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climacs · Dec 8, 2010, 03:06 PM

I really, really need a Mac Pro because right now my MB Pro is unavailable to do other work because it is working so hard on compressing and converting XDCAM EX programs, really long ones...

The MBP is a real workhorse but I'd like to make it the render farm while I do 'real' work in Final Cut Suite on the Mac Pro.

I've seen the Quad Core 2.66 going for $1700... I would have to put it on plastic but really, I'd be happy with the cheapest Mac Pro I can get. Is this a good deal? Will I be happy with the performance or should I wait until I have an extra $1000 to get the Quad 2.8? How is the video card in the Quad 2.66? (MB871LL/A)

thx in adv

olePigeon · Dec 8, 2010, 03:31 PM

$1700 for a Quad 2.66 is a very good price. Apple's cheapest price in their refurbished section is $2190.

cgc · Dec 8, 2010, 07:10 PM

Seems like a good price...Amazon sells them for $1788.

Doc Juansinn · Dec 11, 2010, 10:13 AM

Just a heads-up for anyone interested, Apple has this week been offering the 2010 Mac Pro quad-core 2.8GHz as refurbs for $2,119. The build-to-order 3.2GHz model has also shown up a couple of times for $2,459.

SierraDragon · Dec 11, 2010, 02:55 PM

No a little more clock speed is not worth $1000. Take the $1700 deal and retrofit whatever graphics card is cost effective for FCP.

Quad's limited RAM slots are acceptable only when the box is a good deal.

-Allen

cgc · Dec 11, 2010, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by SierraDragon

No a little more clock speed is not worth $1000. Take the $1700 deal and retrofit whatever graphics card is cost effective for FCP.

Quad's limited RAM slots are acceptable only when the box is a good deal.

-Allen

$2119 - $1700 != $1000 (actually $419 difference). Seems like a good deal but the original deal at $1700 is also good. Doubtful you could see much speed difference. Heck, my MacPro 1.1 (e.g. 2.66GHz quad-core) is plenty fast still and it's 4+ years old.

justmetoo · Dec 13, 2010, 01:38 PM

Have to agree with cgc, my 1,1 2.66 GHz quad is still mighty fast. Best $ I ever spent. The only limitation is that the mobo is PCIe first generation, and then there is the 32bit EFI that Apple refuses to address! But there are ways around these things, and I've managed to get Win7 x64 bit installed. They say that none of the new GPUs are supported, but that's only because they are PCIe2, the cards are backwards compatible but just can't be used to full capacity.

P · Dec 13, 2010, 06:19 PM

The latest GPUs work fine in the 2006-2007 MP, but there are a few in the intervening period that don't work. IMO, those early MPs go for too much used - upgrading RAM is very expensive, and CPU-wise they can't keep up with the Core i7 iMac, yet they go for more sometimes.

justmetoo · Dec 15, 2010, 02:24 PM

Quantity has a quality all its own...
I haven't opened the case of any new iMac (since my 17" G5), but me thinks you can do a lot more with the interior of a Mac Pro to make it last. RAM for the early MP's has come way down, I've tried to future proof with an 8 GB upgrade that cost me less than $300, and that was over a year ago.

Veltliner · Dec 17, 2010, 10:20 PM

You need to put in 8 Gb RAM units, which will come much more expensive than 4 Gb RAM units and could wreck the advantage in the purchase price.

This 8-core for $ 2398 is a much better deal:

Amazon.com: Apple Mac Pro MB535LL/A Desktop: Electronics

Veltliner · Dec 17, 2010, 10:22 PM

I am very surprised these new Macs show up at these rebates. OK, one generation back, but still nice (if you go 8-core).

PS: that 32-bit EFI core - which generations of Macs do still have that, and which models?

P · Dec 19, 2010, 08:04 AM

For Mac Pro, it's the 2006 and 2007 models - ie, the first with 64-bit EFI is the 2008 Mac Pro 3,1 with 45nm Xeon 5400 series processors. For the rest: Don't rightly know. Probably anything with the 945 chipset, but it doesn't really matter. You can't expand them much anyway, and the RAM limit that a 32-bit kernel imposes is way higher than the hardware RAM ceiling anyway.

Veltliner · Dec 19, 2010, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by P

For Mac Pro, it's the 2006 and 2007 models - ie, the first with 64-bit EFI is the 2008 Mac Pro 3,1 with 45nm Xeon 5400 series processors. For the rest: Don't rightly know. Probably anything with the 945 chipset, but it doesn't really matter. You can't expand them much anyway, and the RAM limit that a 32-bit kernel imposes is way higher than the hardware RAM ceiling anyway.

Would you actually buy one of these not to current Mac Pros? Isn't it better to buy the newest line in regards to expandability? I, for example, would not buy a Mac Pro that can't use the two higher end graphics cards the Mac Pro got this season.

And, by the way: all those older models will have the old, weak graphics cards, and you'd have to invest at last $200 to upgrade them. Which again shrinks the advantage of buying a past model.

P · Dec 19, 2010, 04:50 PM

Actually, the latest graphics cards (Radeon 5770 and 5780) DO work with the 32bit EFI. The generation before didn't, but these do - just pay Apple's ludicrous prices and plug them in.

I have significant reservations about buying any MP based on FB-DIMM, but they do finally have some good GPU options.

Smokerz · Dec 29, 2010, 07:55 PM

I would not buy it. The imac quad out runs it.

l008com · Jan 3, 2011, 12:07 AM

Yeah if you're just building a renderer, I'd definitely go for a used one. You can probably get a first gen for $800-$1000. I just put an ATi5770 in my 1st gen mac pro and it works great. Well except for the fact that almost nothing uses openCL and I don't play games on it, so it was a total waste of money to upgrade the 7300gt . . . but otherwise, that's the route I'd take if I were you.

ChrisB · Jan 9, 2011, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by climacs

I really, really need a Mac Pro because right now my MB Pro is unavailable to do other work because it is working so hard on compressing and converting XDCAM EX programs, really long ones...

The MBP is a real workhorse but I'd like to make it the render farm while I do 'real' work in Final Cut Suite on the Mac Pro.

I've seen the Quad Core 2.66 going for $1700... I would have to put it on plastic but really, I'd be happy with the cheapest Mac Pro I can get. Is this a good deal? Will I be happy with the performance or should I wait until I have an extra $1000 to get the Quad 2.8? How is the video card in the Quad 2.66? (MB871LL/A)

thx in adv

The Quad Core 2.66 is a great machine and would work well for you. I would recommend that you max out the RAM and find a good video card upgrade. If you do that this is a good machine that will be useful for a few years.