Gizmodo
Apple's got a second release that just hit the wires: A Mac Pro with two intel 45nm Quad-Core Xeons at up to 3.2GHz each. An 8-core config is standard. The front side bus is humming along at 1600MHz now, and RAM at 800MHZ. The computer also comes standard with ATI HD 2600 XT graphics with 256MB of video memory, but can be upgraded to support NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT with 512MB of video RAM or a Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5GB of memory. Support for four video cards at once means the Pro can drive eight 30-inch cinema displays at once, like before. Comes with the aluminum keyboard that debuted with the iMac. And eight cores for $2799 ain't bad. From what they're telling us, it could be one of the fastest desktops out there, but we'll wait for Ars or PC World to verify that for us. [Mac Pro]
Apple Introduces New Mac ProFastest Mac Ever - Eight Processor Cores Standard
CUPERTINO, Calif., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today
introduced the new Mac(R) Pro with eight processor cores and a new system
architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of its predecessor*.
The new Mac Pro combines two of Intel's new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon
processors running up to 3.2 GHz, powerful new graphics and up to 4TB of
internal storage to offer the ideal system for creative professionals, 3D
digital content creators and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration
starts at just $2,799.
"The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we've ever made," said Philip
Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With
3.2 GHz 8-core Xeon processing, a 1600 MHz front side bus and 800 MHz memory,
the new Mac Pro uses the fastest Intel Xeon architecture on the market."
The new Mac Pro features the latest Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series
processors based on state-of-the-art 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture running
up to 3.2 GHz, each with 12MB of L2 cache per processor for breakthrough
performance and power efficiency. With a new high-bandwidth hardware
architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32GB of 800
MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory, the new Mac Pro achieves a 61 percent increase in
memory throughput**.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card
with 256MB of video memory. The Mac Pro includes a new PCI Express 2.0
graphics slot that delivers up to double the bandwidth compared to the
previous generation, and supports the latest generation of graphics cards from
NVIDIA, such as the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of video memory, or
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5GB of video memory and a 3-D stereo port for
stereo-in-a-window applications. With support for up to four graphics cards,
the new Mac Pro can drive up to eight 30-inch displays at once for advanced
visualization and large display walls.
The Mac Pro is the most expandable Mac ever, featuring four internal hard
drive bays with direct-attach, cable-free installation of four 1TB Serial ATA
hard drives, totaling 4TB of internal storage and support for two SuperDrives.
With optional 15000 rpm SAS drives that can deliver up to 250MB/s of RAID 5
disk I/O performance, the Mac Pro is ideal for film and video editors.
Combined with SATA or SAS drives, using an optional Mac Pro RAID card offers
the ultimate data protection and disk I/O performance on the Mac Pro. The Mac
Pro is easily and conveniently accessible in front and back so users can
connect external devices with five USB 2.0, two FireWire(R) 400, two FireWire
800, optical and analog audio in and out, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and a
headphone jack.
Every Mac Pro includes Leopard(TM), the sixth major release of the world's
most advanced operating system. Leopard is packed with more than 300 new
features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily
access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse
and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see
files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to
create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time
Machine(TM), an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac.
Featuring an improved scheduler and other multi-core technology, Leopard is a
perfect companion to the Mac Pro, making applications faster and helping
application developers take advantage of multi-core systems.
The new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard now ships with every Mac Pro
and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 makes it easy to reduce cable clutter with the
optional Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.Pricing & Availability
The new Mac Pro is shipping today and will be available through the Apple
Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized
Resellers.The standard 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US),
includes:
— two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent 1600
MHz front side buses;
— 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory, expandable up to
32GB;
— ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory;
— 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
— 16x SuperDrive(TM) with double-layer support
(DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
— two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;
— Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; and
— ships with Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers numerous
build-to-order options including: one 2.8 GHz, two 3.0 GHz, or two 3.2 GHz
Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC
memory; up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm or up to
four 300GB SAS drives running at 15000 rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 16x
SuperDrives with double-layer support; NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or NVIDIA Quadro
FX 5600 graphics cards; AirPort Extreme 802.11n; Apple USB Modem; Apple
wireless Aluminum Keyboard; Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; and Mac OS X Server
Leopard. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are available at
http://www.apple.com/macpro.*Based on estimated results comparing a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac
Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro running professional applications like
Maya, modo and Logic(R) Pro.**Testing conducted by Apple in December 2007 using a preproduction 2.8
GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz quad-core Mac Pro. All systems were
configured with 4GB of RAM. Results are based on the STREAM v. 5.6 benchmark
(http://www.cs.virginia.edu/stream/ref.html) using OMP support for
multiprocessor-compiled builds. All systems were configured with 8GB of RAM.
Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect
the approximate performance of Mac Pro.
Comments
i could be wrong, but last week i was showing my brother the apple pro on the (canadian) apple site, and 2 quads with 16gb ecc ram was an option. are these faster, or more efficient chips maybe?
STEALING ALL THE THUNDER AWAY FROM CES....
8 monitors? anybody have any insight into who might have a need for 8 monitors? i can't even see how graphics/video nerds could use all that, i'd lose track of my windows...
Did anybody else hear the song "I Touch Myself" playing in the background while they read this?
Forget stealing the thunder. Why is Apple making announcements like this BEFORE Macworld? This is not even a leaked rumor. Apple themselves are announcing this so wouldn't this just take the surprise away during their announcements at Macworld?
@olternaut: On the other hand, if this is the sort of thing they are announcing now, can you even imagine what they are going to show at Macworld?!?
@olternaut: IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU WHAT COMPLETELY AWESOME THINGS THEY HAVE FOR MACWORLD IF THIS IS A MINOR THING NOT EVEN WORTHY OF MACWORLD....
I don't know about this. There is not one Mac made today that can support just ONE 30 inch display let alone eight of them.
@israeli: sheked, b'vakashah. Stop shouting.
@Jeyl: Que? Really? Wow. I mean, they sell that configuration on Apple's web site; are you stating that even a single 30" Apple HD Display isn't supported?
@israeli: I don't know man. Yes, in the back of my mind I'm hoping that these two announcements are minor things they have in store for us at MacWorld. And I hope these two are the only official annoucements before MacWorld at that. Take it easy Apple! Yes, there are a lot of toys at CES but like the year before people will become quickly bored then say to themselves "omg MacWorld is coming!".
@oldmanstan: The university I work at recently installed an 8 foot by 14 foot video wall for research use. It's powered by two huge Sony rear-screen projectors, each of which require 4 DVI inputs. Sounds like this new Mac Pro would be perfect for driving that monster.
Looks like the new Mac Pros wont have Blu-Ray drives.
@Jeyl: wrong. The MacPro could always support 8 X 30" displays. The only new part is the chip, not the display part.
More clear article on engadget.
@olternaut: WELL IF YOUR RIGHT, APPLE IS STUPID.
@Jeyl:
? i have my Macbook Pro connected to my 40inch 1080p TV regularly.
What do you mean?
@oldmanstan: If you trade stocks, you need as many monitors as you can get to watch as many markets as you can. It's faster to move your head than switch between program windows.
@Jeyl: What in gods name are you talking about, They have been able to support them for ages.
@Jeyl:
What the heck are you talking about!
@jeyl:
How can you not know about this? It's not a rumor! It's already released - See? - and besides - Macbook Pros support 30" displays - so do Mac Pros (actually, they supported 8 30" displays before the update - i don't know why that's the headline) If no macs supported 30" displays, Why exactly would they sell them?
Pro announcements are never important enough for Macworld, they have no shock and awe effect. I mean yeah the Mac Pro or Final cut update is awesome, but to an average joe or reporter it doesn't mean anything. That's why they just make random announcements on certain products.
I sense a pending pantsmodo
Apple was the first company with a 30" LCD display. The Powermac G5 was technically the very first computer able to pump out enough pixels to fill a 30" display via it's dual-link DVI.
- Xidius
ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!!!! Its 1am here in Sydney and getting up to a crying baby suddenly became a cool wake up call. I've been waiting for this sucker for a year!
@dorylomorphs: I spotted that, unless it's an announcement that's being saved for Macworld, perhaps to go hand in hand with Blu Ray for laptops.
Awesome! Anyone interested in some slightly-used human organs? I'd prefer to start with something like the spleen. Is that worth $2800?
(Buyer responsible for removal fees.)
@Jeyl:
Ouch. Careful what you say around here. The natives are restless...
@Galley:
I may be in the market for a gently used liver...
The 8 monitor support is actually heavily useful for companies dealing with large scale video projects. They wouldn't need more than a few of these machines (talking movie production) or even 1 of these machines (broad based video production). But they definitely do come into play when it comes down to it all. This could also be a huge deal concerning security surveillance as well as large scale sports coverage.
If it runs XP Pro 64 bit we need it NOW!!!!
@EMOSHUNZ
Not sure specifically about the Canada Site - but any previous 8-core system before what they put up this morning was basically several Dual-Core processors slapped together to create the configuration_
These which are included in the "new" systems updated today are from Intel Line they released "officially" in November and are true Quad-Core Processors [1x4] - not 2 dual-cores slapped on one chipset [2x2]_
This same thing happened when the firstt Dual-Cores came out - they were basically 2 Pentium Processors slapped onto a single chipset_
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Yep - "stealing all the thunder..." - it doesn't seem that difficult to do as of late_
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8 monitors - could easily be a feasible setup - with folks doing video production or 3D rendering tasks_ Especially with the move on the Software/Hardware rigs now supporting live rendering methods_ One could be set as a Status Screen on various processes for at a glance info_
The flip side is if anyone has ever wanted a setup in the form of something from The Matrix or various other fictitious movie scenarios_
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...when I think about you...
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"why is Apple making announcements like thhis before MacWorld?" Think about it - you show up at or tune into MacWorld and their big announcement is that they slightly tweaked the Mac Pros - what is your reaction going to be? I'll tell you - WTF is this? Apple biggest news is that they switched processor lines on the Towers and the performance is minimal - Damn - wish I went to CES instead - could have gotten this kind of crap from the Microsoft booth_
Minor thing not worthy of MacWorld and not a surprise seeing as how Apple and Intel both stated months ago that the product lines would shift to the Penryn chipset by either the end of 2007 or early 2008_
Damn. Exactly a year from when I ordered my Mac Pro. Jealousy? Not really. I haven't even touched the boundaries of how far I can expand my computer. The Mac Pro is a power house of a computer. It's amazing.
but can it play crysis on full detail...
You will wait to -- buy one? Tell people it is the fastest desktop out there? (I think you just did.) What are you waiting to do? Buy me one, perhaps? If so, wait no longer!
Is the Apple RAID card still $999? If so, I'll still keep waiting until they stop trying to rape their consumers.
People are always impatient about Apple releasing new products before launch and now that they have released something early, there's priceless moments.
The Apple Store is Closed...hmmmm.
So now I need this too right!!! Dammit... I bought a Dual Quad core last year :(
This is sweet though..... The FSB bump alone would warrant this... Now I'm hoping I can at least get 2K for my old one.... I'm guessing the old ram wont work? or am I wrong? I got 8GB and I'd rather not sell that.
Did CES have any thunder to steal to begin with?
So... This is just some hardware updates, as was the very minimum expected, right? I mean, there are no big or surprising changes to this computer, are there? So isn't this really a bit of a disappointment? Straighten me out if I'm wrong (as if I needed to say that).
will it blend?
i thought this was dropping in november (which it didn't), so i ended up ordering my mac pro in early december....sucks to be in need at the wrong time.
(although i'm sure i'll be fine - 3.0ghz octo-core, 16gb ram....yeah, i'll be fine. still sucks not being the top of the heap anymore.)
@mitchel_stevens: "will it blend?"
What an insightful question. I don't think I've ever heard it expressed quite like that.
"Every Mac Pro comes standard with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB of video memory."
- meh
they should have bump that to at least the ATI Radeon 3850 512MB
the real question is:
who's getting the $28,000 configuration?
@liquidsoapdispenser: Are you saying that you wanted an esthetic change to the MacPro / G5 line?
@mlmorg: Movie Studios, Commercial Production Companies, High end Video and 3D editors / modelers, Security Companies, and so on.
@DustyButt: Sorry, I've had it on repeat since 2003. I'll turn down my stereo.
@uberfu: so it had paired processors? makes sense i guess. hey, that means it had 4 processor sockets! so if you had an old board you could run 16 cores!
I'll take two! :)
HOLY CRAP! I want to see one of these setup with 8 30" screens...that would be awesome.
@EMoShunz: no
@schrosa: it's quite likely i'm wrong, but which part? no 4 sockets, or the new ones would not be compatible?
I was literally sitting here with my boss's company credit card ordering memory upgrades for our 2 yr old G5's when I drif