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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

New Mac Pros are here!

Didn't the RAID card option use to be $1000? Now it's only $800. That's a welcome drop.
 
Dudes, here I am crying into my beers as I realize that buying, as I recently did, my new MacBook Pro 17" whizzer was a costly affair. I am sitting, not literally, on an $8000 laptop right here with nothing amazingly whistly or bell like about it, apart from the bell shaped tears dropping to the floor. Depreciation is a bitch.......... I bought it in the UK so that will explain the price!!
 
Didn't the RAID card option use to be $1000? Now it's only $800. That's a welcome drop.

It would be nicer if Apple just integrated into their on-board SATA host logic like most every PC vendor does. And then the cost would be about $8. $800 is still too much for what it is. Similar cards for PC systems are under $100.

Oh, well... Maybe the next Mac Pro revision. It's hard to stack a bunch of drives inside a Mac Pro anyway. I'd rather put that $800 towards a nice external RAID system instead.
 
Does anyone know if the new MacPros (or even the current ones) have to have ram installed in pairs? My budget just went up on a new computer, but I'm also getting 2x the computer now for about $200 extra. This is really going to help that RedCine exporting to other formats:)

Yes. RAM installed in pairs.

RAM from 3rd party suppliers can save some money, but it seems Apple has adjusted RAM prices again. Also it would be best to not buy 3rd party RAM right now until it's clear which RAM is working 100% with the new Mac Pro configuration since it has new CPUs and a new chipset, faster memory bus ability, etc..
 
I pulled the trigger....


Congrats Curran! I think you're the first on Reduser to order a new MacPro!
Hopefully you'll give us an update on how it runs Redcine & Red Alert. I'm ready to pull the trigger but I'll wait till Macworld to see what else Apple has to empty my bank account!:greedy:

Naw, I think I beat him. I was already on the phone with Apple when the store reopened. I completed the sale a couple minutes later. The salesman said I was the first Mac Pro sale of the day on the floor. :tongue:
 
We're going to re-test the graphics card options for OS X with these new mac pro's. More on that when that's done.
 
Yes. RAM installed in pairs.

RAM from 3rd party suppliers can save some money, but it seems Apple has adjusted RAM prices again. Also it would be best to not buy 3rd party RAM right now until it's clear which RAM is working 100% with the new Mac Pro configuration since it has new CPUs and a new chipset, faster memory bus ability, etc..

Ok, I had guessed as much. Since they upgraded the RAM to 2 GB's stock (which is what I am currently running in my dual 1.8 G5) I can live a month or two without 8 GB's ram:) I did notice that on the apple store there was some info about their RAM having heatsinks and crap. I wasn't sure if the current MacPros have heatsinks on their memory...

Matthew
 
what do you think is the lowest amount of RAM we can get away with but still have a very functional machine... RED fun, FCP, Shake, AE etc. - standard stuff
 
Most FB-DIMMs out there (good ones anyway) will have heat spreaders on them. The Apple ones have some very large heat spreaders / heatsinks which helps because of the internal arrangement of components in the Mac Pro. Third party suppliers like Crucial, Corsair, Mushkin, etc.. offer RAM that has the larger heatsinks installed if you buy their Mac Pro kits. We should know in a few weeks which 3rd party memory suppliers have the best modules for these new Mac Pro configurations. Until then, it's best to buy from Apple and memory is always easy to upgrade later. Apple tends to use modules from various suppliers like Crucial, PNY and Samsung.

Hoffman, you can get by with 2GB as long as you don't try running more than one large application at a time. But on an 8-core system running multiple apps, you're going to want 4GB minimum in most cases, I'd recommend 8GB. But it depends on what you do. Most software is still 32bit, which means that most applications can't use more than 2GB (3 in some cases). So it will depend on your system load...

I never had any memory issues with a G5 quad running 8GB. I sold that system and I'm still doing a lot of work on a G5 quad with only 4GB. I can run out of RAM and start swapping to disk with 4GB pretty easily if I'm trying to run Shake, Photoshop and something else...
 
We're going to re-test the graphics card options for OS X with these new mac pro's. More on that when that's done.

I´ll be waiting for your conclusions before I order my 8 core!
 
Naw, I think I beat him. I was already on the phone with Apple when the store reopened. I completed the sale a couple minutes later. The salesman said I was the first Mac Pro sale of the day on the floor. :tongue:

Well congrats to you Jeremyn! Hopefully you be the first to post what type of speed increase you see since you have your RED One also!:)
 
Will do. Supposed to be delivered between Jan 14 - 18. I got a 3.0 X 8 and I stuck with the stock ATI card. I'll let you all know how it performs.
 
For Blue Ray is anyone running this:
http://www.mcetech.com/blu-ray/

Just a repackaged OEM drive they are trying to pass off as made specifically for the MacPro. I'm going with an external eSATA Blu-Ray burner that I'll put together myself. Casing costs about seventy bucks or so from Cooldrives.
 
Just a repackaged OEM drive they are trying to pass off as made specifically for the MacPro. I'm going with an external eSATA Blu-Ray burner that I'll put together myself. Casing costs about seventy bucks or so from Cooldrives.

Don't buy from CoolDrives. Seriously.
 
For Blue Ray is anyone running this:
http://www.mcetech.com/blu-ray/
There are already 4X BD-R drives available; given the size of the discs and the time it takes to burn one, I'd say don't go with a 2X at this point unless it's your only option. I think Lexicon's approach is a good one, too, in that you'd be able to bring it anywhere and use it easily with a different system if you need to.

It's a shame they didn't include a BD-R drive standard in the new MP, but my guess is that it's a direct reflection of DVDSP's inability to write to the discs. Until their own software gets up-to-date, they aren't going to ship drives with the functionality as standard in their machines.
 
RAM from 3rd party suppliers can save some money, but it seems Apple has adjusted RAM prices again. Also it would be best to not buy 3rd party RAM right now until it's clear which RAM is working 100% with the new Mac Pro configuration since it has new CPUs and a new chipset, faster memory bus ability, etc..

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?model=286&type=Memory&TI=4620&shoupgrds=Show+Upgrades

OWC has "Apple Certified" RAM (Netlist) for the new machines. It costs $80 more then the OWC brand RAM, but at least if for some reason I have to call AppleCare, I can say I am using "factory" modules.

 
I'm also waiting for your testing results, but since the ATI 2600 HD is only $150, replacing it later isn't a big deal.

Yeah - I think 8800Gt's are about $250. You should be able to toss one in any time you like and not wait 3-5weeks unless Apple is reworking the drivers during those 3-5weeks.
 
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