Apple's Core Conundrum

Though I was excited when Apple freshened up their slightly stagnant Mac Pro model a few weeks back, glancing at the initial processor configurations left me dazed and confused. Not as much: “12 cores? Heavy man!” but more in terms of just which processor(s) went with which machine.

Visiting Apple’s product page did little to placate my concerns as it presented me with droves of custom options, and no definitive answer. After further research and significant trepidation, I stand before you as a Multi-Core Man! Empowered by the strength of all 12 mighty cores, I have been able to synthesize a guide to aid in choosing your new tower of power.

The easiest way to think of the new Mac Pro is in terms of three separate models: Quad-Core, 8-Core, and 12-Core. Although Apple advertises a 6-core model, it is really a custom extension of the quad-core Mac Pro as opposed to its own model.

Quad-Core or 6-Core
The default configuration of the quad-core machine features one 2.8GHz Quad-Core Xeon processor for $2,499.99. For an additional $400, buyers can bump their clock speed to 3.2GHz while retaining quad-core performance. The lone 3.33GHz 6-Core processor configuration is also offered with the quad-core Mac Pros for an additional $1,200.

8-Core
The next tier of Mac Pros, which start at $3,499.99, feature eight cores. This is accomplished by combining two 2.4GHz Quad-Core Xeon processors. Currently, this is the only available 8-core configuration. Also featured under this category, however, are the first of 12-core configured models. For an additional $1,500 or $2,700 respectively, buyers purchase a machine with either two 2.66GHz 6-Core Xeon processors or two 2.93GHz 6-Core Xeon processors for a total of 12-cores per machine. Apple’s decision to include the two 12-core models under the 8-core tab is a bit befuddling, and despite the presence of a specific 12-core category, they remain listed there.

12-Core
The machine’s featured under Apple’s 12-core category are essentially the two models from the 8-core page but with their prices already adjusted. For $4,999.99, buyers can purchase the basic 12-core model which features two 2.66GHz 6-Core Xeon “Westmere” processors. Lastly, for an additional $1,200 which brings the price to a cool $6,199, buyers can select the dual 2.93GHz 6-Core model.

In actuality, the Mac Pro line could be even further simplified into only two different categories: 4-core and 6-core. Though 4, 6, 8 and 12-core models are all available, both the 8- and 12-core models are really just more powerful iterations of their brethren. Though things do get a little dicey once the actual processor speeds are tossed in the mix, considering the line from a two model perspective can allow for an easier grasp on Apple’s most powerful offering.

So that’s it, right? That’s all there is to the new Mac Pro? Well, in the words of our fearless leader: there is… one more thing. You’ll be pleased to hear that different processor speeds call for different RAM, which has a tendency to complicate things further.

The single processor Mac Pro’s require 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM at the 2.8GHZ and 3.2GHz mark, and 1333MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM at the 3.33GHz level. This is an important consideration to make, especially keeping in mid the single-processor machines top out at 16GB. The 8- and 12-core machines take similar RAM, but have a maximum capacity of 32GB. The 8-Core machine with a 2.4GHz Quad-Core processor calls for 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM, while 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz 6-Core processors require 1333MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM.

The Mac Pro is a powerhouse of performance, but the configuration method Apple has selected is far from coherent. Picking the right system can be a daunting task, especially for those new to the line. Rest assured, however, regardless of the Mac Pro you choose, all bring a plethora of state-of-the-art performance as well as upgradability in the future. For a machine that will last you years to come, you can’t go wrong with any of Apple’s latest Mac Pros.