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MillimeterTest Drive: Apple Mac Pro, Part 2
Jun 22, 2009 12:00 PM, By Jan Ozer
Back at you with the Apple Mac Pro. In our last segment, I looked at performance. Here, I’ll look at serviceability and the performance of Apple’s RAID option.
In terms of serviceability, Apple dramatically improved access to the system CPUs, though you’ll recall that you can’t add a CPU to a Nehalem-based system. If you buy the system with one CPU, Apple ships a CPU that’s not dual-processor-capable. So the CPUs are easier to replace, but you can’t upgrade from single- to dual-processor configuration.
Figure 1. Open these to latches to access the CPU/RAM compartment.
RAM has been very easy to access for a while now, and it’s even easier on the new Mac Pro. Specifically, as you can see in Figure 1, at the bottom of the case is a compartment that you open by pulling two latches.
Then you pull the tray out, and you can swap CPUs or memory with ease (Figure 2). Guides built into the compartment and tray ensure that you don’t insert the tray improperly. I slid the tray in and out several times during my tests, and has long as you’re moderately aware of what you’re doing, it’s near impossible to mess up.
Figure 2. There’s the aforementioned CPU/RAM tray, where all components are very easy to access.
The only bummer was that I couldn’t convince Apple to send me more RAM to test performance at full capacity, so I was all dressed up with no RAM to insert. Sigh. So if you’re looking for performance statistics for varying levels of RAM, you’ll just have to find them somewhere else (and let me know if you do, because I’d love to see them).
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Graphics
Apple did send me two graphics cards: the stock Nvidia GeForce GT 120 and the ATI Radeon HD 4870, advising me that 3D preview would be much faster on the latter in programs such as Motion and Shake. Unfortunately, while I’m generally proficient in Final Cut Pro, Motion isn’t my thing.
After creating a preliminary project or two, and some reflection, I decided that I could spend half a day creating Motion projects and still not have information as relevant as the Motion 3.0.2 tests presented by Apple on its own website, which show the Radeon to be twice as fast as the GT 120. So no independent confirmation of those performance statistics here. And no, mom, I’m not being passive aggressive because Apple refused to send me that RAM. Really!
Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.