On Monday , Apple ended its changeover to Intel - cater chips with a bang , exchange its Power Mac desktops with the Mac Pro . This gamey - close desktop runs on two dual - core Xeon chips at speeds ranging from 2GHz to 3GHz ; more significant , the buffalo chip ’s ability to deliver more performance per watt means that Apple can replace the cooling organisation included in its G5 - free-base desktops with more feature film such as effort bays .
But what does thatreallymean for Mac drug user ? And is this Modern Intel - base desktop that much of an improvement over its PowerPC - found harbinger ? To get to the bottom of these and other questions , we ’ve pass the time since the Mac Pro ’s unveiling poring overApple ’s WWW site , public press liberation , and proficient documents , not to mention have a visit down to Cupertino to familiarize ourselves with the inch and out of Apple ’s latest professional desktop .
The case looks pretty similar to the Power Mac G5—what are the differences?
Indeed , the dimensions of the Mac Pro fount are exactly the same as those of the Power Mac G5 . But there are still a few outside difference between this new Intel machine and the G5 that are deserving notice . On the front of the Mac Pro ’s example , you ’ll notice that there are now two optic effort bays ( for the first time on a Mac since the last Power Mac G4 model , released in 2003 ) . Lower down , Apple has added two embrasure on the front dialog box : a second USB 2.0 porthole and a second FireWire port , this one of the FireWire 800 assortment . Meanwhile , on the back , Apple has moved the power supply to the top , replace the two airflow vent with a exclusive venthole , and reorganise the rear ports into a smaller field next to the volcano .
OK, so it’s not very different on the outside—how about the inside?
Inside Apple ’s new Mac Pro
On the interior , the Mac Pro is almost completely unlike from the Power Mac G5 . But since this is the last component part of the Mac product line to make the jump to Intel central processing unit , let ’s initiate with them : The Mac Pro uses the Xeon 5100 , the new processor in Intel ’s waiter - degree arsenal ( code named “ Woodcrest ” ) . As with premature Power Macs , and every Intel Mac save up the Core Solo Mac miniskirt , the new Xeon C.P.U. is a dual - heart C.P.U. , with two brains on the same piece of silicon . Unlike the Core Duo line of processors , which can only work alone , the Xeon processor is made to put to work in radical — making it the ideal chip for use in these new quad - effect system . Although the high - end configuration of the final Power Mac G5 model did come in a quad - core version , the sleep of that phone line was powered by a single treble - core G5 flake . In direct contrast , theentireMac Pro blood has two duple - core processors , spread out quad - nub mogul throughout the tune .
Did you say “a” configuration?
Yes . Unlike in the past , Apple is n’t offer up three models with different eyeglasses and price point , nor is it limiting sure feature of the Mac Pro to high - end configurations as it did with portions of the Power Mac business line . Instead , Apple offers one “ suggested form ” of the Mac Pro that sell for $ 2,499 , which includes two 2.66GHz double - nitty-gritty Xeon processors , 1 GB of RAM , an Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT nontextual matter card with 256 MB of GDDR2 SDRAM , a 250 GB backbreaking driving , and a 16x SuperDrive . ( For comparison purpose , the quad - core Power Mac available — the Power Mac G5 / Quad 2.5GHz cost $ 3,299 . That auto had a slower central processing unit , less L2 memory cache , and a wearisome frontside motorbus ; other specs like the hard drive capacity and optical drive are the same . )
Although there ’s one suggest configuration , the reality is that just about every aspect of the Mac Pro can be configured when you order it from Apple ’s online memory board . Not only can you customise the Mac Pro ’s processor — downgrade to dual 2.0GHz chips or upgrading to Xeons of the threefold 3.0GHz miscellany — but you could choose your severe private road , RAM , wireless options , and more . Apple take that there are nearly five million possible configurations , although almost one-half of them involve buying a Spanish - speech keyboard .
But no matter how you configure a Mac Pro , there are still a few constants : every good example let in 4 megabyte of share L2 cache per central processor and two 1.33GHz organisation jitney , one per central processing unit .
What will all these different configurations cost me?
We ’ll leave the utilisation of recreating the five million or so constellation to the proofreader . But we can tell you that promote to the 3GHz processor will dislodge up the cost tatter by $ 800 , while opt for two 2GHz Xeons will lay aside you $ 300 off the base contour Mary Leontyne Price . Adding store will be you anywhere from $ 300 for 2 GB of set up RAM to $ 5,700 if you max out the machine to 16 Gi . extra 500 GB strong drives for the Mac Pro ’s four drive bays be $ 400 each .
Why did Apple go this route instead of offering several different configurations like it has done in the past?
Since pro customers typically customise their system when place , Apple seems to have picked one middle - of - the - road model ( albeit a powerful one ) to standardise on . But as Apple representative told us , Mac resellers and even Apple retail store can rate the mannikin from Apple that they think will be most pop — fundamentally leaving the constellation choices up to them . And of course of instruction , individual can use the intimate conformation as a starting point , and ramp up up ( or down ) as needed .
Does the Mac Pro use the same RAM as other Intel Macs?
No . While the DDR2 RAM in the Mac Pro is the same speed as that in all other current Intel Macs ( 667MHz , liken to the Power Mac G5 ’s 533MHz ) , the Mac Pro usesFully Buffered Memorymodules , or FB - DIMMs . Each FB - DIMM has built - in misplay checking and chastening , and carry a chip ( known as an Advanced Memory Buffer , or AMB ) that see data transmission .
As a outcome of the AMB chip on every RAM module , each Mac Pro DIMM comes everlasting with its own heat sink . Apple enunciate that by attaching a heating system sump to every faculty in orderliness to fool heat , it can keep fan noise to a minimum . Apple says it ’s provided a caloric specification for the modules to the companies that are manufacturing Apple - mark Aries for these systems . ( Since they can number from different manufacturer , RAM module may vary in visual aspect depending on how their manufacturer chose to meet Apple ’s specs . ) Apple ’s also push for its thermic specification to be take over as a measure by theJEDEC standard body , which would make it easier for third - party random memory vendors to manufacture heat - sink Aries the Ram to meet the motive of Mac Pro users .
How do I install RAM in the Mac Pro?
The Mac Pro has two small riser card , each of which hold four FB - DIMM slots . To instal RAM , you slide a riser scorecard out and set it down on a flat surface . ( The bottom of the riser pipe card contains plastic feet so that the circuit plug-in itself does n’t make touch with the surface to place it on . ) Then you add the computer memory faculty — always in pairs of the same capacitance from the same producer . You want to install pairs of RAM in the proper order , which is impress on the inside of the Mac Pro door : a pair in the top two slot of the top riser , then in the top two slots of the bottom riser pipeline ; then in the bottom two slots of the top riser ; and finally in the bottom two slots of the bottom riser . When you ’re done set up RAM , you slide the riser card or placard back into the Mac Pro until they re - plug in with the motherboard .
Apple includes two 512 Mbit module in the store shape . As with the Power Mac , the Mac Pro requires correspond pairs of random access memory to work . To max out the RAM , you ’d postulate to put in 2 GB modules in each of the Mac Pro ’s eight random-access memory slots . That ’s a lot of RAM .
What does all this mean in terms of performance? How does the Mac Pro compare to the Power Mac?
We wo n’t be able to say definitively until we can run a Mac Pro through Macworld Lab ’s assault and battery of tests . ( consider us : we ’re just as eager to find oneself out as you are , and we ’ll stake result as soon as we have them . ) Until then , we only have Apple ’s figures to go by . Apple says the Mac Pro Quad Xeon 3.0GHz is up to 2.1 times faster than the Power Mac Quad G5 2.5GHz , based on an integer calculation bench mark . If you recollect from the MacBook Pro debut , those test can give an inflated motion-picture show of a C.P.U. ’s performance . But Apple also say the Mac Pro is up to 1.8 times quicker at modo rendering and Xcode project construction , and up to 1.4 times quicker at Final Cut Pro HDV encryption .
What type of hard drives does it use?
The Mac Pro practice second - generation SATA drives with a maximum throughput of three gigabits per second ( sometimes referred to as SATA II ) . Actual throughput is much less , however , confine by the speed of the drives themselves . Power Macs also used SATA thrust , but the slower 1.5GBps mixture . Those older drive will , however , go exquisitely in the Mac Pro .
How easy is it to install or remove drives?
moderately slowly . Each Mac Pro hard ride is mounted on a alloy drive chassis with four nookie . The chassis slides into position , attaching directly to the Mac Pro ’s motherboard . There are no cable television to seize . ( Although this method seems similar to the method Apple ’s Xserve practice to tie drives , it ’s not really comparable : the Xserve ’s drives are hot swappable and let in status lights ; these drive can only be trade when the Mac Pro is shut off , and the drive frame are simply alloy , with no limited lights or other electronics .
I like having lots of internal storage—how many hard drives does the Mac Pro hold?
There ’s room for up to four drives , two more than in the Power Mac G5 . Apple has n’t supervise to squeeze more than two hard drives into a screen background Mac since the solar day of the Power Mac G4 , so this is a welcome addition . Apple say you could install up to 2 TB ( that ’s terabytes , folk — a thousand gigabytes ! ) of intragroup depot — the biggest drives the troupe sells are 500GB — but the new 750 GB SATA drive on the grocery store in reality increase that sum to 3 TB . Best of all , with space for so many drive , you’re able to easy set up an internal RAID for faster storage or mirrored backup , or even set aside a spare drive for exercise with Leopard ’s forthcoming Time Machine backup utility .
You said the case was the same size as the Power Mac G5—how can Apple fit four drives in the same space?
One of the biggest benefits of switching to Intel processor is that they use less energy and , therefore , generate much less heat than the PowerPC processors Apple was using previously . Less heat produced means less cooling required , so by remove fans and other design elements implemented specifically to keep tune flow , Apple reclaimed a draw of space . Gone are the four disjoined air - flow conduits of the original G5 , as well as the particular regulate - charge plate interior threshold that kept aura flow even if you removed the G5 ’s external room access . And the two Xeon processors fit beneath a heat sink that ’s actually pocket-sized thanoneof the threefold - processor Power Mac G5 ’s two heat sinks .
Since there are fewer fans, how does this affect the Mac Pro’s noise level? Is it loud?
The Quad G5 used nine fans and a liquid cool down apparatus . The Mac Pro , on the other hand , has only four fans and no liquid cooling — that should give some indication of the amount of cool down needed . We did n’t note any loud racket coming from Apple ’s demonstration Mac Pro , and Apple told us that the fan ’ dynamical range is very small , mean you should n’t experience large fan - noise spike as with the Power Mac G5 .
Does all that mean Apple could make a “mini tower” version of the Mac Pro?
In possibility , yes . Apple could wither the case to make a small form factor — but in doing so , the company would also have to remove things like the second optical effort true laurel , strong drive embayment , and perhaps more . In short , Apple would have to completely redesign the Mac Pro , and for the client who are most interested in bribe one , the vast expansion options are most likely a large marketing stage . And from a stage business standpoint , it ’s deserving asking : would such a system make novel Mac buyers , or just siphon sales away from the Mac Pro and iMac ?
So what else was Apple able to do with all the extra room in there?
Well , there are the two full - size of it optical drive spaces . And enlargement card are no longer quite as crowded as they once were : Previously , instal a gamy - end , double - sized graphics identity card take up not only the PCI Express slot meant for graphics , but also the slot next to it . That left drug user with two gratuitous PCI Express slot instead of three . With the Mac Pro , Apple has made the graphics expansion slot able to adapt a extensive graphic card all by itself .
Speaking of PCI Express, are the speeds of each slot the same as with the Power Mac?
In the Power Mac , each PCI Express one-armed bandit had a hardening bandwidth , expressed in terms of lanes — the graphics slots was the fastest at 16x , with one 8x slot and two 4x slot as well . With the Mac Pro , Apple tell that when you boot the estimator after installing a unexampled PCI Express card , the atomic number 76 will let you opt the amount of bandwidth to dedicate to that slot . Apple told us that the full amount of bandwidth available to the PCI Express bus is less on the Mac Pro than on the Power Mac , but said the power to direct that bandwidth as need should make up for such a defect . They also distinguish us that there ’s more power ( total electrical power ) available to the PCI Express bus topology , letting you power two Nvidia Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards .
Are wireless features built into the Mac Pro?
No . If you ask AirPort Extreme , Bluetooth , or both , you ’ll need to configure your Mac Pro to let in those options . you may add Bluetooth for $ 29 , AirPort Extreme for $ 49 , or both together for $ 79 .
And what’s the big deal about two optical drive bays? Why would I want a second one anyway?
For $ 100 , Apple will tot a second 16x SuperDrive to the Mac Pro . With two drives , you could burn a DVD Studio Pro task and rip an audio atomic number 48 into iTunes at the same meter , for exemplar . And since the bays hold standard 5.25 - inch drive , you could tote up a newer optic driving , such as one that stand the Blu - Ray high - definition DVD format , as prices drop .
Jonathan Seff isMacworld ’s senior news editor . Jason Snell isMacworld ’s editorial film director . ]
