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Mac Pro – Thoughts? Winner or Loser?
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[larry towers] “Try rendering multiple 4k streams involving a 3d transform…”
Finally some substance.
And out of what program are you rendering this material?
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[Jeremy Garchow] “There are 4 GPU intense applications right there. Plus, how many of us are in the market for a $15k 48 core, quad gpu machine, let alone multiple $15k machines? If you are in the market, are you hiring? :)”
After Effects, Adobe Media Encoder, CINEMA 4D, and NUKE. There are 4 CPU-intense applications that would benefit from dual CPU.
I agree that not many would buy the epic sizzle core you describe, but whatever serious 3D artists were left on the Mac platform were rocking dual-socket Mac Pros.
$15k is pricey but not totally unreasonable in areas like mine were CPU power is a creative and competitive advantage.
I’m not hiring staff, but I am looking for good mograph/3D freelancers.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
[Walter Soyka] “After Effects, Adobe Media Encoder, CINEMA 4D, and NUKE. There are 4 CPU-intense applications that would benefit from dual CPU.
I agree that not many would buy the epic sizzle core you describe, but whatever serious 3D artists were left on the Mac platform were rocking dual-socket Mac Pros.
$15k is pricey but not totally unreasonable in areas like mine were CPU power is a creative and competitive advantage.”
Surely. I know where you are coming from, but it’s not in Apple’s wheel house.
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[larry towers] “Incontrovertible facts:
1-Thunderbolt 2 is only twice as fast as thunderbolt 1”Yes, but even the original Thunderbolt stunned me with what you could use it for in the real world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKx-cr4bi74You can still do a lot of off-CPU processing with a lowly 4x connection, and the inclusion of dual GPUs means you can do a lot of off-CPU processing without having to hit TB at all.
Original Thunderbolt was too slow for big, fast disk arrays that relied on 8x controllers; I think Son of Thunderbolt should probably handle them.
At some point, some iteration of Thunderbolt will be “fast enough” to meet the expansion needs of nearly all the people here. That point may come with TB2.
[larry towers] “2-Intel doesn’t make a six port Thunderbolt controller. (Look it up)”
Nor do they make TB2 controllers, nor do they make 12-core Xeon CPUs.
Yet.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
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[Walter Soyka] “Nor do they make TB2 controllers, nor do they make 12-core Xeon CPUs. “
Nor TBolt capable Xeons.
It has been all i7 up until this announcement.
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[Jeremy Garchow] “Surely. I know where you are coming from, but it’s not in Apple’s wheel house.”
Certainly not anymore.
With the lack of a dual-socket CPU workstation, the performance gap between Macs and PCs for some apps will be wider than it’s been in a decade.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
[Walter Soyka] “With the lack of a dual-socket CPU workstation, the performance gap between Macs and PCs for some apps will be wider than it’s been in a decade.”
Apple have clearly decided exactly how far into the “Pro” market they want to reach.
Steve Connor
There’s nothing we can’t argue about on the FCPX COW Forum
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[Walter Soyka] “Certainly not anymore.
With the lack of a dual-socket CPU workstation, the performance gap between Macs and PCs for some apps will be wider than it’s been in a decade.”
So, can we now, finally agree, that Apple isn’t in the speed game?
Maybe? 🙂
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[Jeremy Garchow] “So, can we now, finally agree, that Apple isn’t in the speed game? Maybe? :)”
Yes, I concede!
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
[Steve Connor] “Apple have clearly decided exactly how far into the “Pro” market they want to reach.”
Yes, that’s the thing that makes me sad about the announcement.
Please don’t get me wrong, this will be a really nice machine for a lot of people. I just hate to see Apple bring out a beautiful machine that can never compete in some areas, by design, placing a self-imposed limitation on what Macs will be used for.
I also hate to see people buying into the marketing notion that this is the best possible “pro computer.”
Maybe it won’t matter. Maybe people will be willing to sacrifice a CPU socket for Mac OS or a lovely object on their desk, or maybe enough developers will move enough processing over to OpenCL that the lack of raw CPU power won’t be an issue.
I just can’t help but feel today that Apple’s new Mac Pro design defines both what it is and what it isn’t.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
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