Apple just updated the Mac Pro, giving the system options for running up to 12 processor cores to work via a pair of six-core 2.96GHz Xeon 5600 processors. For those who need the absolute extreme performance from their desktops, and everyone else who can afford to part with $5,000 for a kick-ass system.
It doesn’t have to be that extreme though: the Mac Pro will also be available in more toned down configurations that come packed with single Xeon processors with quad cores, or a pair of quad core Xeons for a total of eight running under the hood.
As for the rest of the system, the standard configuration includes an ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, but can be upgraded to a Radeon HD 5870 for significantly better graphics performance. Aside from the performance boost from running a pair of graphics cards, two cards also give the system up to six DisplayPort outputs for connecting up to six displays. Up to 32GBs of memory can be packed into the dual-processor systems, and up to 16GBs on the single processor configurations.
For storage, the system comes with four drive bays that can fit up to 8TBs’ worth of hard drives, with the option for going with four 512GB solid state drives for performance, or any combination of HDDs and SSDs. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 ports, built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-fi, and Bluetooth 2.1.
The new Mac Pros will be available in August, starting at $2,499 for quad core configurations, $3,499 for an 8-core, and upwards of $4,999 for the top-end 12-core configuration.
Tags: Apple, Desktops, Mac, Mac Pro
