[Wyatt]

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2176

AI is reporting Apple will release an 8-core Mac Pro, perhaps as early as next month. We already know the chips will work in the Mac Pro, so is it basically a done deal that this will happen? How much would a machine like this cost?

[Frank777]

I imagine it won't be too far off the present prices.

I think this will allow them to offer a 'basic' tower that many here have been asking for, even though I'm skeptical it would be as successful as they think.

I think it's more likely to be unveiled at MWSF in January. Seems like something this big would require a Jobs introduction.

[Wyatt]

I would love to see them offer a consumer tower in the same enclosure using Core 2 Duos and standard RAM (rather than the FB-DIMMS in the Mac Pro). They could seriously build a majorly popular gaming machine on the Core 2 Duo (or even Core 2 Extreme) platform if they wanted to. The trick is that they're Apple, so they probably don't want to.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by fcgriz http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2176 AI is reporting Apple will release an 8-core Mac Pro, perhaps as early as next month. We already know the chips will work in the Mac Pro, so is it basically a done deal that this will happen? How much would a machine like this cost?

I'd imagine $3000 for a base 8x2333 MHz and $3700 for a similar 8x3000 MHz. The customers that need these aren't penny pinchers, so they won't complain.

Apple probably wouldn't stick a normal Core 2 Duo or even a Core 2 Quad in the current tower, but I do think there's room for a single slot mini-tower.

Base config would be something like this:
-2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo (Conroe)
-Integrated NVidia GeForce 7300 GT (optional 7600 GT)
-2 free PCI Express slots
-Standard fare... 2x512 MB RAM (4 DIMM slots), 16x DVD±R[W] (1 5.25 inch bay), 250 GB HDD (2 3.5inch bays)
-$1299

[Wyatt]

I guarantee they'd sell the hell out of a machine like that. There are tons of people out there who would like to try a Mac, but that want to have a capable (and at least somewhat expandable) gaming machine as well. The only thing I don't agree with there is the integrated graphics--they need to be upgradable.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by fcgriz The only thing I don't agree with there is the integrated graphics--they need to be upgradable.

That's what the PCI Express slots are for.

[Perfecting_Zero]

Originally Posted by Eugene Base config would be something like this: -2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo (Conroe) -Integrated NVidia GeForce 7300 GT (optional 7600 GT) -2 free PCI Express slots -Standard fare... 2x512 MB RAM (4 DIMM slots), 16x DVD±R[W] (1 5.25 inch bay), 250 GB HDD (2 3.5inch bays) -$1299

I think I would buy such a machine, with price and configuration close to what you've described above.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by Perfecting_Zero I think I would buy such a machine, with price and configuration close to what you've described above.

Yeah, I was basically thinking about the ideal high school computer lab, office/cubicle farm workstation short of an all-in-one like the iMac. So extract the specs from the iMac and shove it into a mini-tower. Every possible component would be positioned vertically to reduce the girth of the machine, so we're talking about rotating the PCI Express cards so they lie flush with the mainboard and a vertically mounted slot-load DVD±R[W] drive.

[motivio]

Dell offers Quad Core Intel® Xeon® E5320; 2X4MB Cache, 1.86GHz for their servers.

When will Apple start offering Quad Core Intel® in the Mac Pro?

Regards,
JO

[digitalscrap]

Originally Posted by motivio Dell offers Quad Core Intel® Xeon® E5320; 2X4MB Cache, 1.86GHz for their servers. When will Apple start offering Quad Core Intel® in the Mac Pro?

Not really sure why you're making the Dell server/Apple Workstation comparo here. Apple is offering Quad Core in their Xserve servers. (although they haven't shipped any yet that I know of) Dell isn't currently offering Quad Core in their Workstations (Dual Core Xeon is as good as it gets).

I think that Apple will be offering Quad Core Mac Pros at some point. When? I have no idea.

[ZacMoose]

Originally Posted by fcgriz I would love to see them offer a consumer tower in the same enclosure using Core 2 Duos and standard RAM (rather than the FB-DIMMS in the Mac Pro). They could seriously build a majorly popular gaming machine on the Core 2 Duo (or even Core 2 Extreme) platform if they wanted to. The trick is that they're Apple, so they probably don't want to.

The other trick is that many of the PC gamers I know don't seem all that open minded about Mac's, although hopefully that will change. I was talking about it with a friend that's very knowledgeable about PCs and one question he asked was "So, can you... go on the internet on a mac"... Oh well.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by motivio Dell offers Quad Core Intel® Xeon® E5320; 2X4MB Cache, 1.86GHz for their servers. When will Apple start offering Quad Core Intel® in the Mac Pro?

They may be offering them for pre-order, but those won't ship for a while, so the point is moot.

[CoolToddHunter]

Originally Posted by digitalscrap Not really sure why you're making the Dell server/Apple Workstation comparo here. Apple is offering Quad Core in their Xserve servers. (although they haven't shipped any yet that I know of) Dell isn't currently offering Quad Core in their Workstations (Dual Core Xeon is as good as it gets).

Apple doesn't offer quad core in the Xserves, at least quad core on one package (which would give 8 cores to the machine for dual processors). They offer "quad core processing" meaning you get four cores total. Plus, as you state, you can't even get that yet.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by CoolToddHunter Apple doesn't offer quad core in the Xserves, at least quad core on one package (which would give 8 cores to the machine for dual processors).

Neither does Dell. Those CPUs (which aren't technically quad-core either; they're one package with two dies with two cores each) simply aren't out at this point.

[digitalscrap]

Originally Posted by CoolToddHunter Apple doesn't offer quad core in the Xserves, at least quad core on one package (which would give 8 cores to the machine for dual processors). They offer "quad core processing" meaning you get four cores total. Plus, as you state, you can't even get that yet.

That's true, Apple nor Dell do currently. Intel won't even begin to ship them until sometime towards the end of Q1 2007. I've just been told that Apple will offer them once they become available (same with Dell).

[seek3r]

Seems like dell *is* offering quad and dual-quad core (both in their server lines and in the Precision workstation line). Wouldnt be surprised to see Apple offer a dual-quad soon (and yeah, hopefully a single cpu quad for 1500 <-- I wish)

[chucker]

Yes, offering, but not actually shipping. The CPUs simply don't exist yet.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by seek3r Seems like dell *is* offering quad and dual-quad core (both in their server lines and in the Precision workstation line). Wouldnt be surprised to see Apple offer a dual-quad soon (and yeah, hopefully a single cpu quad for 1500 <-- I wish)

Apple doesn't have a single product that could use the Core 2 Quad right now, and a single processor Xeon machine would be beside the point. A single chip quad tower will only come when Apple stops offering dual-core Xeons in the Mac Pros, and I think Apple will continue to offer those alongside the quad-core chips.

[Rolo]

If you look at Dell's Precision 690 page, it sure isn't worthwhile to get their dual quad-core machine. It's only 1.86 GHz and only has a 1066 MHz FSB. That means that for most of the stuff you do, that octa-core behemoth will be far slower than a 3 GHz Xeon quad with 1333 MHz FSB. An 8-core machine would only be good for optimized pro apps that can take full advantage of all the cores.

If Apple offers one, I'd hope for at least 2 or 2.66 GHz and 1333 MHz FSB.

[seek3r]

Apple doesn't have a single product that could use the Core 2 Quad right now, and a single processor Xeon machine would be beside the point. A single chip quad tower will only come when Apple stops offering dual-core Xeons in the Mac Pros, and I think Apple will continue to offer those alongside the quad-core chips.

True, though maybe the iMac eventually would benefit. The cheap $1500 tower with *any* chip is a pipe-dream unfortunately. At least the MP is very competitively priced, most likely get one soon (I'm resisting the urge to buy one now :-p)

If you look at Dell's Precision 690 page, it sure isn't worthwhile to get their dual quad-core machine. It's only 1.86 GHz and only has a 1066 MHz FSB. That means that for most of the stuff you do, that octa-core behemoth will be far slower than a 3 GHz Xeon quad with 1333 MHz FSB. An 8-core machine would only be good for optimized pro apps that can take full advantage of all the cores.

For most people yah, but for heavily threaded apps (like you mentioned) and/or a server environment (and a lot of people use Apple towers as servers), it would be useful. I'm mentioning this 'cause it's not just thread-optimized apps that take advantage of 8cores, but running a lot of programs at once (the practical effect being a lot of threads).

A caveat to the post, I may not be totally coherent right now, just woke up from a nap :-P

[Swox]

Originally Posted by Eugene Base config would be something like this: -2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo (Conroe) -Integrated NVidia GeForce 7300 GT (optional 7600 GT) -2 free PCI Express slots -Standard fare... 2x512 MB RAM (4 DIMM slots), 16x DVD±R[W] (1 5.25 inch bay), 250 GB HDD (2 3.5inch bays) -$1299

I'd kill for a Mac Tower with a Core 2 Duo Extreme in it and regular RAM. There may be legal reasons not to do it, but I'd love to see them have a build to order option of either nice fan based cooling or liquid cooling, and the processor over-clocked appropriately for each option. You could get those bad-boys up to 4 or 5 Ghz respectively.

Can you imagine how unbelievably sweet the processors coming out next year with the "Bearlake" chipset are going to be? 1333 MHz FSB, not to mention they'll probably increase the clock speed and/or number of cores on the Conroe chips. Drool....

Yeah, we'll probably never see a Mac with them though... Prove me wrong Apple!

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by seek3r True, though maybe the iMac eventually would benefit.

What's gramps going to do with four slow cores he couldn't do with two fast ones? Intel also hasn't officially laid out plans for any quad-core chips down the road that would succeed Merom.

We probably won't see multi-core mobile chips until the successor to the Core 2 architecture.

[Robo]

Er, I thought there already was a Core 2 Quadro/Quartet/whatever in the works? Or am I misunderstanding you?

[chucker]

He said mobile

The four-core chips are only for desktop and server.

[turtle]

Chips go live, according to CNet.

Seems they are nothing more than two dual core chips strapped together. Well, it's still better than two cores. The article doesn't mention anything about Apple though. I'm chalking it up to the PC world we live in.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 Seems they are nothing more than two dual core chips strapped together. Well, it's still better than two cores.

Yes, they're two cores per die, two dies in a package, allowing for one (desktop) or two (server) packages on a motherboard. I.e., 1x2x2 or 2x2x2; four or eight cores total.

AMD frequently disses Intel for this, in that it's not "true quad-core", with Intel dismissing it with "nobody cares!", and frankly, I think Intel's right. What difference does it make? You effectively get eight total cores on your upgraded Mac Pro, as Anandtech so nicely screenshotted here.

Ain't it great? We went, in little over a year, from "quad" being totally "woah" to dual-core being standard in even the lowest-end Mac mini, and to having oct soon enough.

[Eugene]

The FSB bandwidth lost between the two die might make a difference to Xserve customers, but really hardly anyone else should be concerned about it. AMD won't go quad-core for a while, and their interim solution amounts to a fancy dual-socket platform...also yet-to-be-released.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Eugene The FSB bandwidth lost between the two die

I thought of that but didn't feel like it was worth mentioning.

might make a difference to Xserve customers, but really hardly anyone else should be concerned about it. AMD won't go quad-core for a while, and their interim solution amounts to a fancy dual-socket platform...also yet-to-be-released.

AMD has an advantage in their memory controller at this point, but other than that, AM2 and the upcoming 4x4 have me yawning.

[Zodiac]

8 cores.... man. That's fucking powerful.

If I got a configuration like this..

8x2.66Ghz Xeon
2gb ram
500gb hd
X2000 512mb (or whatever will come after the X1900)
OSX 10.5
$3499

That'd probably last me right through till the end of college, I swear.

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally Posted by Zodiac That'd probably last me right through till the end of college, I swear.

Unless you want to dual boot with Vista.