http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
The components that Jesse and Rueben listed are not hacked-together junk (well, except for the 1000W Antec PSU, Antec PSUs over 300-500 Watts are junk...go with Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, Zippy/Emacs, Seasonic, or Silverstone...and when in doubt, just PC Power & Cooling; while their PSUs may not always be as fully-featured as others, they have rock-solid build quality and 5- to 7-year warranties). And home-built systems are not just un-thought out pieces of junk made with predominantly plastic; they can be that, or they can be better than anything else on the market. And yes, for the same quality, they will often be cheaper.

The other issue with pre-built systems is that they're, well, of limited customizeability. For what many people do, having 2 quad-core processors isn't that important. But it might be more important to have more room for PCI slots, and more than 4 hard-drives.

Of course, this isn't a knock against Macs. I think that of the pre-built systems, they are clearly the best both in quality and value. Btw, there is no-longer a fundamental distinction between Macs and PC's anymore, since they're all based off of the same CPU (except that PC's may also be AMD). Basically, a Mac is just a PC with OSX, and Intel (as opposed to AMD processor), and generally better built quality. Their cases are similar to Lian-Li designs, which has prompted a number of ignorant fanboys to accuse Lian-Li of just copying them (despite the fact that Lian-Li has had that grilled hole design for a long time). I'm curious who makes or designs Apple's cases...I wouldn't be surprised if it was Lian-Li, because the Mac-cases are I think all-aluminum, and all-around very similar to Lian-Li. One thing I do like about the new Mac-Pro though is the wireless HD-install...nifty.

In any event, it could be seen as pretty insulting when people refer to a system built on a Lian-Li case and a Tyan (or Supermicro) motherboard as "slapped together".

PS: The reason for the Mac Pro's lack of prowess in the HD category (compared to Lian-Li) is because its MP is smaller than even the Lian-Li's super-Mid-tower line, the V1200 Plus II. The Mac-Book Pro is "only" 1.76 cubic feet in volume, while the V1200 Plus II is 2.27 cubic feet, and the V2000 Plus II is 2.86 cubic feet.]]>Mar 15th 2008 8:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/ Sony NEC Optiarc 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7190S - OEM
Item #: N82E16827118002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$28.99




LIAN LI PC-V1000APlus II Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

LIAN LI PC-V1000APlus II Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811112057
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$30.00 Instant


$229.99
$199.99




HITACHI Deskstar P7K500 HDP725025GLA380 (0A35399) 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

HITACHI Deskstar P7K500 HDP725025GLA380 (0A35399) 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822145211
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy



$63.99




HIS Hightech H260XT256G4DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 256MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card

HIS Hightech H260XT256G4DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 256MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814161097
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$7.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate

$134.99
$127.99




CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate

$179.99
$169.99




TYAN S5382WAG2NRF Dual 771 Intel 5000P Extended ATX Server Motherboard

TYAN S5382WAG2NRF Dual 771 Intel 5000P Extended ATX Server Motherboard - OEM
Item #: N82E16813151072
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$29.99 Instant


$529.99
$500.00




Intel Xeon E5440 Harpertown 2.83GHz LGA 771 80W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80574E5440A

Intel Xeon E5440 Harpertown 2.83GHz LGA 771 80W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80574E5440A - Retail
Item #: N82E16819117143
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy



$1,468.00
($734.00 each)




Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 FB-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) ECC Fully Buffered Dual Channel Kit Server Memory Model KVR667D2D8F5K2/2G

Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 FB-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) ECC Fully Buffered Dual Channel Kit Server Memory Model KVR667D2D8F5K2/2G - Retail
Item #: N82E16820134330
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

-$30.00 Instant


$136.99
$106.99

Subtotal: $2,665.94
Keyboard - IBM Model M $10 - $20 on Ebay
Mouse - $20 - $80 (depends on what you want)

Did I miss anything?

Sure, it may not be much less than $2800, but you're probably getting a better motherboard, and you are getting a nicer case, keyboard, and mouse.

And I didn't even priceshop. There are much better deals to be had on places other than Newegg.]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
Even without all that stuff, you still only managed to get your system $100 cheaper than Apple's. And then to really make it comparable to the Mac Pro you need to make it run nearly silently, get it so that the interior of the case is nearly wireless (look inside a Mac Pro to see what I mean). And what the heck, you need to make it so that you can access all 4 drive bays ridiculously easily by simply removing the side cover, and sliding drives in and out - no cables.

And for the kicker - your system also needs to be able to run OS X. Natively, with no hacks. The Mac can run Windows natively through Boot Camp, that's an advantage you can't ignore. After all of that is said and done, your system will cost *more* than Apple's, it will be slapped together rather than designed as a whole, and it still won't be able to run OS X (natively). Nice try though.]]>Jan 10th 2008 6:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
And just who do you take this home-built computer to for support when it starts crapping out? Take it to "Yourself Care." You could have at least compared it to some other high-end production computer. I'd certainly enjoy seeing a comparison of price and power. If the Mac Pro loses, it loses. More power to some HP or Dell or AlienWare if they'are way faster for similar prices. Just show me this so-called Mac Pro beater, Vista Beast.]]>Jan 10th 2008 7:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 7:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 7:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://dealmac.com/Apple-Mac-Pro-Quad-Core-Xeon-Workstation-with-4-GB-RAM-more-for-2-339/207288.html]]>Jan 10th 2008 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
Whatever floats your boat, though. Highest of high-end will always be ridiculously priced. ]]>Jan 10th 2008 9:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 9:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 11th 2008 2:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 6:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
Moving on...
The results from these tests are okay, but when you consider that Monday's cost of this machine was excessively more and they aren't even comparing the same speed processors it looks much better. Then factor in what SSE4 will bring tot eh table once Leopard is updated. That makes these new machines very futureproof.
]]>Jan 10th 2008 4:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/roro: you can't add like that
rodriguez: when was the last time you saw a 300 MHz processor?

The chip does have 8 3 GHz processors. However, these don't add up to 24 GHz under normal circumstances because it is hard for programmers to split up the task between all the processors

you can use google for more info
i am too lazy to type more
]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
And this thing is overpriced. But if you really want a Mac, you have no other choice. Its nice that Macs are now directly comparable to regular PC's, and i still wonder where all that money goes (and dont tell me it goes to their top-notch industrial engineers because thats a load of horseshit. They are made as economically and profit-maximizing as all the others).]]>Jan 10th 2008 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 6:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 7:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
I build my own PC's, so perhaps I, like others, are a little more savy when it comes to diagnosing an error. You cannot doubt that MacPros are alot more expensive than a personally built system, and the cost for a MacPro just seem to grow exponentially (without reason, it seems) as you purchase additions from the Apple store in comparison to a personally built PC of equivalent spec. And lets not forget the warranty. Alot of hardware makers put behind their product now, with the lowest being 1 year (processor), others being 3-5, and some being a lifetime.

But if you want OSX, you have no other choice.]]>Jan 10th 2008 8:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
Actually, yes I god damn can. And I did just that, in my comments above. Did you not read them? That whole thing where some guy in the same mindset as you actually listed all the parts it would take to put together a rough equivalent of the Mac Pro only to find that he only saved $100? You know, rather than going over the entire thing again, why don't you just scroll up. See my post up there, dated Jan 10th 2008 6:08PM? Read it, and read the comment before it too, to put it in context. The upshot is that even if you just order the parts to slap something together that's not even an exact equivalent of a Mac Pro, it *still* costs more money than what Apple is charging.

That is a deal and a half from Apple no matter how you slice it, since they're obviously eating the cost of the R&D to make it. You still think I'm wrong? Do it yourself. Find all the parts, price everything out, see how much it costs.]]>Jan 11th 2008 2:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/


Tyan Intel (S5396WA2NRF) 5400 Xeon MB Price: $588.12
2 * GB Ethernet
64GB Ram Max
2PCIx 16
1PCIx 8
2PCIx 133/100
1PCI 32
2 FW Ports rear and front (header)
Optical In, Out
6 USB (2 internal headers for a total of 8)
6 SATA Raid 0,1,5,10
2 IDE channels
Standard audio connectors (HP jacks)


Qimonda DDR2-800 2 GB FB-DIMM Price: 230.00 * 8 = 1840.00 (gamePC.com)


Seagate 7200.11 1000GB * 4 Price 299.99*4 = 1199.96


EVGA Nvidia 8800GT Price 249.99


Pioneer DVD Burner (18x) Price: 39.99 X 2 = 79.98


Vista or XP Price: (250-400)
Linux: Free
Hackintosh Price: 129.99 so you dont feel bad about owning the license.


Lian Li PC-V2000 PLUS II Aluminum Case Price: 228.00
Can carry up to 12 internal hard drives and 7 CD/DVD/BD/HD-DVD drives


Antec Quattro 1000Watt Price 207.00

Apple keyboard Price: 49.00

Apple wireless mighty mouse: 69.00

Firewire PCI 3 port card Price: 39.99 (Amazon)


Price: 6648.05


Similarly configured Mac Pro Price: 8,669.00

Dont tell that a Mac isnt overpriced.
]]>Jan 11th 2008 9:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Your complaint, a valid one, is with apple memory prices. I dare you to configure the mac pro with standard memory (2Gb) No one said you should buy your memory from Apple. If you want more memory buy it elseware.]]>Jan 14th 2008 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 9:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
All those guys can slap together a Penryn box with the fancy fixins' you get in the Mac Pro, but they'll actually charge you more for it than Apple does......

This happy circumstance falls apart if you happen to buy your RAM upgrades from Apple - they do have a 100% markup on RAM.]]>Jan 10th 2008 4:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/2 x 2.83 GHz Quad core Xeons
Vista Ultimate 64-bit
2GB DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC (2 DIMMS) (slower than Mac)
Dual 256MB PCIe x16 nVidia NVS 290, (the ATI card in the Mac is dual-dual link)
16x DVD +/- RW
1 Dell Ultrasharp 20" (comes with 17 which Apple doesn't have)
SoundBlaster x-fi with 5.1
Single 320GB SATA

For a grand total of $4,844 (!) vs. the Mac Pro @ $3,398

Someone want to check me on this? Dell seems really expensive...]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/2 x 2.83 GHz Quad core Xeons
Vista Ultimate 64-bit
2GB DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC (2 DIMMS) (slower than Mac)
Dual 256MB PCIe x16 nVidia NVS 290, (the ATI card in the Mac is dual-dual link)
16x DVD +/- RW
1 Dell Ultrasharp 20" (comes with 17 which Apple doesn't have)
SoundBlaster x-fi with 5.1
Single 320GB SATA

For a grand total of $4,844 (!) vs. the Mac Pro @ $3,398

Someone want to check me on this? Dell seems really expensive...]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
The HUGE red font and giant arrow helped.]]>Jan 10th 2008 4:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 5:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/cited here: http://www.apple.com/macpro/technology/processor.html]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_2#Penryn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Pro#Specifications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon#5400-series_Penryn_based_Xeons
]]>Jan 10th 2008 5:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/
PreBuilt Desktops are almost always cheaper, but this is a indictment against the “Pre Builts”, not just the MacPro. There is a small subset of users who knows as much or more about the OS and hardware than tech support; and if you are part of this cadre, then good for you. However, many people would rather pay someone to put the unit together and have a central location to call if they have issues. ]]>Jan 10th 2008 6:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 10th 2008 7:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/penryn-based-mac-pro-gets-benchmarked/Jan 11th 2008 12:43AM