6 ms·

Yes, 580X is old (it's the same hardware as RX 480 from 2016) In fact, everything in that machine is old: the Xeons they use are rocking the Skylake core form 2

Yes, 580X is old (it's the same hardware as RX 480 from 2016) In fact, everything in that machine is old: the Xeons they use are rocking the Skylake core form 2015, with all of the recently discovered side-channel vulnerabilities. The upcoming AMD Threadripper 3 CPUs with PCIe4 would be a much better Pro offering. Clock-for-clock they are beating Skylake now, rumored to have up to 64 cores. Also, PCIe4-based RAID 0 arrays are pushing 15GB/sec transfer speeds IIRC.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
threeseed 7y ago
Don't forget that Apple can see AMD and Intel's future roadmaps. AMD definitely has a superior offering with Threadripper 3 but we haven't seen what Intel is going to offer in comparison. And switching CPU manufacturers is never trial.
- addicted 7y ago
  Intel’s public roadmap has been highly unreliable. They’ve been delayed by years, and that was before the recent vulnerabilities were discovered. I’m not convinced about the value of their roadmaps. That being said, if you were only allowed to pick one platform to sell to your customers, in a machine which should last years, then Intel would definitely be the safer bet. It’s also the platform most of the software providers are likely gonna optimize first.
- strmpnk 7y ago
  I'm not sure why they'd consider Threadripper for the Mac Pro. This machine fits into Epic's target cases and could possibly live up to the asking price of the whole package at that point. Given how the rest of the mac ecosystem is going, I'd only expect the most stubborn of professional communities pick this up (film editing folks seems to still buy the Apple hype).
  - wayoutthere 7y ago
    I’d consider this a “v1” Apple product. Everyone knows you wait for v2.
  - liquidify 7y ago
    Film editing kinda makes sense because there is probably a lot of lock in on the software for people who don't like the Adobe monthly charge BS.
    - strmpnk 7y ago
      I'd be surprised if the monthly charge is a problem here. We're talking about a machine that costs more than 6 years worth of subscriptions (for the entire suite, business price, ~1/3 less for just premiere pro, business price) for the lowest tier machine (which isn't all that great for the stated use case). Maybe there is a technical reason but the story I've gotten from people I know doing this is that they are looked down on if they're PC users. It could be that Apple's software is that much better but it seems much more likely that they're charging what they know they can based on the generally stubbornness folks have around their software and workflow. I partly can't blame them, if your job is in a creative space the last thing I'd want to do is constantly rework a workflow and deal with the machinery itself rather than the content and output.
- HugoDaniel 7y ago
  Do these roadmaps include running at half a speed after a couple of months due to (arguably purposeful) design flaws ?
vardump 7y ago
So Threadripper 3 has not been (effectively) cancelled? (Disappeared from all roadmaps.) Any links? I so want to buy that CPU, but I'm starting to suspect it might never be released.
- paulmd 7y ago
  https://www.pcworld.com/article/3397917/amd-ceo-confirms-threadripper-is-alive-well-and-moving-up.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/3397917/amd-ceo-confirms-thr...
  - vardump 7y ago
    Great, so it changed recently. Before that, the silence was deafening for a long time. Can't wait for my future Threadripper system.
amarshall 7y ago
It’s more likely the new Mac Pro uses the as-of-yet unannounced (but leaked [1]) Xeon W-3xxx CPUs. The current Xeon W fare doesn’t have the core counts Apple is advertising. [1] https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-xeon-cascade-lake-w-3000-series-specs,39278.html https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-xeon-cascade-lake-w-...
- StillBored 7y ago
  Xeon W-3175X is 28 cores (and 250W).. But yes, I would expect a dual die 64 core monster like the 92xx series they recently announced. Of course the 300W power/thermal solution apple was talking about seems a bit limiting in that case.
  - amarshall 7y ago
    Yes, but Apple lists 12, 16, and 24 core Xeon W options, none of which are currently available from Intel but do match those leaked for Cascade Lake Xeon W. So it’s quite doubtful Apple is using Skylake Xeon W since the majority of the specs don’t match.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

threeseed 7y ago

Don't forget that Apple can see AMD and Intel's future roadmaps. AMD definitely has a superior offering with Threadripper 3 but we haven't seen what Intel is going to offer in comparison. And switching CPU manufacturers is never trial.

addicted 7y ago
Intel’s public roadmap has been highly unreliable. They’ve been delayed by years, and that was before the recent vulnerabilities were discovered. I’m not convinced about the value of their roadmaps. That being said, if you were only allowed to pick one platform to sell to your customers, in a machine which should last years, then Intel would definitely be the safer bet. It’s also the platform most of the software providers are likely gonna optimize first.
strmpnk 7y ago
I'm not sure why they'd consider Threadripper for the Mac Pro. This machine fits into Epic's target cases and could possibly live up to the asking price of the whole package at that point. Given how the rest of the mac ecosystem is going, I'd only expect the most stubborn of professional communities pick this up (film editing folks seems to still buy the Apple hype).
- wayoutthere 7y ago
  I’d consider this a “v1” Apple product. Everyone knows you wait for v2.
- liquidify 7y ago
  Film editing kinda makes sense because there is probably a lot of lock in on the software for people who don't like the Adobe monthly charge BS.
  - strmpnk 7y ago
    I'd be surprised if the monthly charge is a problem here. We're talking about a machine that costs more than 6 years worth of subscriptions (for the entire suite, business price, ~1/3 less for just premiere pro, business price) for the lowest tier machine (which isn't all that great for the stated use case). Maybe there is a technical reason but the story I've gotten from people I know doing this is that they are looked down on if they're PC users. It could be that Apple's software is that much better but it seems much more likely that they're charging what they know they can based on the generally stubbornness folks have around their software and workflow. I partly can't blame them, if your job is in a creative space the last thing I'd want to do is constantly rework a workflow and deal with the machinery itself rather than the content and output.
HugoDaniel 7y ago
Do these roadmaps include running at half a speed after a couple of months due to (arguably purposeful) design flaws ?

vardump 7y ago

So Threadripper 3 has not been (effectively) cancelled? (Disappeared from all roadmaps.) Any links? I so want to buy that CPU, but I'm starting to suspect it might never be released.

paulmd 7y ago
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3397917/amd-ceo-confirms-threadripper-is-alive-well-and-moving-up.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/3397917/amd-ceo-confirms-thr...
- vardump 7y ago
  Great, so it changed recently. Before that, the silence was deafening for a long time. Can't wait for my future Threadripper system.

amarshall 7y ago

It’s more likely the new Mac Pro uses the as-of-yet unannounced (but leaked [1]) Xeon W-3xxx CPUs. The current Xeon W fare doesn’t have the core counts Apple is advertising. [1] https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-xeon-cascade-lake-w-3000-series-specs,39278.html https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-xeon-cascade-lake-w-...

StillBored 7y ago
Xeon W-3175X is 28 cores (and 250W).. But yes, I would expect a dual die 64 core monster like the 92xx series they recently announced. Of course the 300W power/thermal solution apple was talking about seems a bit limiting in that case.
- amarshall 7y ago
  Yes, but Apple lists 12, 16, and 24 core Xeon W options, none of which are currently available from Intel but do match those leaked for Cascade Lake Xeon W. So it’s quite doubtful Apple is using Skylake Xeon W since the majority of the specs don’t match.