My Apple Mac Pro vs. G5 PowerPC

I recently purchased the Apple Mac Pro with the 4-core processor.  I went with the slightly upgraded 3.2GHz Intel Xeon W3565 vs. the base 2.8GHz.  I really wanted the 6-core, but with a $1200 upgrade price, I decided I could wait and upgrade later when prices of processors go down.  Other World Computing (macsales.com) offers a nice upgrade path where you send them your processor tray, and they ship it back with any processor you desire.

I’ve had the G5 for over 5 years and it was starting to show it’s age.  The HD era has had me screaming for more horsepower for a while, and not being able to upgrade to the latest operating system was frustrating to say the least. 

Well if you are a geek like me, then you will appreciate the Geekbench test numbers.. My G5 dual processor 2.3GHz managed a Geekbench score of 2085, and my new Mac Pro managed a score of, wait for it… 10116

That measures processor/memory performance which makes my new one 4.8 times faster…nice! 

I ran a few tests on both machines and I’m happy with my choice.  With the Mac Pro included memory of 3GB, and my G5 PowerPC having 4.5GB.  All times below are in minutes:seconds.

VisualHub converting a mpeg-4 clip to iPod sized file took 16:40 and 03:12 on the Mac Pro.  That’s a difference of over 13 minutes. 

When importing 80 RAW files into Aperture, wich I do a lot of, the times were 05:51 and 02:39 on the Mac Pro, a difference of just over 3 minutes.  That adds up fast when you process thousands of images.

Exporting an iMovie file(42min long) to iPod version, took 37:19 vs. 13:51 on the Mac Pro.

Those comparisons were with the stock memory (3GB) on the Mac Pro, and 4.5GB of much slower memory on the “old” G5.  I expected my new one to be much faster, and I’m not disappointed.

Here is what Apple says about memory in the new Mac Pro’s:

Install more memory in your Mac Pro in a snap.  Literally.  The easy-access interior lets you slide out the processor tray in one smooth motion, then simply snap new memory into place.  You don’t have to dig around inside the computer or wrestle with wires or cables.  The single-processor Mac Pro offers four slots that support up to 16GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM, while the dual-processor Mac Pro offers eight slots that support up to 32GB.

I have installed 24GB into my single-processor Mac Pro without any problems, and I have one slot still open.  I purchased the 8GB modules from OWC (macsales.com) which they had reported worked in these machines without a hitch.

Sorry for the quality of the image, shot with my iPhone.

Mac Pro 6-Core or 8-Core, which would you buy?

Now that Apple has made the new Mac Pro available, I’m wondering which would be the better buy.  The 6-Core 3.33GHz Intel Xeon “Westmere” or the 8-Core 2.4GHz Intel Xeon “Westmere”.  The price of the 6-Core is $3699 and the 8-Core is less at $3499.

I’m really interested in a Macworld test of these new systems to see what they can do.  Macworld said they would have them for testing very soon.

New Mac Pro comes out next month with a roar.. 12 processing cores.

If you can afford the top of the line, you need to set aside $5k for the right to claim the fastest Mac ever.  This monster gives you a 50% boost in processing prowess compared to the previous fastest Mac Pro.

The new Mac Pro desktops feature the latest quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors, all-new ATI graphics and the option for up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD). The processors run at speeds up to 3.33GHz and use a single die design so they can share up to 12MB L3 cache, improving efficiency while increasing processing speeds.

“The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we’ve ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want.”

The systems include an integrated memory controller for faster memory bandwidth and reduced memory latency; Turbo Boost to dynamically boost processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz; and Hyper-Threading to create up to 24 virtual cores. The Mac Pro now comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory and customers can configure-to-order the even faster ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory.

source:appleinsider

Next Mac Pro and iMac rumors surface again. USB 3.0?

The French site Hardmac, provided some more fuel to the rumor mill.  Apple will update its Mac Pro desktop at the end of this summer, and its all-in-one iMac a few weeks later, adding USB 3.0 and faster FireWire to both.

Apple is expected to adopt Intel’s Gulftown processor, the 32nm Core i7-980X with six cores.  Apple usually doubles the processors in its high-end workstations, so it’s possible the new Mac Pro system could have a total of 12 cores and 24 threads.

10 days till Mac Pro debut? And Apple TV and of course, the iPhone

WWDC is only 10 days away, and I’m hearing that not only will Apple debut the new iPhone, but a new Apple TV which will run on the iPhone hardware and have a cloud based streaming of 1080p content. 

The Apple TV set top box reportedly based on iPhone OS 4, powered by Apple’s custom-built A4 processor, and offering 1080P cloud-based streaming content — all starting at just $99.

But I’m most excited about the announcement of a new Mac Pro which I hope to be getting asap.  The MacBook Air will also get an update.

iMac construction

I would consider buying an iMac since it's performance has now exceeded the Mac Pro in it's current guise. But, I can't imagine having the hard drive fail (and it will) and needing surgical skills to remove it. Why would Apple design this thing worse than a cheap netbook or laptop, where you need to remove a single screw and slide it out.

I'm just ranting because I want a new computer and I'm tired of waiting for Apple to release an update to the Mac Pro line.

27-inch Cinema Display, 12-core Mac Pro rumored for June 2010

Mockup of existing 24” LED display (left) next to 27” model (right)

Apple is planning an update to its pro lineup that would include only its second LED-lit Cinema Display, a couple of sources claimed today. The 27-inch iMac screen would be used as a standalone monitor with the same 2560x1440 resolution and image quality. AppleInsider claims Apple had wanted to release the screen earlier but had to wait until the 27-inch panel dropped in cost.

The new Mac Pro could be released at the same time. The workstation would get at least one 12-core model using two of Intel’s six-core Xeon 5600 processors. Rumors have circulated of a 3.33GHz Core i7 model at the entry level, but this would require an entirely different Intel chipset and memory support.

This is getting old, with all the rumors.  I was expecting the Mac Pro to be announced March 16th of this year per all the rumor sites.  My G5 can’t even be upgraded to Snow Leopard..so I feel left out:)

Hexacore Xeon-based Mac Pro coming soon

Hardmac is predicting that the new Mac Pro will arrive around March 16th.  At first it will be available only with the Intel Xeon Core i7-980X and be clocked at 3.33GHz and reach 3.6GHz with TurboBoost.  I for one can’t wait for the new machines, since right now the iMac’s are kicking Mac Pro butt in most tests.

Update on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 10:52PM by Jon Arnason

From macrumors:

ZDNet reports that it has received information from tipsters claiming that Apple will release new Mac Pro models next Tuesday, adding a hexacore Core i7-based model to its lineup.
I’m getting tips in from sources who claim that Apple is set to revamp its high-end Mac Pro line, adding a ‘hexacore’ Core i7-980x model to the line up.

All information points to this happening next Tuesday, March 16th.

Some confusion has arisen over what chips Apple will use in its next-generation Mac Pro. Hardmac has been keeping a close eye on Mac Pro developments, and has been talking up Intel’s hexacore Core i7-980X as the next chip for the Mac Pro as cited in today’s ZDNet report. That processor is reportedly scheduled to be launched next Tuesday, coinciding with rumors of Apple’s Mac Pro refresh.

Apple, however, has typically used server-branded Xeon chips in its Mac Pro line, and Intel is also expected to debut a number of new Xeon 5600-series chips on that day. In particular, the Xeon X5680 rumored for release on Tuesday is very similar in many respects to the Core i7-980X and could also be a candidate for inclusion in the Mac Pro.

Looks like Hardmac was right over a month ago.

Details on Intel's Mac Pro 6-core i7 processor leaked

Intel’s forthcoming “Gulftown” 32nm, six-core processor will be known as the Core i7-980X and could be a part of new Mac Pro systems from Apple in early 2010.

Contrary to earlier reports, the new processors will not adopt the Core i9 name, and will allegedly keep the Core i7 title, according to leaked information relayed by Hardmac, the English-language version of French Apple site MacBidouille. The new processor, code-named “Gulftown” will fall under the i7 “Extreme Edition” category, the first of which will be the i7-980X.

The alleged roadmap from Intel shows that the processor will clock in at 3.33GHz. That chip is expected to arrive in March 2010, but in the past, Apple has reached exclusive agreements with Intel to be the first to carry its new processors.

Previous reports have suggested Apple is testing the new Xeon chip, based on the Gulftown architecture, in its Mac Pro desktop. The new, upgraded processor features more horsepower and lower power consumption, and will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor for Intel.

The new 32 nanometer chips have 12MB of L3 cache, and six cores with 12 threads for each CPU. Apple usually doubles the processors in its high-end professional workstations, so it’s possible the new Mac Pro system could have a total of 12 cores and 24 threads. The new hardware could be released sometime in the first quarter of 2010.

source:appleinsider

Apple Quietly Adds 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Option to Mac Pro

This just means that that the new Mac Pro is coming out sooner than you think.  Updating products with a little extra to keep you satisfied is routine.  Like when, let’s say Honda, updates their line with a new special edition, you know the next year the car is completely redone. So now apple has added another optional processor configuration in the quad-core line. If you configure a quad-core Mac Pro from the Apple Online Store, you’ll find that you can now add a 3.33GHz Intel Xeon processor to it for $1,200 extra (over the base configuration that comes with a 2.66GHz Intel Xeon).

If that’s not expensive enough or fast enough for you, you can always look towards the eight-core side of the lineup, the fastest configuration it sports being two 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeons. Apple does not, however, offer two 3.33GHz Intel Xeons as an option on this machine. The second new option, and one that is available for both models, is the ability to load each hard drive bay on these machines with a 2TB hard drive spinning at 7200 rpm. Each of these cost $350 over the base configuration and double the maximum storage capacity of the Mac Pros to 8TB.

Apple also showed some love to the server side of their lineup, endowing Xserves with the same optional 2TB hard drive upgrade, taking the total potential capacity of these machines up to 3TB. What’s more, you can now also outfit all six slots with 4GB RAM modules, which will leave you with 24GB of RAM to work with. Of course, it will also leave your wallet significantly lighter, what with having spent $2,850 on memory upgrades alone, but hey, it’s the holiday season, isn’t it?

Recent reports have suggested that Intel’s new 6-core “Gulftown” processor could be headed to the Mac Pro in a future upgrade. The new Xeon processor is said to be nearly 50 percent faster than the current quad-core Xeons, while also using 50 percent less power.

source:macrumors