Quad Xeon 5150 "Woodcrest" as gaming rig....??

[simi_uk]

Steve Jobs was once quited saying: "Think Different"....

with Apples 'MacPro', their Intel based Quad-Xeon 5150 "Woodcrest" machine, I'm doing just that!......and at £1445+VAT its a VERY attractive offer!

Ok, this is MUCH further into the dark-side than some here would like, yes its Apple hardware - but its INTEL based AND will boot XP natively with Apple's 'BootCamp' installed!

So...to all those disbelievers out there, bring on the lynch mob....to all you creative thinkers out there - would this even work as a gaming system?!

I can here this a hundred miles of, and the answer is NO, i am NOT a Mac fanboy...i've even priced up a PC using the same components and got it to work out at around £1500+VAT!!!!

.........and discuss.......

 

[simi_uk]

i dont think many games are coded for dual core never mind quad core.

plus your not running a "quad-core" native setup, just 2 dual core cpus in a dual motherboard.

as far as games are, waste of money if thats all u want it for. you could build yourself far better gaming rig with the cash

Isnt 2 Dual Core CPUs in a dual socket mobo a quad core system - certainly seems it on paper...??

gaming would be the primary use, but i also do a bit of 3d animation (Carrara3D) and PhotoShop editing....and then theres my music tools (Logic), so thats where OS X comes in...... although there are tools im using now on an XP rig

Although i understand that the plethroa of games available are only just becoming dual core aware, surely having quad-cores will have some effect, specifically on the multi-tasking side of things - e.g. playing HalfLife 2 whilst rendering a 180-second 3d clip produced with Carrara3D...or burning a 2hr dvd to a Dual Layer disk whilst annihilating every known being/soul in 'Prey'

 

[simi_uk]

It's not technically quad core, it's "dual core, dual processor" or "dual dual core" - quad core is just marketing if you want to get pedntic

very true - i'd not thought about that. Quad core is of corse four cores on one chip/socket.

how very lame of me to think otherwise

 

[simi_uk]

well, thanks very much for the comments fellas.

i'm still thinking about the MacPro, and wether or not to upgrade its 7300GT to the X1900 512mb....

Along side the 3D work and video stuff mentioned i do outside of work, i also do a bit of flight simming. so i guess part of the decision to 'Think Diffrent' and buy a Mac was based on the up coming Windows Vista and also FlightSim X, as well as FlightSim 2004 and the £100's of add-ons i currently have for it....what with FS9 being a CPU hog and all, im hoping that this baby and its 4 cores will blow a few of the better custom build PCs away when it turns up in a few weeks...

thanks again.... oh, and i ordered the dual socket, 3GHz dual core model, still havent decided wether or not to get *** x1900, but i can add that as a 2nd gfx card later on...

 

[simi_uk]

I dont think there is any overclocking functionality on Woodcrest, you may not need it, but thought i would mention it, something that should be considered, when looking at Woodcrest v C2D XE's, for a gaming rig.

thanks, no i hadn't thought of this but didnt really think i had to anyways, what with four cores at 3GHz and all....

 

[simi_uk]

o/c it anyways

do we have reports on temps (air cooled) and stable O/C running speeds??......remember that this is a MacPro, so without hacking the internal chassis to pieces (NO WAY - its beautifully made!!) changing the HSF isnt an option....

 

[simi_uk]

i wudnt hack the case as it is a really nice. is the side panel solid of mesh?

the case is solid 3mm aluminium, with a mesh effect fron/rear wraparound. hopefully the picture(s) below show what i mean....

 

[simi_uk]

very nice case indeed. I wouldnt want to take a dremal to that now.

certainly not, wouldnt even dream of modding this case! The cooling zones and mobo layout (picture 1) leave nothing to be desired - pure elegance if you ask me! then we've got the riser cards for the FB-DIMMS, not an option im afraid, the mobo requires EEC RAM (picture 2)

Picture 1:

Picture 2: