Mac Pro 8-Core now here

[raigraphixs]

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=DE0C71B4&nclm=MacPro


Apple has published initial speed test results, comparing the new eight-core machines with the existing quad-core line-up and last Power Mac G5 before that model came to the end of its run. While the Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz and 3GHz are 1.8 and 1.9 times faster than the Power Mac when performing a 3D render in modo 203, tests conducted using pre-production eight-core Mac Pros showed it to be
3.1 times faster than the Power Mac.

Doing the same in Maya 8.5, the new Mac Pro was 2.6 times faster than the Power Mac, and took only half the
time to render a scene in Cinebench 9.5.

Apple's published tests are highly selective, and do not reveal the eight-core Mac Pro's performance in print publishing,
video production or audio editing. MacUser will, of course, test the eight-core Mac Pro fully as soon as units are available.

Source Macuser


...

 

[Lesmond]

Check out Anandtech.com for more Mac Pro tests.

In short, multi-core chips only really come into their own if you are running well written multi-threaded applications (of which there are few) or are running server services.

I'm hoping the situation will change in time, with software written to utilise modern multicore processors, starting with OS X Leopard. This should be the case, as the entry level processors on Macs have at least 2 cores now, so in theory processors with more cores can spread the load as well.

For most of todays software, you are better off which a faster processor and memory combination.

 

[Deleted member 39001]

I built myself a nice dual xeon PC a few years back, they run at 3.06ghz with 512k cache and run on a 533 mhz fsb, it still going strong and is my only PC, it can't play the top games anymore partly to having a Quadro grafix card and partly it's age but I have my multi core Xbox 360 for games now

But if my PC is anything to go by, it ran beta Vista ultimatevery well and had all the features switched on, then a multicore multi cpu machine will last for years.

If I win the lottery I would definetly think about buying this Mac beast.