RSSApple Debuts Eight-Core Mac Pro
By the Betanews Staff | Published April 4, 2007, 10:43 AM
Apple on Wednesday refreshed its Mac Pro line, adding a new 8-core behemoth using Intel's new "Clovertown" quad-core Xeon processors. Also, a new quad-core model was introduced. The base configuration for the 8-core Mac Pro includes two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors, with 1GB DDR2 RAM expandable to 16GB. A 250GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card, and a 16x SuperDrive are also included.
The base price for that model will be $3,997 USD, although better configurations could push that figure several thousand higher. The new 3.0GHz quad-core model, using two Intel Xeon "Woodcrest" processors, will retail for $3,298 USD. The new models are the first refresh to the Mac Pro since Apple introduced the Intel-based lineup in August of last year.
This is a very sweet machine.
But, the only downside to Apple is the price for RAM.
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|AMEN!
I think that part of being smart enough to buy a 'big' Mac is also being smart enough to buy additional RAM and upgrade video cards elsewhere!
I don't understand why they persist in selling their peripherals at prices that are so absurdly high.
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|"with 1GB DDR2 RAM expandable to 16GB" this is like a 500hp car with a 1 gallon gas tank. Shouldn't even come with less then 2gb.
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|Sure, but at least it gets 280 miles per gallon! :)
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|1GB DDR2 RAM and a GeForce 7300 GT?!! News flash Apple 1GB is not enough to run Vista properly and the GeForce 7300 GT is a weak A$$ graphics card when we're talking about dual 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors.
But with a decent amount of memory and a top of the line graphics card that box would kick a$$!!! Even sweeter if it could be overclocked.
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|"1GB is not enough to run Vista properly"
Yeah, but it'll run the hell out of OSX. I have to agree with you on the graphics card though. However, a lot of Mac users who buy the really fast machines include a high-end professional graphics card.
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|For $4K, I'd expect 4GB of ram, 500GB hard drive and a GeForce 8800 GTX. Vrrrooooommmm!!!
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|Yes and no.
I wish they would offer it without RAM and without a video card as they used to do.
That gives us the option to buy 3rd party for much less then Apple charges for their peripherals.
The real deal is the barebones machine.
Oh, and I love the '$4K comment', especially when the dual cpu dual core (NON xeon) Windows PCs are easily pushing and exceeding $6K!
But they do have fancy cases with fake eyes and lots of user configurable flashing lights. Talk about substance! Whoopee!
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|For a premium price you get one bit of premium and the rest commodity. This is how any new bleeding edge product starts out. Expect that same price in a few months with more RAM and other upgrades.
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|"The base configuration for the 9-core Mac Pro"
Erm, OK, where's the ninth core? Fix that mistake please! :-)
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|"...NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card"
Powerful 8-core CPU but with such a low-end graphics card. Strange...
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|They are going to introduce a much more powerful video card soon... (I agree, the 7300GT is a little weak)
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|They have to scrape some better profits out of it. Your average uneducated consumer will look at this as a monster system and shell out the cash. That is good for Apple's sales and the better systems will follow which is good for the more educated consumer.
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|Dual Boot OSX and XP on Xeon OctiCore Mac Pro...sweet.
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|daaaaaaaaaammmnnnn!!! It would be awesome to run both OSs on that machine. I'm mostly a mac fan (I still use xp daily) but it would be cool to see vista running on the OctiCore as well :).
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|nice... I like that... "OctiCore".
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|If one goes by the Greek numercial prefix system, then octa would be the proper prefix, hence OctaCore.
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|Sorry for the spelling mistake, you are correct.
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