Mac Pro Single Quad-Core

[the_m0ney]

Hi guys Im looking to get my 1st mac and would like to get a mac pro but i have a question . If I go for a single Quad-Core will I be able to add a 2nd in a few months time or will I need a new motherboard ?

Also are any new MAc pro's due out or any new Intel Xeon CPU's which apple could incoperate this year ?

 

[sid]

Apparently you can't do that as the socket is destroyed. I hope I'm wrong though

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Hi guys Im looking to get my 1st mac and would like to get a mac pro but i have a question . If I go for a single Quad-Core will I be able to add a 2nd in a few months time or will I need a new motherboard ?

Also are any new Mac pro's due out or any new Intel Xeon CPU's which apple could incoperate this year ?

You'd be better suited to the up and coming iMac, methinks (about a month?)

It's rumored to have a quad core CPU, and some good discrete graphics but I suppose it depends what you want the machine for? Would also cost a LOT less.

The new server class XEON chips from Intel (Core i7 aka Nehalem) are due out in 2009, although no one could accurately predict a timeframe (I'd guess they'd be ready in April, but they may choose to hold them back until June?)

As for the empty sockets.. I believe the socket is left intact (well it was on the older PowerMac G5's), but you wouldn't have a cpu cooler or any of the custom-built casing on the inside to warrant the upgrade.. It's not something that you could do without spending a pretty penny.

You can technically upgrade the motherboard (called Logicboards for some reason), although you'd have to source the appropriate board from an Apple repair outlet which would be a) hard and b) not covered on any form of insurance.

In short.. the Mac Pro is not a machine that's meant for upgrading. Aside from the HDDs and the odd GPU here and there

 

[martinp]

Hi,

Just ordered a Mac Pro last week myself - although a dual Xeon model.

I never knew that the second socket would be disabled if you only had the system shipped with 1 CPU!? The second socket will still be there but I assume its disabled through the firmware.

I do know that you can upgrade the CPU's for faster models - quite a few articles online with people going from 2x dual Xeons to 2x quad Xeons with sucess - so I would've thought you could just get a heatsink and CPU and you'd be off.

If you can wait, they will be updated to i7 but I don't think that would be until WWDC '09.