Which macpro? xeon vs xeon "nehalem"

rafikiwilliams

rafikiwilliams

Well-known member

Refurbished Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors
2GB (2 x 1GB) of 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered DIMM
320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200-rpm hard drive
16x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (two dual-link DVI ports)
$2,399.00


or



Refurbished Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon

Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processors
6GB (6x1GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC memory
640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200 rpm
18x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB GDDR3 memory

$2,799.00

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Alright, so im looking at getting a macpro, but am at a standstill. anyone have some input as to which of the previous machines would be best for HD editing/rendering/compressing?

disregard the Harddrives and ram as i will be putting somewhere between 4-8tb in the machine and if i get the first machine i will put another 4gb's in.

just looking for the powerhouse of the two. which one is faster?

Thanks.
 
The second option is a current model, rather than a "previous machine," and is the faster of the two. Take a look at some of the benchmarks available online, if the specs you have quoted above don't convince you.
 
the reason i ask is because the older model is a 2.8 and the newer a 2.26. I'm not much of a computer hardware junkie, so i was unsure of why the 2.26 would be better.
 
The real advantage to the 2.26 is going to be with programs written for Multi-core support. Despite the lower "displacement" of the 2.26, it has more horsepower then the 2.8 system with multi-core apps. Single core designed apps will be slightly slower then the 2.8. But in the next few years, everything will become multi-core based, so the 2.26 is going to "last longer".

The RAM bandwidth is also a major player in that, provided you only have 6 RAM slots used up. ( 3 per processor ) Upgrading the RAM to 12GB ( 6x2GB ) will be optimal.
 
I have a 2.8 octo. Nearly the same machine as the refurb you're looking at, only with a GeForce 8800 as a graphics card (and a smattering of additional hard drives). I love it. It's the most powerful machine I've ever owned. But...

But I'll have to side with Ryan on the fact that the bulk of rendering and compression is multicore tasks. The "horsepower" of the Nehalems will give it the edge. Especially with 10.6 just around the corner and its supposed optimization for multi-core. If you can afford the current gen, I say go for it. If not, the previous gen is an incredibly capable machine, but already one step closer to obsolescence.
 
I would agree. The second one is the better choice and not that much more expensive. The RAM Band width does play a major role like Ryan said.
 
BTW the 2.8 octo is available new, not refurb, for the same price ($2400), with a bigger HD (500GB) and free shipping at B&H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539244-REG/Apple_MA970LL_A_Mac_Pro_Desktop_Computer.html

I bought one a few months ago and love it.

Their price for a new octo 2.26 configured like you specified is $3180, a difference of $780, almost exactly a third more:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/608730-REG/Apple_MB535LL_A_Mac_Pro_Desktop_Computer.html

That price difference, and the minimal performance benefit in most situations, is why I decided to get the 2.8.

Where did you find a refurb quad 2.26? Apple lists them, but not in stock.
 
thanks for the BH link. didnt see the deal with the 500gb hd. But definitely a better buy as then i wouldnt have to pay sales tax...

as for the 2.26, i just noticed it was out of stock...

i might end up going with the 2.8 bc of price as well, then add a few more gigs of ram to it... i should still notice a difference in speed compared to my 3 year old macbook white...
 
My 2.8 octo is 3.3 times faster transcoding in Compressor (FCS) than my dual 2.7 G5, and that was before I learned about the settings in QMaster that should make it quite a bit faster still. Haven't benchmarked those yet, but I'm pretty stoked about it.

I still think the octo 2.8 is an outstanding value considering how pricy the new 2.66 and especially 2.93 are.
 
I have the 2.8, and i have to say: its the best machine I've ever owned. I tried the other one in the apple store recently (with FCP and Color on the floor model) and in my opinion, they are both very good. There is no huge difference in speed, actually, I couldn't tell the difference. They will both last just as long, almost forever (its a mac, not a pc...lol). Seriously, I would get the 2.8 from B&H if I were you. You will have no regrets.
 
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