what processors/GPUs they plan on using. It's not so simple as you want it to be, that's why they had to redesign the box specifically for the processor options.
In the old S-100 days, they had a back plane and you just swapped cards out, but those days are long gone.
Don't even think it's as easy as just swapping out guts out of a system. It probably will never be that easy.
Comments
Haswell or not, 12 cores on 3.7GHz and dual D700 graphics, on their own, should be releasing some respectable heat. By the design of the case, I'd expect a huge fan (diameter of the case itself) pushing air through the whole enclosure, or even two of them - one sucking air in at the bottom of the case, on pulling out at the top... But I'm thinking, IBM server with comparable hardware (2x 6-core Xeons etc) has enough fans inside to fill new Mac Pro's enclosure full.
Average server we deal with nowadays does have more storage, more RAM and redundant power, but no dual graphics... I'd expect that power consumption is not much off. Do we know power supply specs of new Mac Pro? As example, new IBM x3650 M4 comes with dual 550W power, but this is for redundancy - server will operate with single power supply.
Granted, 2U server in rackmount chassis is designed to work 24x7, but pro graphics workstation is also expected to work under full load for hours when rendering... and more often in less favourable environment than server, which is expected to be running in cooled server room.
Additional question - can you plug 2nd SSD in there? Even if data is sitting on NAS/SAN, I'd prefer to have system installed on redundant storage. I'd personally rather go for dual 256GB in RAID1 (with all data on external redundant storage) than for one 1TB SSD.
. . . I don't see the 3.7Ghz one, the performance should be fairly close to the Xeon E5-2637 v2 though.
With respect to the newly announced Mac Pro
- An Intel Xeon E5 processor running at 3.7GHz is likely an Intel Xeon E5-1620 v2. Released last month, you can get the CPU for $300 retail http://ark.intel.com/products/75779/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-1620-v2-10M-Cache-3_70-GHz?q=Intel Xeon E5-1620 v2
- The FirePro D300 is probably based off the Tahiti core which makes it equilvalent to the Radeon HD 7800 series of GPUs released back in late 2012. You can get a pair of Radeon HD 7870 XT for less than $500.
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1860/radeon-hd-7870-xt.html
http://shop.amd.com/us/Dealer/Amazon-US/Detail/GraphicCard/FX-787A-CNFC?SearchFacets=category:Graphic Card&SearchTerms=7***
- 12 GB of RAM will cost you less than $200
these components alone total $1000 plus applicable taxes. the extra $2000, for the base model, is probably something Apple can justify.
My first paragraph was sarcastic. It's clearly silly to say that having a restaurant prepare good for you is a stupid idea.
Add motherboard, storage, power supply, case. Plus, "pro" grade graphics are usually more expensive than consumer/enthusiast parts based on same tech.
But in some scenarios this is irrelevant. If you are working in FCP or any other OSX-speciffic software, you simply need Mac.
On the other hand, if you are working in Windows environment, you will probably not be considering Macs in general.
Add motherboard, storage, power supply, case. Plus, "pro" grade graphics are usually more expensive than consumer/enthusiast parts based on same tech.
- a motherboard with an Intel X79 chipset -- which I believe can support Xeon E5's -- costs around $400
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P9X79_WS/
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/performance-chipsets/x79-express-chipset.html
- the price of a 256GB SSD is around $250
http://www.corsair.com/en/ssd/neutron-series-ssd/neutron-series-256gb-sata-3-6gbs-ssd.html
so those two components would add $650 on top of the CPU + GPU + memory cost of $1000. that would leave about $1400 for power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
How do you get a CPU+GPU+memory cost of $1000? From what I've seen we're talking about $1000 for CPU and $1200 for the GPUs.
On the other hand, if you are working in Windows environment, you will probably not be considering Macs in general.
I work in a Windows environment but I don't want a giant workstation box to put somewhere. I switched to a MacBook Pro that sits on my desktop, closed, flat, used as another surface, plugged into my monitor, keyboard and mouse. I just set the power savings control panel to not put the computer to sleep when the lid is closed.
Why not use an iMac? Because it doesn't have a video input, and I'm required to use my work Dell laptop to connect to my work's network, so I have to connect a second laptop to my same monitor on my desk at home, (which has multiple inputs.)
Why not use a personal PC laptop to run Windows at home too? Because they are bulky, slow, cheap plastic crap with short battery life for the same price as a MBP.
I built the first 6-core i7 Extreme a few years ago and put up with the huge and loud do-it-yourself box because that was the only way I could get the speed. Now the Macbook Pro i7 4-core is just as fast but without the bulk, plastic, or noise.
I have every intention of getting the new Mac Pro to run Windows in Dec. as it's even faster, (I've been at the same speed now for 3 years,) and the bottom line is that I now need to run more servers in VMWARE Workstation at one time and can't on a laptop that only holds 16 GB RAM. I need for my learning environment: Win2012 AD Domain Controller, SQL Server 2012, SharePoint 2013 App, SharePoint 2013 Web, etc. I'm at 15.8 GB used right now with no room to grow.
The new Mac Pro looks awsome for running Windows fast, in my living room next to my recliner without the bulk or noise!
see my post on page 2.
also, a slight correction: the Intel C600 family of chipsets might be better for the base model Xeon E5 than the Intel X79 chipset. the price delta would not be more than $150 between the two chipsets. As such, we have
Intel Xeon E5 1600-class CPU - $300
Two Tahiti-based GPUs (Radeon HD 7800-class; 256-bit lanes) - $500
12 GB RAM - $200
Intel C600-based chipset - $550
256GB SSD - $250
If my math is correct, the total is $1800. The additional $1200 would apparently be for the power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
You found 12GB of 1866MHz ECC RAM for $200?
You found a 256GB PCIe SSD for $250?
Come on. Actually do a real comparison.
see my post on page 2.
also, a slight correction: the Intel C600 family of chipsets might be better for the base model Xeon E5 than the Intel X79 chipset. the price delta would not be more than $150 between the two chipsets. As such, we have
Intel Xeon E5 1600-class CPU - $300
Two Tahiti-based GPUs (Radeon HD 7800-class; 256-bit lanes) - $500
12 GB RAM - $200
Intel C600-based chipset - $550
256GB SSD - $250
If my math is correct, the total is $1800. The additional $1200 would apparently be for the power supply, case, I/O ports and enterprise class GPU drivers.
First off, you would have to have the same ports, the same speed SSD, ECC memory, same processor, same level of GPU w/memory. Seriously, I don't think you have supplied enough or the proper information to articulate what these descriptions and price is actually for.
So far, your abilities to come up with something that is similar is a TOTAL failure. Plus, you have to add $200 for Windows 8 Pro, which you left out.
Go back and supply me with EXACT description and part numbers and source for me to double check your work. You would FAIL in terms of what you have supplied thus far. Piss poor job.
And while you are at it, start adding up how much time it takes you to look everything up, add another 4 to 8 hours to gather everything, unbox it, assemble it and install everything. Now, the other part that you are COMPLETELY missing is support. Your DIY POS doesn't have anyone that really supports it well, if a component fails, your system is down until you can get a replacement part and then you have to crack open the case, send the back part back, if it's even covered under warranty, and you don't get the ability to resell it and recoup much money should you decide to sell it to upgrade. Apple products retain FAR more resale value than your DIY POS, and you still have a big space heater that's costing more money to keep it on and heating your room.
Sorry, but DIY computers are TYPICALLY for people that don't want to spend any money since they typically use them for playing games and screwing around. REAL professionals will buy something by a REAL company rather than putting it together, just like people buy cars. Sure you can take some rice burner, spend some money and throw together some cheesy fast and furious car to compete against a Ferrari or a Porsche, but it's STILL not a Ferrari or a Porsche it's just some modified rice burner that doesn't hold it's resale value.
Ah, so you're not trying to figure out where the cost of the Mac Pro comes from, but rather using superficial and limited specs to find what you consider an equivelant DIY for less money.
BTW, where did you find a PCIe SSD for $250.
Ah, so you're not trying to figure out where the cost of the Mac Pro comes from, but rather using superficial and limited specs to find what you consider an equivelant DIY for less money.
BTW, where did you find a PCIe SSD for $250.
He's just using the absolute cheapest (SLOWEST) SSD that's being dumped on the market. He's using 480Mbps instead of the faster SSD Apple is using.
The real issue is whether he could bet Mavericks to run on the silly thing. Windows is, after all, Windows.
For example, if there's a new generation of Xeons two years from now, just changing the CPU triangle module you could have an up to date Mac Pro at a fraction of the cost, making the original $3000 investment a wise price even for those users who want a powerful machine at home.
They should consider this kind of future upgrades, IMHO.
Parts are parts, but then there is the round case and the single, very quiet fan.
I'm wondering what configs will be like and prices? Quad-core D300 machine, if upgraded to 6, 8 12 cores, how much do you think it will be? The flash memory will be plus $300 and $800 for the 512 and 1TB over the base model, based on the iMac (so it could be a little more).
If a user has a 2013 iMac with 3.4 i7 quad-core, 16GB RAM and a 3TB Fusion (128GB flash + HD), how will the multicore machines compare? Apps that don't use multiple threads/cores could slow down at the 8-core mark?
drblank: I'd like to see Kootur lay out a parts list with all the same specs and then build one for less than $6K - but then there would the fans the ginormous box to make room for all the TB2 ports, etc, etc, etc.
The real issue is whether he could bet Mavericks to run on the silly thing. Windows is, after all, Windows.
He STILL probably couldn't do it. I haven't seen any Xeon based Thunderbolt 2 mother boards. the only ones that exist are Haswell. He obviously hasn't been to the Thunderbolt page that lists every Thunderbolt enabled motherboard. All of them are either 2nd or 3rd generation Chipsets (non-Xeon) that are only Thunderbolt 1, and the only Thunderbolt 2 boards are Haswell and they only have a couple of ports, NOT 6 of them, so quite frankly, it is IMPOSSIBLE are this juncture for him to even say they can build something with Thunderbolt 2 and Xeon chipsets. Apple is basically the only game in town for Xeon and Thunderbolt 2. Plus I haven't seen any Thunderbolt 2 PCI slots for them to add TB 2 ports to a standard POS clone. Then, it's getting the faster SSD memory that Apple is now using. The only memory that is the same speed comes on a PCI card and it's about $1000 or more for something similar. And that's JUST for SSD memory.
Yeah, by the time they figure out the size of the power supply and cooling system, the box will end up being a great, but ripping expensive, space heater and NOT quiet enough for Professional Studios, plus it might be a big box that takes up a lot of room.
At this time, it's basically IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to create a LIKE product at ANY price. But they seem to discount the need for Thunderbolt 2 which is GOING to be more widely used for the PROFESSIONAL markets.
Parts are parts, but then there is the round case and the single, very quiet fan.
I'm wondering what configs will be like and prices? Quad-core D300 machine, if upgraded to 6, 8 12 cores, how much do you think it will be? The flash memory will be plus $300 and $800 for the 512 and 1TB over the base model, based on the iMac (so it could be a little more).
If a user has a 2013 iMac with 3.4 i7 quad-core, 16GB RAM and a 3TB Fusion (128GB flash + HD), how will the multicore machines compare? Apps that don't use multiple threads/cores could slow down at the 8-core mark?
There is NO XEON based motherboard that has 6 Thunderbolt 2 ports, so it's impossible to create a clone box that comes close. Sorry, but parts is NOT parts.
Some apps that the pros are using do use multiple threads/cores, some apps don't. So it's all dependent on the app.
SSD memory that's the same speed at what Apple is using is more like $1000 or more. Go look it up. OCZ makes PCI cards that are over $1000 for 1250mbps SSD and it takes up a PCI slot. Remember, the XEON boxes that are going to run the faster processors and GPU cards NEED additional cooling (many times water cooled) and big power supplies and those things GET REAL expensive. Look at HP Z800 series systems. they don't even have Thunderbolt 2 ports, which are going to be used in the upper end pro market.
The only thing I'm beginning to dislike about this new design is that Apple doesn't offer "triangle modules" so that you could update your Mac Pro later. I think it would attract users who never bought a $3000 machine before.
For example, if there's a new generation of Xeons two years from now, just changing the CPU triangle module you could have an up to date Mac Pro at a fraction of the cost, making the original $3000 investment a wise price even for those users who want a powerful machine at home.
They should consider this kind of future upgrades, IMHO.
Apple has to look at next year's generation processors. They might have to end up making a bigger box with a bigger fan/heatsink or a taller cylinder, so they have to design it based on what processors/GPUs they plan on using. It's not so simple as you want it to be, that's why they had to redesign the box specifically for the processor options.
In the old S-100 days, they had a back plane and you just swapped cards out, but those days are long gone.
Don't even think it's as easy as just swapping out guts out of a system. It probably will never be that easy.
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.phpname=D3-18R16GH
mea culpa; price is closer to $500 +