# The new 2019 Mac Pro Announced! - Apple is back!



## Delio Roman (Jun 3, 2019)

The new Mac Pro has been announced, and I must say, it's impressive! I think Apple is back to caring about their Pro's.

A new Logic Pro X version supporting super high track counts. A new 6K retina Pro Display XDR. For those who are PT users, high HDX card counts in a single machine (up to 8 HDX cards if I recall?). Amazing PCI-e expansion with great power support. Up to a 28 core Intel Xeon. A bunch more.

Starting at 5,999 for a base 8core model. Shipping this fall.

Let's talk!

Currently watching the keynote (EST).


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## Delio Roman (Jun 3, 2019)

Edit: Added some more photos!


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## Francis Bourre (Jun 3, 2019)

The price is... Amazing! 
_
"As it turns out: $33,720.88 is likely the bare minimum — and that’s before factoring in the four GPUs, which could easily jack that price up to around $45,000.
Add in a Pro Display XDR monitor (and a Pro Stand to go with it), and you’re looking at a workstation that could clear $50,000."_

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbre...pro-how-much-top-spec-price-estimate-ballpark


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## synergy543 (Jun 3, 2019)

So where's the desktop Mac for the rest of us? They could have released a tiered-system with something slightly more moderate for those of use that aren't 'yet' multi-millionaires. I don't need 1.5T RAM but 256G wouldn't be too bad. And my little old 30-inch Dell screen is working nicely. I don't need two extra inches of real estate for an additional $4,000. Steve must be rolling in his grave. Always the forward thinker, he was already feeling the love a year ago. https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/11/magnitude-2-8-quake-shakes-south-bay/


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## jtnyc (Jun 3, 2019)

synergy543 said:


> So where's the desktop Mac for the rest of us?


Mac Mini


synergy543 said:


> They could have released a tiered-system with something slightly more moderate for those of use that aren't 'yet' multi-millionaires.


While the entry level is expensive, multi millions it isn't, and it is a tiered system as far I can see.


synergy543 said:


> I don't need 1.5T RAM but 256G wouldn't be too bad.


You can get one with 256G, no?


synergy543 said:


> And my little old 30-inch Dell screen is working nicely. I don't need two extra inches of real estate for an additional $4,000.


Does the new Mac require the new screen?


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## synergy543 (Jun 3, 2019)

@jtnyc - my point is that even if you go for moderate specs, you're still paying quite a high premium for a machine that can handle way more than the typical moderate user needs. So why not make a lower priced machine with specs slightly above an old retro-fitted pizza grater? Something so that a 128G, 10-core, with 2TSSD wouldn't approach $10k. Something like $6k ~8K for such a machine seems like a more reasonable solution for the rest of us. And we can easily hit this target at half that price point with a Hacintosh. I just wanna be able to buy an upgraded old pizza grater! I'm using a Hacintosh now, but I'd rather be able to buy a Mac. I don't have 10 grand to spend though.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 3, 2019)

jtnyc said:


> Mac Mini



Not really.


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## synergy543 (Jun 3, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> Not really.


Well, you can cook a pizza on it. And I hear the new iMacs can sound like jet engines when pushed hard. 
So that kinda leaves the rest of us with old 2008 pizza graters or compromises. 
Tim, please cum outta da closet dude and take a good look at what's going on.


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## ptram (Jun 4, 2019)

Doesn't the new design look very much penitentiary? Is it a reference to the condition of the designers and the perspective buyers?

Paolo


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## Manaberry (Jun 4, 2019)

Apple has become the Louis Vuitton of computing. No more mid-range prices.


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## Zero&One (Jun 4, 2019)

So I'm stuck with my 2009 cheese machine. Oh well.
I personally think it looks fugly


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## Simon Ravn (Jun 4, 2019)

Awesome machine! Expensive though... But much more than I hoped for with all the PCI expansion etc. Wow. Seriously, Apple have outdone themselves here. Also with the custom card etc. I am sure this is a video editors/color graders wet dream. Would have loved a $1.000 lower price tag but those Xeons are just =()#¤/%#¤=# expensive.


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## FriFlo (Jun 4, 2019)

Manaberry said:


> Apple has become the Louis Vuitton of computing. No more mid-range prices.


Hey! You can buy an iPad!


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## synergy543 (Jun 4, 2019)

Trypophobia


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## ridgero (Jun 4, 2019)

The pricing doesn’t seem justified.

My biggest concerns go to the SSD, many sources say it will be soldered to the logic board.

6k for 256 GB SSD? Thats 2013!

Even the iMac Pro starts with 1 TB and costs less.


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## FriFlo (Jun 4, 2019)

I think it definitively looks like step in the right direction:
- large case with good air flow concept
- PCIe coming back - I wouldn't have thought they might be that reasonable!
- user-replaceable RAM - doesn't sound like a feature worth noting, but these days with Apple it is!
- supposedly, upgradable CPU ...
- 10GBe 

On the Con-side:
- soldered SSD for Apple price - well, I might be willing to swallow that one pill ...
- what about internal SATA? Yes, you can buy PCIe expansions or go thunderbolt, but that will always be much more expensive and currently, the SATA 3 SSDs are at a sweet spot considering price and performance gain ...
- Xeon processors with low clock speed, as mentioned by ED ... it remains to be seen, wether one $10.000 machine will be replacing two $5.000 PCs - RAM: yes; Storage: yes; number of voices played in Kontakt: ???
- $6.000 is pretty close to what I would consider the max amount I would spend (I might double that, if it can really replace two machines with ridiculous amounts of RAM, though) ... that money will only buy me the 8-core, laughable 32GB of RAM (which will be replaced anyway), 256GB SSD (WHATTT???) ... I guess, this is where the real problem is hidden ... any meaningful configuration could be somewhere in the $30.000 range - I would not pay that money for a PC that could be obsolete in 3-5 years ...


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## Simon Ravn (Jun 4, 2019)

FriFlo said:


> I think it definitively looks like step in the right direction:
> - large case with good air flow concept
> - PCIe coming back - I wouldn't have thought they might be that reasonable!
> - user-replaceable RAM - doesn't sound like a feature worth noting, but these days with Apple it is!
> ...



The internal storage is a bit meeeh... But you CAN add normal SATA via a Promise card. However, what I think makes most sense for people like me/us who already have a lot of SSD SATA drives (which will still be fast enough for what we do) is to put those in a fairly inexpensive Thunderbolt expansion. That's what I will do if I decide to shell out the money for this.


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## KallumS (Jun 4, 2019)

This is exactly the Mac Pro that people have been asking for for years - I'm personally excited.


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## FriFlo (Jun 4, 2019)

One thing will be the deciding factor for me: will all the parts (except for the soldered SSDs) really be upgradable by techs (including CPU and repairs to the mainboard)? Or will Apple be preventing third parties to replace and upgrade due to their T2 security chips?
I might go for a $6.000 base model, still keep invested in a VEpro machine, if that $6.000 can be upgraded to a (now) $50.000 machine in about 3-5 years for much less. That is what I call "Nachhaltigkeit" and spending the money for a great (thermal) design, that could last something like a decade, would make sense to me.
I guess all of that information will become available until the end of the year. I am pretty sure about two things, though:
1) I will not pre-oder, but wait until there is more information!
2) It seems very likely, that a lot of people will wait for a long time before they will get those Mac Pros! And that is not necessarily, because those machines will be that great, but rather because of Apple waiting sooo long with an update of their Mac Pros! This is really the thing I hate about them. They artificially create a hype by doing nothing for more than half a decade. That is what really still makes me doubt to jump off the Apple train ... if only Windows wasn't such a mess in some aspects ...


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## samphony (Jun 4, 2019)

I’ll get one but as it will run the latest macOS I’ll have to wait at least until April next year until the dust settled.


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## Robert Kooijman (Jun 4, 2019)

Think what a beast of a PC one could build for that amount of money...


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

You'd make 4 beasts easily.


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## tav.one (Jun 4, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> You'd make 4 beasts easily.


Not Really


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

For sure, $10k buys you a pretty darn powerful PC, and this new Mac Pro is very likely going to cost more than $40 for the most expensive variant.


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## tav.one (Jun 4, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> For sure, $10k buys you a pretty darn powerful PC, and this new Mac Pro is very likely going to cost more than $40 for the most expensive variant.


Let's see if you can make 4 of those exact PC workstations at the same price, without compromises with quality.
Not challenging you, but curious if its possible. Lets see it happen.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

It's not about making those exact workstations as the new Mac Pros. It's about recognizing what is more important in an audio DAW - and that is the highest possible CPU frequency across all cores. So yes, I reckon it should be possible to have that 18-core i9-9980XE with 128 gigs of RAM, good mobo and decent amount of NVMe storage at <10k. And you could get all those cores at 4.4 GHz, compared to a single core 4.4 GHz turbo boost on those Xeons.

Then build 4 of those and you have a 72 core, 144 thread processing farm.


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## tav.one (Jun 4, 2019)

If you're making something different and intend to use it differently, then whats the point of comparing or mocking the price?

Did you hear Tesla Roadster will be $200,000? Guess how many sample libraries I can buy with that amount of money....Way more than 4


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

I'm saying that for $40k (most likely) for the most decked out Mac Pro, you could get a processing farm that will outperform it, due to more cores total and higher CPU frequency across all cores.

So yes, I'm mocking the price.


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## tav.one (Jun 4, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> I'm saying that for $40k (most likely) for the most decked out Mac Pro, you could get a processing farm that will outperform it, due to more cores total and higher CPU frequency across all cores.



Very likely, but let's wait and see about the *4x* thing.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

4x what?


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## Manaberry (Jun 4, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> 4x what?


I assume he is talking about popcorn.


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## Mornats (Jun 4, 2019)

Everyone's missing the big question...

Can it run Spitfire Kepler Orchestra?


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## Damarus (Jun 4, 2019)

tav.one said:


> If you're making something different and intend to use it differently, then whats the point of comparing or mocking the price?
> 
> Did you hear Tesla Roadster will be $200,000? Guess how many sample libraries I can buy with that amount of money....Way more than 4



Hes comparing a computer to a computer, and whats best for what most of the people on this forum intend to use it for. There is nothing special about mac hardware, especially today. It just looks pretty, and you don't have to put it together.


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## Damarus (Jun 4, 2019)

Also.. for 10k, you can probably have the 28 core Xeon-W, with lots of ram and storage and maybe a sample library on the side.


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## handz (Jun 4, 2019)

Apple is back as absolute lunatic
I own iMac 5k, iPhone X, Airpods, Ipad pro.... but nope, I don't think it is OK to make a display for $5000 (with a separate stand of course! for $999!!!) They instead of trying to stop the fact, that majority of pros needing horsepower migrated to PC long time ago, create powerful but insanely priced computer. For most ppl iMac is a way better solution that will suit all their need and that small minority who actually need such power station - will anyway build something similar themselves from PC components. Of course, small % will for sure get this, but its a missed chance to seriously get back to a pro market. These prices are insane.


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## charlieclouser (Jun 4, 2019)

So many people grumbling about the price of the monitor and its stand - when it's clearly not for them. It's a reference-grade display intended for bleeding-edge color correction, VFX, and edit suites. By the time that thing ships, there will be LG and Dell displays that can serve up that many pixels for one-third the price, and without the 1,000 NITS and 1,000,000:1 contrast - that stuff looks great but is complete overkill for any audio application. Today you can get 5160x1440 on 49" curved displays for $1,400, or suitable 4k displays for under a grand, and I'll be surprised if the Koreans don't drop a 6k (or even 8k) display by the end of the year, with all the pixels but not the NITS. 

Anybody that's gonna use the new Pro Display for its intended application won't care about the price, since the competition is 5-10 times that (if it even exists). If you're using that display to look at your DAW then you're insane, and thus won't care about the price - and you'll probably be using the VESA mount anyway.

It's like complaining that the RED Epic is too expensive when all you need is a camera to post clips on Instagram!

I do like the idea of the stand being optional - I have a stack of display stands cluttering up the junk room that I can't bring myself to throw away since whoever inherits these displays when I un-mount them from their Ergotron arms will undoubtedly want the factory stand.

If I get the Pro Display it will absolutely hang off a VESA arm.


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## Andrew Aversa (Jun 4, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> For sure, $10k buys you a pretty darn powerful PC, and this new Mac Pro is very likely going to cost more than $40 for the most expensive variant.



Mario, don't exaggerate so much! It's more like $6k for a maxed out PC 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/JDzWHh

This build has a monster 18core processor with that high speed all-core boost, 128gb memory, 6TB of blazing M2 SSD (much faster than regular SSDs), 480gb of ridiculous speed PCIe SSD (even faster!), high tier graphics, super quiet operation. $6200 for parts.

Now if you live near a Fry's or Micro Center, you could pay $150-200 to have this assembled for you, and have on-call service anytime you need.


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## proxima (Jun 4, 2019)

zircon_st said:


> Mario, don't exaggerate so much! It's more like $6k for a maxed out PC
> 
> https://pcpartpicker.com/list/JDzWHh
> 
> This build has a monster 18core processor with that high speed all-core boost, 128gb memory.


It's hardly fair to compare an 18 core i9 with non-ECC memory (and 128 GB maxes it out) to a Xeon W system that supports up to 1.5 TB of ECC RAM. Your system is far from "maxed out" relative to the class of workstations we're talking about.

Yes, the new Mac Pro is a lot more than what most people need. Xeon processors are pretty expensive (newegg has a 28 core Xeon W for $3100, but I don't think it's the same iteration as will go in the Mac Pro) and so is ECC RAM. The base $6k unit can probably be outbuilt easily in terms of raw performance, but for some people, the expandability of the Mac Pro will be worth it. Maybe get 128 GB of RAM now and upgrade to 1.5 TB of RAM in a few years, as an example. Not having to replace a working system is worth a lot to some people.

Apple's mid tier is the iMac and iMac Pro. I get that not everyone likes their all-in-one form factor, but the iMac itself is a pretty good deal: 5K 27" monitors go for over $1000 (the LG is $1300), while a pretty decent 27" iMac is $2k.


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## bvaughn0402 (Jun 4, 2019)

If they were marketing this as an "audio workstation" I could see frustration with the price. Yes, they did demo Logic on it ... but I have a feeling that was more to advertise Logic and since video editing might be more sluggish as a demonstration. I mean do you want people to wait 5 min for a render to brag about how it isn't 10 min? Or show in a matter of seconds 1000's of tracks playing with no major CPU hit?

I think if you want an amazing audio machine, the MacPro is overkill. A good iMac or custom built PC will work greatly.

But if I had the money, I would deck out a MacPro. But that is mostly because I personally don't like Windows, and don't prefer a Windows DAW.

And yes, I would rather spend $10k instead of a $5k PC just to stay within the Mac OS world. But that is me.


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## Geoff Grace (Jun 4, 2019)

bvaughn0402 said:


> And yes, I would rather spend $10k instead of a $5k PC just to stay within the Mac OS world. But that is me.


Of course, a $5k PC is just a doorstop without software. Comparing hardware to hardware alone is a false economy.

For many (most?) musicians, you could add dirt cheap Logic Pro X—and its fleet of virtual instruments and effects—to a Mac and call it a day. Not so with a PC. The cost of a comparable PC system will rise considerably, once you add in the equivalent DAW, VI, and effects software, particularly when you also factor in the cost of most vendors' periodic paid upgrades instead of Logic Pro X's free updates.

Apple hardware sales underwrite Apple software costs. If you buy completely into the Apple ecosystem—i.e. using their cheap or free software instead of more expensive alternatives—you reap the rewards. If you don't, then the cost of owning a Mac gets higher.

Best,

Geoff


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## lbqatar (Jun 4, 2019)

Damarus said:


> Also.. for 10k, you can probably have the 28 core Xeon-W, with lots of ram and storage and maybe a sample library on the side.



According to reports, the processor in the new top-of-the-line MP is the new Intel Xeon W-3275M (Cascade Lake)...MSRP $7453...which wouldn’t leave that much for ‘lots of ram and storage’ if your budget is $10k. 

Personally, I think there’s a lot to like about the new MP, and it seems Apple actually listened to what pro users want (actual pro users that is, not prosumers who’re unfortunately left in the cold for now). 

As someone working in audio post for a major broadcaster, the pros and cons are as follows:

Pros:
Most powerful workstation processor on the market
Lots of RAM
Video accelerator card
Plenty of PCIe slots (HDX6, yay!)
(Probably) a smart integration of TB via the MPX modules
Pro Display XDR seems amazing for editors/colorists. Getting 3 of these plus a BM Teranex Mini SDI to DisplayPort 8K will come in at a price similar to or less than *one* of our current broadcast monitors (even including the overpriced stand, lol), so if it can hold its own as a broadcast monitor it’s a no-brainer for the next upgrade cycle. 

Cons:
Say what you will about the aesthetics of the new case, the inability to open it without disconnecting all cables is a major downside. Hoping the rack one is better in this regard. 
Lack of internal drive bays/SATA connectors...might be somewhat mitigated by MPX modules that allows for internal storage (like the Promise RAID module already announced) but what if you went all-in on the graphics cards?
Only AMD/ATI options for graphics. Hopefully Apple will allow NVidia into the fold again.
Rumors of soldered SSDs. Please allow these to be upgraded with 3rd party parts.


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## ironbut (Jun 4, 2019)

An embarrassment of riches!
It wasn't that long ago that there was the 5k iMac, the dust bin or upgrades of my cheese grater.
Now I can get choosy!
Sure, the new MP isn't for my "pro-sumer" needs but I bet there's going to be a wait list for these puppies from every studio with a live room and a need for multiple HDX cards (rumor has it that Avid and Adobe had a hand in the design).
Could be one of the "trickle downs" will be a number of iMac Pros with high specs on the used market?
Anywho,..
Thanks for listening Apple!


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## charlieclouser (Jun 4, 2019)

lbqatar said:


> Cons:
> Say what you will about the aesthetics of the new case, the inability to open it without disconnecting all cables is a major downside. Hoping the rack one is better in this regard.
> Lack of internal drive bays/SATA connectors...might be somewhat mitigated by MPX modules that allows for internal storage (like the Promise RAID module already announced) but what if you went all-in on the graphics cards?
> Only AMD/ATI options for graphics. Hopefully Apple will allow NVidia into the fold again.
> Rumors of soldered SSDs. Please allow these to be upgraded with 3rd party parts.



Turns out there *are* two internal SATA ports, and Promise have already announced two-drive and four-drive sleds that will hold 3.5" mechanical drives internally in the new Mac Pro:

https://www.promise.com/us/

Looks like the two-drive model hangs from the top of the case, while the four-drive sled goes in one of those double-wide PCIe slots. Not sure exactly.

In the photos it appears that the SSD boot drive is removable, just like in the Mac Pro cylinder. Probably not a standard m2 connector though, perhaps it's a proprietary connector like in the cylinder. Either way, I'm sure OWC will have drives before the thing ships.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 4, 2019)

proxima said:


> It's hardly fair to compare an 18 core i9 with non-ECC memory (and 128 GB maxes it out) to a Xeon W system that supports up to 1.5 TB of ECC RAM.



1. Do you really need 1.5 TB of RAM?
2. ECC RAM brings absolutely no benefits to audio DAW workflow. In fact it is a bit slower than regular RAM.



zircon_st said:


> Mario, don't exaggerate so much! It's more like $6k for a maxed out PC
> 
> https://pcpartpicker.com/list/JDzWHh



I'd go with Noctua for cooling and Fractal Design case personally, but yeah. Looks like that base Mac Pro would be quite decently outperformed by this config (and possibly also some higher tiered Mac Pros, as well), for the same minimum price of around $6k.


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## FriFlo (Jun 4, 2019)

charlieclouser said:


> If you're using that display to look at your DAW then you're insane, (...)
> 
> If I get the Pro Display it will absolutely hang off a VESA arm.


Hmmmmmm ...


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## charlieclouser (Jun 4, 2019)

FriFlo said:


> Hmmmmmm ...



Oh, it's a well-known, established fact that I make.... hmmm.... shall we say, "unwise purchasing decisions" sometimes! If you could see my plug-ins folder (or my Kontakt library) you'd agree.

But I'll skip the Pro Display if I can find a similar number of pixels from Samsung / LG / Dell / etc.


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## Damarus (Jun 4, 2019)

lbqatar said:


> According to reports, the processor in the new top-of-the-line MP is the new Intel Xeon W-3275M (Cascade Lake)...MSRP $7453...which wouldn’t leave that much for ‘lots of ram and storage’ if your budget is $10k.



That is just what Intel Ark has it listed as for "suggested MSRP" on account that you can't actually buy this CPU. But the W-3275 is exactly the same except it supports 1TB of RAM instead of 2.

It was more of a generalization, but I roughly specced out a 3175X with 256gb of Ram and lots of storage for under 10k (probably 1/4 of the price of the Mac Pro 28-core). I have it saved in a newegg cart.

Again, beautiful machine. Great change of pace from the previous Mac Pro trashcan. But terribly overpriced, and not the best hardware you can buy for DAW work.


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## Jeremy Gillam (Jun 5, 2019)

charlieclouser said:


> But I'll skip the Pro Display if I can find a similar number of pixels from Samsung / LG / Dell / etc.



I just bought a not-half-bad 43-inch 4K LG display from Costco for $600 including CA tax. Could get another and would’ve spent the same as Apple’s display mounting system alone will cost.


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## babylonwaves (Jun 5, 2019)

Jeremy Gillam said:


> I just bought a not-half-bad 43-inch 4K LG display from Costco for $600 including CA tax. Could get another and would’ve spent the same as Apple’s display mounting system alone will cost.


why would a musician get an apple 6k display anyway? that's a bit like a gamer buying an Antelope Eclipse to make the explosions sound extra good.


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## charlieclouser (Jun 5, 2019)

Jeremy Gillam said:


> I just bought a not-half-bad 43-inch 4K LG display from Costco for $600 including CA tax. Could get another and would’ve spent the same as Apple’s display mounting system alone will cost.



If you're talking about the 4k 43" LG display, I had one of those for a minute. $479 or so from Fry's on blowout. Physically too large for where it needs to sit in my rig, so I returned it and went back to my Samsung 32" 4k display, which is physically the right size since I sit pretty close to the screen - no mixers, control surfaces, or other crap between me and the display. But a buddy has the LG and it's great in his room because it's a bit further away from his seating position.

Although if we go to 6k then I suspect the pixels will be too tiny on a 32" display, so when the Cheese Greater rolls in I'll be keeping my eye out for a Korean 6k or 8k at about 43" and I'll just have to rearrange my rig. I like the look of the Dell 49" stupid-wide curved display, but 1440 vertical pixels won't do it for me. I'm all about more vertical pixels for more tracks on screen at max zoom-out.


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## mickeyl (Jun 5, 2019)

charlieclouser said:


> Although if we go to 6k then I suspect the pixels will be too tiny on a 32" display



THIS! As my eyes are getting older, I need less DPI. I'm currently running an LG 38UC99, which is the best monitor I ever had. 3860x1600 which equals about 109DPI. Anything more and I have a hard time with those tiny pixels.


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## proxima (Jun 5, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> 1. Do you really need 1.5 TB of RAM?
> 2. ECC RAM brings absolutely no benefits to audio DAW workflow. In fact it is a bit slower than regular RAM.


I don't need 1.5 TB of RAM, but people seem to use their Mac Pros for a really long time, and I bet many of them will appreciate being able to upgrade it to 1.5 TB in 2025 relatively inexpensively.

My point about ECC RAM was not its usefulness for audio applications, but just that it's an unfair comparison to a $6k PC. There are two different debates in this thread: is this Mac overpriced, and is this Mac overkill for audio applications? Usually when you compare the exact same components, the Macs aren't a terrible deal (we'll have to see when the full pricing info is available). Do I want a Xeon in my desktop? Nope, but that's why I chose an iMac. The very highest end hardware is always incredibly expensive.

I suspect that among audio users, there will be a segment of Mac fans who want an incredibly powerful system they can use for 5-10 years, even if it's overkill now. Maybe they don't want to deal with slaves, or they do some video work too. They'll pay, because $10-20k is just part of the cost of doing business. The rest of us will find better value at other price points, Mac or PC.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 5, 2019)

What is crazy is a $5000 display and a $1000 stand for it.


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## Alex Fraser (Jun 5, 2019)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> What is crazy is a $5000 display and a $1000 stand for it.


Sure, but the screen hasn't been designed with a fuzzy Kontakt GUI in mind and the stand will only be brought by a very small number of folk, hence the price.

They're not for "us." And that very fact appears to have rubbed the forum up the wrong way!


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## Guavadude (Jun 5, 2019)

The new MacPro is awesome. I'll be sure to grab one when I need to command the mission to Mars. In the meantime, I'm going to be pissed if they drop the Trashcan Mac's off the back of the OS update bus by saying it's too old just because they took so long.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 5, 2019)

Alex Fraser said:


> Sure, but the screen hasn't been designed with a fuzzy Kontakt GUI in mind and the stand will only be brought by a very small number of folk, hence the price.
> 
> They're not for "us." And that very fact appears to have rubbed the forum up the wrong way!



So the only reasons I'm calling $5000 for a monitor and $1000 for a stand crazy are that they're not for me and that I didn't understand economy of scale?


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## Alex Fraser (Jun 5, 2019)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> So the only reasons I'm calling $5000 for a monitor and $1000 for a stand crazy are that they're not for me and that I didn't understand economy of scale?


No. The monitor is a very highly specced and calibrated tool for video, grading work etc. Expensive sure, but there are reasons why. 

I’m not disagreeing about the stand though. It’s crazy expensive, but the whole package isn’t aimed at the typical VI controller. It’ll be brought by folks who aren’t using their own money to pay for it.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 6, 2019)

I predict that the $5000 monitor will be way less expensive, like half, within two years.

It took a little longer for the 30” Cinema Display, but that was 15 years ago. Monitors are commodities now, and another company will have the same thing for $2500. They’ll buy the screen from the same supplier (as Dell did with their 30” monitor).


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## chimuelo (Jun 6, 2019)

Its safe to assume Tim Cook isn’t concerned about the carbon footprint of his clients/customers.
200 watts on a Xeon?
14nm Fabrication is taking one last gasp of air.


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## Mystic (Jun 6, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> 1. Do you really need 1.5 TB of RAM?


I'm also wondering where all these people boasting about the RAM ability are going to find sticks large enough to get that 1.5TB. Hell, most next gen processors can technically handle around 22TB of RAM but the problem is sticks aren't large enough and motherboards don't have enough RAM slots to reach that point despite Xeon boards having many more slots. Then there is the cooling issue. The whole boast about 1.5TB makes my head spin since it's a pointless boast.


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## Vik (Jun 6, 2019)

EvilDragon said:


> 1. Do you really need 1.5 TB of RAM?
> 2. ECC RAM brings absolutely no benefits to audio DAW workflow. In fact it is a bit slower than regular RAM.


I also asked the question about how many of us who need that much, but I must admit that I don't know anything about how much it adds to the MP base price that there's an _option_ in there to add a lot of RAM. IMO the VI user market should be happy that such a Mac exists - even if I think that a scaled down version would be a great idea as well.


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## Symfoniq (Jun 6, 2019)

Mystic said:


> I'm also wondering where all these people boasting about the RAM ability are going to find sticks large enough to get that 1.5TB. Hell, most next gen processors can technically handle around 22TB of RAM but the problem is sticks aren't large enough and motherboards don't have enough RAM slots to reach that point despite Xeon boards having many more slots. Then there is the cooling issue. The whole boast about 1.5TB makes my head spin since it's a pointless boast.



128 GB and even 256 GB RAM modules exist. The new Mac Pro has twelve RAM slots. I'm not sure why you think 1.5 TB of RAM isn't going to happen. The math seems pretty straightforward.


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## Mystic (Jun 6, 2019)

Symfoniq said:


> 128 GB and even 256 GB RAM modules exist. The new Mac Pro has twelve RAM slots. I'm not sure why you think 1.5 TB of RAM isn't going to happen. The math seems pretty straightforward.


They exist but are they compatible? Also, there comes a point where you're spending money needlessly. By all means, if you have millions in expendable cash for silly things that make no sense using, then go for it.


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## Guavadude (Jun 6, 2019)

I could see scarfing up 1.5tb of ram recording these hot midi tracks and sick beatz!

For years it's been "Hey Apple, how about a new, sharper knife so I can cut my steak?" So finally they put a laser on the moon aimed at my plate as a solution. Sweet!


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## danbo (Jun 8, 2019)

One composer out there, I forget his name, did a Creative Cribs video on YouTube, anyhow he has IIRC 500GB RAM in a HP workstation. He likes to load all of his VI's into RAM. However he leases the computer and doesn't buy, at those specs it's surely a better decision to rent, because at the extreme ends the technology obsolescence isn't worth purchasing.


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