Apple Mac Pros: now with 8-cores
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 4th 2007 8:41AM
posted April 4th 2007 8:41AM
So long Woodcrest, hello Covertown! Rumored since October, Apple finally got around to loosing an octo-core Mac Pro -- that's 8-cores of Intel processing power spread across 2 of Intel's latest Clovertown quad-core chips. Arriving just in time for Adobe's Intel optimized Creative Suite 3.0. Quad-core models are still available with processor speeds maxing out at 3GHz. Prices start at $2,499 for 2.66GHz quad-core action or tack on an additional $1,498 for a total of 8-cores running at 3GHz. Shipping now -- hoozah!
Not a surprise, but nonetheless worth nerding out over.
Its times like this that I wish I had a decent income...sigh...
Looks like they just added this configuration at the high end, and left the others (2,2.66,3 gig quad core) at their old price.
Sigh.
jesus!! 8 cores??? im happy with my dual core macbook-cant imagine what 4 times that would be!!???
Looks like us Brits are being left out, no 8 core option on the UK store
At time like these, I love being a Machead
So Mac has caught up to the processing power of PS3, and for only a mere $3400 more! Nice.
JET
Are you having a laugh JET! The PS3 has one 3.2GHz processor this new mac pro has 8 x 3GHz processors!!! That is theoritcally a 24GHz compared to the PS3's 3.2GHz!
I did a comparison with the Dell 690 workstaion which only comes in 2.66 ghz Quad.I built my Dream machine- 4x 500 GB drives dual 30 inch displays and the high graphics for each. The Mac is cheaper with faster processors. Who says Macs are cost more.
The problem with this argument is the 8-core 3.0GHz Mac Pro is the very best value in that lineup while the 8-core 2.66GHz Dell is the very worst value in its lineup. For 4-core 2.66GHz, the equivalent Dell (Precision 390 QX6700) is $300 cheaper. Or you can spend $500 less on the exact same machine with 2 cores instead of 4--that's $1678 for performance that will be very close to the megabuck 8-core 2.66GHz model for most people, most of the time. Better yet, apply some of that difference to more RAM, better graphics card, and get a better balanced computer for a lot less. Hell, get two!
Mac Pros are expensive in the way that high end Porsches are expensive. They're a great value because comparable Ferraris cost a lot more. But what if all you wanted was a BMW?
THE OCHO!
*swoon*
Whats 8 cores worth if your os sux?
Thankfully since this is a Mac we don't have to find out just yet.
@ph
Surely you are aware that Macs run XP now.... Also, you must know that it's only a matter of time before they run Vista?
You know, instead of making you look like an idiot, I'll just say, YOU'RE AN IDIOT!
Now if only I had money for the goodness.... Oh well, I'll have to settle for two cores until I'm rich and famous.
The Mactopus!!!!
or rather, what good are 8 cores when you don't multitask enough to take advantage of them, routines are not parallelized in the software, and you don't even use the four cores you already have?
I know ph! That's why it's great to finally see an 8 core machine that doesn't come pre-loaded with Windows!
ummm, actually, the PS3 DOES have 8 cores, research before you bash, this Mac is nice, but I just don't want you bashing the PS3 about something you don't know about
Heres a nice video
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=27779&fr=moz2
and heres the nice actual data about the cell processor
http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/About/CellBroadband
and if your lazy, heres the basic info you can read
Unique Multi-Core Design
Breakthrough architectural design features a main Power Processing Element (PPE) and up to eight Synergistic Processing Elements (SPE)
see, eight
so 25.6ghz V.S. 24 ghz
No SLI Configurations or Graphic card updates (at least nothing to speak of). You cant even get a single Quad core so you have room for upgrade. I was hoping for more than this. It looks like they just threw a processor in the box and that was it.
I'm sorry for my pocket.
After just buying a Mac Pro and THEN hearing about the 8 core macs I got freaked. I'm happy to say that nothing changed, they just added the 8 core option which I wouldn't have gone for anywho.
Yeah, I hear ya. I have the 4 Core 3Ghz and I'm more than happy with it. Plenty of power for my needs.
"So Mac has caught up to the processing power of PS3, and for only a mere $3400 more! Nice. "
og the ps3, hasnt that basically got a quad G5, like we had about a year or 2 ago, except its specialised now, so only good for gaming ;)
Not correct, all users that want to lend some of the processing powers of the PS3 are being called on by researchers at Stanford University to unlock protein structures. IBM is also interested in the processor and future dealings with Sony.
http://news.com.com/PS3+upgrade+gets+a+charitable+boost/2100-1043_3-6168778.html?tag=st.ref.goo
@Benson Leung
nice DodgeBall reference!
well.. ahm.. i ve been damn happy playin with my college's quad core machine for the coupke of last weeks.. but now I want more..
for all you negativity mongers: you should be saying "it's nice to see a computer that has an OS that can actually use all 8 cores effectively"
Well, I hate the MAc osx...Yes, I can put windows on a mac, but I would have to buy it seperately as well as paying for a macosx that I would never use.
hehehehe... well, I guess you're never upgrading to Vista as pretty much the entire thing is a rip-off of OS X.
Wow, and it "runs up to 2x faster than the G5 Quad"!!! Oh wait, that's exactly what they said about the 3.0 GHz dual core... Not only did they not change any of the other prices, they didn't even write a new line. Colour me sad.
It says the quad-core Mac Pro runs 2x faster than the G5. Look again.
oh right you are... so how about some claims of speed, rather than claims of potential! that's what everybody wants to know, right?
So, assuming my office pool and I win the lottery on Friday, what's the advantage of 8 cores if you're not heavily involved with graphic design, video-editing, and the like? You know, other than having the largest e-peen on the block?
Well for those arguing the ps3 Cell's proceesor and the 8 core from the mac, the Cell has 8 spe's which is pretty much 8 cores. With the Cell though each spe can be put work independently not sure if the same can be done with the 8 core. So thats 8 x 3.2ghz=??? you do the math especially if your so quick to jump to conclusion and not give credit when is due to a product that deserves its due.
i thought the spe's in the cell processor were 1/2 cores?
The SPEs are vector cores. They excel in processing streaming vector floating point math (you know, 3D simulation...things that games and media use.) Most PC processors are specialized to certain routines that make them faster at some things, but pure raw horsepower goes to the Cell when doing vector processing. That whole "half-core" talk you might have heard was rabid fanboyism. While it may not make your desktop applications faster, it will chew through "advanced" mathematics quicker.
thanks for clearing that up andir.
The PS3 is joke! It is a game console, big deal, NOT a computer that can handel way more applications. If you bought a PS3 you bought an overpriced game machine, yes that's right "OVERPRICED". You can tell me it is faster all you want but it is limited in its functionality. If that's what you want then fine. I'd rather have this than a PS3 that is so limited software wise. I'm not going to site here and have a pro computer compared to a Toy.
Sony was thinking way ahead of the game, this thing is not a toy to be overlooked, and 8 cores plus blue ray technology puts this item well under the cost of a pc with just quad-cores. This so called toy can do alot more then play games. The potential for this unit has not be tapped yet. Think before, excuse me research before you talk/type.
http://news.com.com/PS3+upgrade+gets+a+charitable+boost/2100-1043_3-6168778.html?tag=st.ref.goo
APPLE IS USING INTEL? When did this happen? LOL!
I thought that RISC ruled and Intel, well, druled? No?
(awakes from slumber) Well I must have missed something here ;^)...
----------
FB a.k.a LDM
Water-bending Master
http://www.eternal-champions.com/images/ldm_master_builder!.jpg
Hold on so you mean to tell me the ps3 i have collecting dust because is lacking so much can be compared to a macpro OCHO?
Holy shit i have a macpro with a blue ray drive in a form of a ps3 wow...And i was ready to just toss it out because is nothing but a dust collector for me.
Thank you guys for the info-
"I'd rather have this than a PS3 that is so limited software wise."
Pure Irony.
Where is the irony in what I said I don't understand. With Mac Pro with 8 cores I have the best of everything: Speed, and the ability to run IMO the best OS(OS X), and on top of that I can boot into that other OS(Windows XP or Vista) to play games. I really don't understand your comment.... How am I limited by using this computer?????
Well, I guess you have never used vista like I have.
It is a very advanced OS, yet easy to use, and looks professional, unlike baby blue macosx.
Sorry to tell you ph, but I have used Vista, it's a porr copy of OS X. Right down to it's "Aero" interface. You know, all that transparency, high res icons, dimensionality to the interface bars... omg, even the glossy look of it! That's ALL OS X from 4 yrs ago.
Your system search, photo app, and application stack... straight from OSX (although, I will give you the nifty visual for the app stack is slightly original if not counter-intuitive).
The previews on your task bar... that's a rip too. Except here, they just didn't go far enough to make it as good as the Dock, which scales with additional apps, gives you a convenient launching pad for your most used apps, and has real-time screenshots for minimized apps that can scale as well and show playing content.
OMG, been there for like SIX years now. Stop breathing in the Bill Gates forgetful dust. Almost nothing in Vista is innovative or original and next to nothing is in there that wasn't in OS X years ago.
Can someone say "copying is the sincerest form of flattery"?
You, apparently, haven't been paying attention for the last 6 years.
I'm forced to support Vista on campus, and - trust me - i have intimate knowledge of it. I can tell you without a doubt that it is very little more than a little (much needed) shine on the visuals over XP, and a game of catch-up to what OS X had 4 years ago.
As far as windows OSes go, it's nice-ish, but that doesn't mean it's not just a blatant rip-off of what had been established as a GOOD os many years ago.
anyway, stop being a trolling MS fanboy and go comment at the zunester site or something. what's the point of flame-baiting on an entry ABOUT MAC HARDWARE? just to make sure everyone knows you're an idiot? doesn't sound like fun to me.
just checked the specs on the PS3. Turns out it reall only uses 7 of the 8 spe's, one is reserved in case one of the other 7 fail. The 8th spe is a backup. And after reading about the PS3 I also found out that each spe has to be directed by the currently running game or "application" to do something. In other words most games don't even use the 7 spe's that are in the PS3. In fact most of the games out right now are using 4 and 5 only. This is important in that with the 8 core Mac Pro OS X is in charge of handing out jobs for the 8 cores to work on and OS X will distribute the load on all 8 cores. This means that even if a Application is not writen to take advantage of 8 cores it will still use them because the application does not have to be programed to that is left up to OS X.
Actually the OS can only send a full program over to each core. That means if you are using a program that doesn't take advantage of multithreading, you have 7 wasted cores. That means if you are running some Video Editing, Photo Editing, Music encoding, TV Commercial Detection, and Playing a game if they are all single threaded you still have 3 cores left over. Now some of those programs are probably multi-threaded, so you might use all 8 cores.
because vista is essentially still running NT which was created nearly a decade ago.