Options for Buying a Mac Pro

[markusaurileus]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone could give me some good input on means of purchasing a mac pro.

Situation:
I'm a college student who has saved up some extra $ to purchase a Mac Pro. I like OSX (have an 09 MacBook), and would like to bring that experience to a desktop setting... and I absolutely think the pro's insides translate to the ambrosia of computer style.

Options:
1. I can find a Mac Pro 1,1 for $450-600 on Craigslist to use alongside my current Win 7 desktop

2. I can purchase a 5,1 model (2010) for $1,300 new, and sell my current PC rig (for $500 if I'm lucky hah)

The advantage I see to the 1,1 would be I save myself $700. However, I'd only use it for everything but gaming. I would like to use the Mac Pro for gaming.

And the upside to getting a 5,1 would be that it's new and 5,1 and better specs. On the downside, I was looking at benchmark scores, and replacing my current desktop might not be worth the cost and transfer. For example, my CPU scored 2000 points higher than the Xeon W3530 in the 5,1 system. However, I'm not exactly sure if the comparison translates very well between Mac and PC. This is where I'm very iffy.

Help would be very appreciated! Thanks.

Current Win 7 CPU & RAM: i5 2500K 3.3GHz, 16GB DDR3-12800

 

[Lifeisabeach]

The original Mac Pro is pretty long in the tooth now. The 2010 model would be a much better choice, though for the latest and greatest in games, it almost certainly is going to be lacking. We'd need to know more details on what exactly you expect to do on your Mac and what games you plan to play, but chances are you probably would be better off "settling" for a Mac Mini instead and continue on with your PC for gaming.

 

[pigoo3]

Options:
1. I can find a Mac Pro 1,1 for $450-600 on Craigslist to use alongside my current Win 7 desktop

Mac Pro 1,1 cannot run the latest Mac OS (Mountain Lion OS 10.8)...which also means that it also will not be able to run the next OS version 10.9 (Mavericks).

2. I can purchase a 5,1 model (2010) for $1,300 new, and sell my current PC rig (for $500 if I'm lucky hah)

On the downside, I was looking at benchmark scores, and replacing my current desktop might not be worth the cost and transfer. For example, my CPU scored 2000 points higher than the Xeon W3530 in the 5,1 system.

As you mentioned...the Mac Pro 5,1 scores lower than your current desktop. And in many cases...Macintosh computers don't make the best gaming computers.

You probably worked long & hard saving that cash. Sorry, but in my opinion...I don't think that either one of the options you listed are worth pursuing.

- Nick

 

[markusaurileus]

Yea, that's the thing. I agree the 1,1 is old. But, I've seen videos of people playing PC-intensive games (Metro 2033) on it granted I install a good video card in it, and I've glanced at guides on how to install 10.8 and 10.9 on it, too. This is what keeps bringing me back to consideration for the 1,1.

Ok, so if I have a Mac desktop, I would like to use it as my main computer. Basically all the programs I have on my PC but in Mac version: web browsers, music and media players, Adobe programs (including PS), Office. I don't need to buy any of these btw since I already have legit mac versions of them.

Either way, I'll still be using windows occasionally. If I did get the 5,1 I would use bootcamp for Win 7. This way, any Win programs I need to use would still be available to me. And this would be the primary way I would game.

For games, I anticipate playing Battlefield 4, GTAV, St's Row IV lol, and games along these requirement-lines in the next year to two.


Lastly, I have decided not to consider the Mac Mini, because part of the reason I want a Pro as my desktop is that it's so darn amazing to look at on the inside. I know, shallow but what can I say : /

 

[pigoo3]

The prices you mentioned for either computer seem fair. So you wouldn't be over-spending for what you get.

You just need to know the abilities & limitations (+ and -) of both computers (which it sounds like you do)...so there is no "buyer's remorse" later.

Good luck,

- Nick

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Yea, that's the thing. I agree the 1,1 is old. But, I've seen videos of people playing PC-intensive games (Metro 2033) on it granted I install a good video card in it, and I've glanced at guides on how to install 10.8 and 10.9 on it, too. This is what keeps bringing me back to consideration for the 1,1.

I had the Mac Pro 1,1 with an upgraded graphics card I added in early 2010... the best that could be installed in it at the time, if I'm not mistaken. I'm fairly certain that better ones can't be had because the limiting factor is the bus speed. Even the one I had was hobbled in that respect. Anywho, I sold it that fall and got a mid-2010 iMac i3. I have no reservations in saying that this iMac is a much better computer than that one ever was.

Lastly, I have decided not to consider the Mac Mini, because part of the reason I want a Pro as my desktop is that it's so darn amazing to look at on the inside. I know, shallow but what can I say : /

Uh, what? You planning on leaving it sitting out in the open with the cover off? Oooookaaay.....

 

[pigoo3]

I also had a Mac Pro 1,1. One other thing to be careful of with these is...ram is pretty expensive for them. For example...an 8gig ram upgrade can cost close to $200 (depending in the density of ram sticks purchased).

For comparison...and 8gig ram upgrade for a Mac Pro 5,1 will cost around $78.

So if you buy a Mac Pro 1,1...make sure it comes with a good amount of ram so you won't have to pay for a ram upgrade.

Personally if I HAD to pick between a Mac Pro 1,1 and a 5,1...I would go with the 5,1. It may cost more...but your going to get more years out of it...and probably have better upgrade options (video cards, less costly ram, etc.)...not to speak of better performance & better "official" OS compatibility.

- Nick

 

[markusaurileus]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the Mac Pro 1,1 guys. I hadn't thought about the upgrade pricing, nor the bus speed limitations. Guess it slipped my mind.

I am still really leaning towards the 2010 model, but I am still trying to figure out if my desire to have a mac pro is worth fulfilling. It's often crossed my mind for the last year.

My next step is to benchmark my PC and compare it to the 5,1 both with OSX and Win 7. Do you guys know what's a good cross-platform benchmark to try out? Only one I know of is geekbench.

Uh, what? You planning on leaving it sitting out in the open with the cover off? Oooookaaay.....

Well no but maybe haha ;D I enjoy having a neat, clean computer build, and when's the last time an internally beautiful computer was successfully marketed? To me, the pro looks like a modern classic of the conventional desktop.

 

[pigoo3]

My next step is to benchmark my PC and compare it to the 5,1 both with OSX and Win 7. Do you guys know what's a good cross-platform benchmark to try out? Only one I know of is geekbench.

I believe Cinebench will get the job done:

MAXON Cinebench

- Nick

 

[harryb2448]

Even worse on the Mac Pro 1.1 is the firmware is 32bit. The machine has 64bit architecture but is seriously hobbled by that 32bit firmware. As others point out Lion is as far as it can be legally updated to.

 

[markusaurileus]

Alright, so after benchmarking (Cinebench, Geekbench), looking up passmark scores for CPUs, I've figured that my current PC desktop is not worth getting rid of. So, the 2010 Mac Pro is out of the question.

Also, because of what you guys have been saying about the 1,1 (expensive DDR2 RAM upgrades, limited video card compatibility, limited official OSX compatibility, further crippling by 32-bit firmware and slow bus speed), the 1,1 is very likely not worth my cash nor my time to be fiddling around with.

So basically for now, I will accept that the Mac Pro isn't for me. Unless a sweet deal comes up on the 2008-2010 model, I won't be putting down my money