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Apple Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 (Late 2013) Specs
Identifiers: Late 2013 - ME253LL/A - MacPro6,1 - A1481 - 2630
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There is no mistaking the 'Late 2013' Mac Pro models for earlier ones as they present an Apple described 'radical' departure from the large, highly expandable tower case design of yore and instead feature a compact dark gray, glossy cylinder design that is approximately one eighth of the mass but has limited internal expansion.
Apple explained that these 'Space Gray' cylinder Mac Pro models are 'designed around an innovative unified thermal core' and have not only faster processors than earlier models but also dual workstation class graphics processors, faster memory, and faster PCIe 2.0 x4 flash storage. Instead of internal expansion, the system provides extensive high speed ports for external connectivity options.
Specifically, this model -- the Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 (Late 2013) -- is powered by a single 3.7 GHz Quad Core 22-nm Xeon E5-1620v2 processor with a dedicated 256k of level 2 cache for each core and 10 MB of level 3 'Smart Cache.' By default, it was configured with 12 GB of 1866 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM, a 256 GB SSD, and dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics processors with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory each.
Connectivity includes six Thunderbolt 2 ports, one HDMI 1.4 UltraHD port, 4 USB 3.0 ports, and Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports in addition to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0.
Originally, this model reportedly supported as many as three 4K displays or six Thunderbolt displays. However, on June 16, 2015, without updating the graphics cards themselves, Apple quietly increased the official support to as many as three 5K displays (5120x2880) -- two using Thunderbolt 2 ports and one using the HDMI port. The support for as many as six 2560x1600 displays using all six Thunderbolt 2 ports remained unchanged.
Also see:
Apple explained that these 'Space Gray' cylinder Mac Pro models are 'designed around an innovative unified thermal core' and have not only faster processors than earlier models but also dual workstation class graphics processors, faster memory, and faster PCIe 2.0 x4 flash storage. Instead of internal expansion, the system provides extensive high speed ports for external connectivity options.
Specifically, this model -- the Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 (Late 2013) -- is powered by a single 3.7 GHz Quad Core 22-nm Xeon E5-1620v2 processor with a dedicated 256k of level 2 cache for each core and 10 MB of level 3 'Smart Cache.' By default, it was configured with 12 GB of 1866 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM, a 256 GB SSD, and dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics processors with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory each.
Connectivity includes six Thunderbolt 2 ports, one HDMI 1.4 UltraHD port, 4 USB 3.0 ports, and Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports in addition to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0.
Originally, this model reportedly supported as many as three 4K displays or six Thunderbolt displays. However, on June 16, 2015, without updating the graphics cards themselves, Apple quietly increased the official support to as many as three 5K displays (5120x2880) -- two using Thunderbolt 2 ports and one using the HDMI port. The support for as many as six 2560x1600 displays using all six Thunderbolt 2 ports remained unchanged.
Also see:
- What are the differences between the standard 'Late 2013' Mac Pro models? What are the differences between the standard and custom configurations of the 'Late 2013' Mac Pro line?
- What are all the differences between the 'Late 2013' Mac Pro models and the 'Mid-2012' Mac Pro models that they replaced?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
Introduction Date: | October 22, 2013* | Discontinued Date: | April 4, 2017** |
Details: | The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. *This system first was revealed as a 'sneak peak' on June 10, 2013 (but with limited specifics), 'introduced' in more detail on October 22, 2013, became available for purchase on December 19, 2013, and first shipped on December 30, 2013. **This model was discontinued quietly on April 4, 2017 as part of what effectively amounted to an atypical apology from Apple about the direction of its professional Mac hardware. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2013. |
Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
Details: | Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro6,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro6,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro6,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the MacPro6,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Processor Speed: | 3.7 GHz | Processor Type: | Q. Core Xeon E5-1620v2 |
Details: | The 64-bit 22-nm 'Xeon E5' processor, or more specifically the 'Ivy Bridge-EP' based E5-1620v2, has four independent 'cores' each with a dedicated 256k level 2 cache and 10 MB of level 3 'Smart Cache.' It also supports 'Hyper-Threading' -- which 'allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core' (so OS X recognizes eight total cores on this model, four real and four virtual) -- and 'Turbo Boost' -- which 'automatically boosts the processor speed based on workload' up to 3.9 GHz for this model. Also see: How fast are the 'Late 2013' Mac Pro models compared to one another? How fast are the 'Late 2013' Mac Pro models compared to the 'Mid-2012' models replaced? |
Details: | *Via custom configuration, this model also could be equipped with a 3.5 GHz Six Core Xeon E5 (E5-1650v2), 3.0 GHz Eight Core Xeon E5 (E5-1680v2), or 2.7 GHz Twelve Core Xeon E5 (E5-2697v2) processor for an additional US$500, US$2000, and US$3500, respectively. For reader convenience, EveryMac.com also has documented these configurations as their own models as applicable -- the Mac Pro 'Six Core' 3.5 (Late 2013), Mac Pro 'Eight Core' 3.0 (Late 2013), and Mac Pro 'Twelve Core' 2.7 (Late 2013). |
Details: | Also see: How do you upgrade the processors in the 'Late 2013' Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models? How are the processors mounted? Which aftermarket processors are compatible? |
System Bus Speed: | 5 GT/s (DMI2)* | Cache Bus Speed: | 3.7 GHz (Built-in) |
Details: | *This system has a 'Direct Media Interface' -- specifically DMI2 -- that connects between the processor and chipset in lieu of the traditional system bus. |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | *Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 10 MB of level 3 'Smart Cache' as well. |
RAM Type: | PC3-15000 DDR3 ECC | Min. RAM Speed: | 1866 MHz |
Details: | Uses '1866 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM' (PC3-15000) modules. Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the 'Late 2013' Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models? How much RAM do they actually support? |
Details: | 12 GB of RAM was installed as three 4 GB modules. By default, one slot is free. *Apple formally supports 64 GB of RAM in this model, but third-parties have determined it can support 128 GB of RAM. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this Mac Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells RAM and other upgrades for this Mac Pro. In Australia, site sponsor RamCity sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro. In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac Pro. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
Details: | This system has four user-accessible memory slots. |
Video Card: | AMD FirePro D300 x2* | VRAM Type: | GDDR5 SDRAM |
Details: | *By default, this system has dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics processors with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory each. These graphics processors have 1280 stream processors, a 256-bit-wide memory bus, 160 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and provide 2 teraflops of performance. Via custom configuration, Apple notes that this model also could be configured with dual AMD FirePro D500 graphics processors, 'each with 3 GB GDDR5 VRAM, 1526 stream processors, [a] 384-bit-wide memory bus, 240 GB/s memory bandwidth, and 2.2 teraflops performance' for an extra US$400; or dual AMD FirePro D700 [graphics processors], each with 6 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, 2048 stream processors, [a] 384-bit-wide memory bus, 264 GB/s memory bandwidth, and 3.5 teraflops performance' for an extra US$1000. Also see: What are the default graphics cards provided with the 'Late 2013' Gray Cylinder Mac Pro? What graphics card options are available? How do you upgrade the graphics card? Is it possible? |
Details: | Other graphics cards could be pre-installed at the time of purchase. Subsequent upgrades also theoretically may be possible, but the design is proprietary and third-parties are unlikely to create products given the limited market size. |
Display Support: | Up to 6 Displays* | Resolution Support: | 5K (5120x2880)* |
Details: | *This system originally supported up to three 4K displays (3840x2160), but on June 16, 2015, Apple quietly increased this official support to as many as three 5K displays (5120x2880) -- two using Thunderbolt 2 ports and one using the HDMI port -- or as many as six displays up to 2560x1600 using Thunderbolt 2 ports. |
2nd Display Support: | Dual/Mirroring | 2nd Max. Resolution: | 5K (5120x2880) x2* |
Details: | *This model originally supported as many as three 4K displays (3840x2160), but on June 16, 2015, Apple quietly increased the official support to as many as three 5K displays (5120x2880) or as many as six Thunderbolt displays (up to 2560x1600). |
Details: | At the time of purchase, this model also originally could be configured with 512 GB or 1 TB of flash storage for an additional US$300 or US$800, respectively. On October 27, 2016, Apple cut these upgrade prices to US$200 and US$600, respectively. Also see: How do you upgrade the storage in the 'Gray Cylinder' Mac Pro models? How many drives of what type are supported? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this Mac Pro. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells SSDs and other upgrades for this Mac Pro. In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells storage upgrades for this Mac Pro. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs. |
Storage Dimensions: | Proprietary | Storage Interface: | Proprietary* (PCIe 2.0 x4) |
Details: | *This model uses a PCIe-based SSD rather than a SATA-connected one. Specifically, it uses a custom Apple design with a PCIe 2.0 x4 interface, which is capable of a theoretical maximum of 2 GB/s. |
Details: | *This Mac Pro does not have an internal optical drive. Site sponsor Adorama offers the external Apple USB SuperDrive for US$79. It writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL at 4X, DVD-R and DVD+R at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X, reads DVD at 8X, writes CD-R at 24X, writes CD-RW at 16X, and reads CD at 24X. Site sponsor Other World Computing also has a variety of compact external optical drive options that may be of interest, including some with Blu-ray capability. Also see: What external optical drive options are available for the 'Gray Cylinder' Mac Pro models? |
Details: | This system has dual 10/100/1000BASE-T [Gigabit] Ethernet (RJ-45) ports. |
Details: | 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard (802.11a/b/g/n compatible) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. |
Details: | This Mac Pro model has four USB 3.0 ports on the back of the system. |
Details: | *This Mac Pro has no expansion slots in the traditional sense (PCIe, for example) nor expansion bays for additional storage. Also see: What Thunderbolt external expansion boxes are available for the 'Gray Cylinder' Mac Pro models? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and hand-picked accessories including external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, speakers, and more for this Mac Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, keyboards, security products, and more for this Mac Pro. |
Details: | Just like the Mac mini series, this Mac Pro did not ship with a keyboard and input device by default. |
Case Type: | Cylinder | Form Factor: | Mac Pro (Gray Cylinder) |
Details: | This Mac Pro uses a glossy, dark gray, machined aluminum cylinder shaped case. |
Details: | The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
Details: | Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. Also see: All Macs with the A1481 Model Number, the 2630 EMC Number, and the MacPro6,1 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
Details: | N/A |
Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.9.1 (13B4116) | Maximum MacOS: | Current* |
Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.9 'Mavericks' and OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' as well as OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' including Metal graphics acceleration. It is fully supported by the last version of macOS Sierra (10.12) and macOS High Sierra (10.13), also. Running macOS High Sierra (10.13), it supports HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), but it does not support hardware accelerated HEVC. This model is compatible with the current macOS Mojave (10.14) and forthcoming macOS Catalina (10.15), as well. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15)? What are the system requirements? What are the major new features? Has anything been removed from previous versions of the macOS? |
Minimum Windows: | 8 (64-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 10 (64-Bit)* |
Details: | *The pre-installed version of Apple's Boot Camp BCA formally supports the 64-bit version of Windows 8 on this model. Boot Camp 5 originally supported the 64-bit version of Windows 7, as well, but Apple quietly dropped support for it on March 5, 2014. Boot Camp 6 supports the 64-bit version of Windows 10. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported. |
MacOS 9 Support: | None | Windows Support: | Boot/Virtualization |
Details: | Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
Dimensions: | 9.9 x 6.6* | Avg. Weight: | 11 lbs. (4.99 kg). |
Details: | In inches - height by diameter (25.1 cm by 16.8 cm). |
Original Price (US): | US$2999 | Est. Current Retail: | US$2000-US$2500 |
Details: | Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. |
Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.
Video (Monitor): | 6 (Thunderbolt 2), 1 (HDMI 1.4 UltraHD) | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
Details: | This Mac Pro has 6 'Thunderbolt 2' ports and a single HDMI 1.4 UltraHD port. The HDMI port 'supports multichannel audio output.' Also see: What Thunderbolt external expansion boxes are available for the 'Gray Cylinder' Mac Pro models? |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | This Mac Pro model has four USB 3.0 ports on the back of the system. |
Details: | No internal modem. dual Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n compatible) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | *Includes a single rear-mounted 'headphone minijack with headset support.' |
Details: | *Includes a single rear-mounted 'combined optical/digital audio output/analog line out minijack.' |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | Apple reports that the line voltage is '100-240V AC' and the maximum continuous power is 450W. The typical acoustical performance, 'sound pressure level (operator position)' is 12 dBA at idle. |
Global original prices for the Mac Pro 'Quad Core' 3.7 (Late 2013) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
Mexico: | MXN $49,999 | United States: | US$2999 |
Original Prices - Europe
Denmark: | DKK 23,499 | Finland: | €3099 |
Ireland: | €3099 | Italy: | €3049 |
Norway: | NOK 25.990 | Portugal: | €3099 |
Switzerland: | CHF 3'399 | United Kingdom: | £2499 |
Original Prices - Asia
India: | Rs 229,900 | Indonesia: | Rp 38,999,000 |
Malaysia: | RM 9,699 | The Philippines: | PHP 155,990 |
Thailand: | THB 99,900 | Vietnam: | VND 71,999,000 |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the Mac Pro models follow.
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Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Back in June, when Apple gave us a preview of the new Mac Pro, the company said it would ship “later this year.” Here we are, just a few days shy of 2014, and the new Mac Pro has arrived. Apple calls it the Mac Pro (Late 2013); a snarky reviewer might call it the Mac Pro (Almost 2014). Whatever you call it, it’s the company’s new flagship computer—its halo car, if you will—and we’ve been putting it through its paces. Does it live up to its name as a professional’s Mac?
The short answer is, “It depends.” When the new Mac Pro was announced this past summer, the initial reactions were, to put it mildly, polarized. Some people thought the new computer was a brilliant design that embraced current trends in high-end computing. Others thought it was a slap in the face of “real” pro users. Both sides can make a good case: Depending on your particular uses and needs, the new Mac Pro may be exactly what you want (a state-of-the-art, multi-core-processor, workstation-GPU computer that doesn’t waste space and resources on expandability you may never use), or nothing like what you need (a workhorse tower with tons of bays and slots for expansion).
Thanks to its diminutive profile and attractive design, the Mac Pro is clearly meant to be a computer for your desk, rather than something you hide under your desk
I’m not here to tell you which view is right or wrong, because real people with real jobs and real needs hold each. The best I can do is tell you what the new Mac Pro is, what it does, and how well it does those things. You’ll have to decide if Apple’s new approach is right for you.
Small and Space Gray
If you’re reading this, chances are you know all about the new Mac Pro’s design, but here’s a refresher. Apple has done away with the massive enclosure of the 2012-and-earlier Mac Pro: The new Mac Pro is instead a small cylinder with a beautiful, unibody exterior made from a single block of aluminum. As we noted in our first impressions, while Apple’s PR videos and images make the new Mac Pro look like a dark, metallic gray—almost black—it’s really closer in color to the new Space Gray finish of Apple’s current iPhone and iPad models. It even looks somewhat silvery in bright light.
The cylinder is just 9.9 inches tall and just 6.6 inches in diameter. Apple says the new model is about 1/8 the size of the 2012 Mac Pro, but that number doesn’t really hit home until you see the new Mac Pro sitting next to one of its predecessors, or next to something else that gives you some size perspective.
It truly is a tiny computer given its capabilities. Apple achieved this size reduction in part by doing away with many things professional-level computers have traditionally reserved internal space for: multiple bays for hard drives, multiple slots for graphics and expansion cards, and space for an optical-drive (or two). Instead, the 2013 Mac Pro offers most of its expansion options on the outside: Turn the cylinder around, and you’ll find a compact panel that hosts a slew of ports and connectors: four USB 3.0 ports, six Thunderbolt 2 ports (two each on three independent controllers), two gigabit ethernet ports, an HDMI 1.4 (audio+video) port, a 1/8-inch analog/optical-digital line-out jack, and a 1/8-inch headphone/headset jack.
But Apple also reduced the Mac Pro’s size with some clever engineering. Traditionally, each heat-producing component in a desktop computer—CPU(s), graphics chips, memory, and so on—has had its own heat sink, and sometimes even its own fan. Fitting all these components into a case, and creating good airflows to make sure each can adequately cool, requires a relatively large enclosure. It’s also an inefficient use of materials, because each heat sink is only cooling its respective component(s) part of the time.
Of course, not having traditional hard drives, PCI expansion cards, honkin’-big PCI-card GPUs (graphics processing units—a.k.a., “video cards”), and the like inside does wonders for internal temperatures. But the new Mac Pro also incorporates what Apple calls a unified thermal core. This is essentially a large, triangular, extruded-aluminum frame in the middle of the new Mac Pro that acts as both the structure for the computer and a central heat sink. The inside of the triangle looks like a traditional heat sink, with thin slats to increase surface area. Coupled directly to each of the three sides of the triangle are, respectively, the Mac Pro’s CPU and each of its two GPUs. The result is a single heat sink that services the entire computer. Apple says the design allows the components to share the core’s thermal efficiency, as it pulls heat away from each of those components and distributes it evenly across the core. Even when working hard, the outside of the Mac Pro’s aluminum case feels only warm, not hot—it won’t heat your office like older models.
The new Mac Pro also contains only a single fan. Located just below the top of the cylinder, this fan sucks air up from vents at the bottom of the computer, and over the thermal core to cool it, and then pushes the now-warm air out the ring at the top of the enclosure. Instead of the wind-tunnel-like noise levels you’d sometimes hear with previous Mac Pro models, the 2013 Mac Pro’s fan is generally very quiet. In fact, in normal use, it’s nearly silent: If you put your ear next to the vent on the top, you hear only a quiet hum. (Apple told us the computer produces only about 12dB of noise at idle, and roughly 17dB under load.) In my quiet office, I couldn’t hear the Mac Pro’s fan over the noise of my 2010 iMac, even when live-rendering some effects on 4K video in Final Cut Pro X. That’s not to say you’ll never hear the fan, but you should expect a much quieter experience than with previous models.
Combine all that technology with the Mac Pro’s compact size, and you get a surprisingly dense computer: While it’s one-eighth the size of the 2012 Mac Pro, it’s over one-fourth the weight. Pick it up by its handle—the rim around the fan exhaust ring on top—and it feels heavy and solid. But thanks to its diminutive profile and attractive design, this is clearly meant to be a computer for your desk, rather than something you hide under your desk.
Pricing and configurations
Apple sells two stock configurations of the 2013 Mac Pro, each running OS X 10.9 Mavericks. One, the $2999 model, uses a 3.7GHz quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor with 10MB of level 3 cache and includes 12GB of 1866MHz DDR ECC memory (RAM), dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics processors (each with 2GB of GDDR5 video RAM), and 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. The other, the $3999 model, uses a 3.5GHz six-core Intel Xeon E5 processor with 12MB of level 3 cache, plus 16GB of RAM, dual AMD FirePro D500 graphics processors (each with 3GB of VRAM), and the same 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. Each model also includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi (compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, and a built-in speaker; you also get copies of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, along with the standard OS X apps.
Apple offers a slew of configure-to-order (CTO) options for each. For starters, you can upgrade the $2999 Mac Pro to match the $3999 model’s processor ($500), RAM ($100), or GPUs ($400)—do all three, and you’ve got the $3999 model. (The $3999 Mac Pro is simply the $2999 model with standard upgrades.) But you can keep going: Another $1500 gets you a 3.0GHz, 8-core CPU with 25MB of L3 cache, and another $1500 beyond that gets you a 2.7GHz, 12-core CPU with 30MB of L3 cache.
On either model, once you get to 16GB of RAM, another $400 bumps you up to 32GB, and an additional $800 takes you to 64GB. A $300 premium gets you 512GB of PCIe-based flash storage; tack on another $500 and you get 1TB. Finally, a $600 premium over the dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs gets you dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs (each with 6GB of VRAM). Neither model includes a display, keyboard, or any other input device.
If this all sounds a bit confusing, think of it this way: Apple essentially offers a base Mac Pro model for $2999, along with options for upgrading its processor, GPUs, RAM, and flash storage. (If you’re curious, a maxed-out 2013 Mac Pro, complete with a 12-core processor, 64GB of RAM, 1TB of flash storage, and dual FirePro D700 GPUs, will set you back a cool $9599.)
Of course, if you’ve got an older Mac Pro with lots of PCI cards, hard drives, and other upgrades, you’ll need to factor in the price of the various adapters, enclosures, and PCI chassis needed to integrate those components into your new Mac Pro system, or the cost to replace those products—if it’s actually necessary—with newer ones that are compatible with the Mac Pro.
The new Mac Pro was available for order in the wee hours of the morning of December 19. Apple told Macworld that the earliest orders were actually shipped out later that day, but by breakfast time here on the West Coast, shoppers were seeing shipping estimates of February 2014.
Multi-core is where it’s at
When we review a new Mac, we prefer to review the base model(s), and then we purchase one or more CTO models for benchmarking purposes. However, the Mac Pro Apple loaned us for review was a CTO model with a 3.0GHz, 8-core Xeon E5 processor; 32GB of RAM; dual D700 GPUs; and 512GB of flash storage. (The cost, if configured on Apple’s online store, would be $6799.) And because new orders aren’t shipping until February, and Apple retail stores don’t have Mac Pros in stock, we haven’t yet been able to purchase either of the base models. We’ll test those models as soon as we can get them.
We published our first benchmarks of our review model, and the results were in some ways surprising: The eight-core 2013 Mac Pro was only 8 percent faster in our Speedmark 9 benchmark suite than a CTO 2013 iMac maxed out with a quad-core 3.5GHz Core i7 processor, a 3TB Fusion Drive, 8GB of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M graphics (a $2699 configuration). In the individual tests that make up our Speedmark benchmark, the iMac actually beat the new Mac Pro in a Finder test, the iMovie test, the iTunes test, the Aperture test, the Parallels test, and the Cinebench OpenGL test. It also beat the Mac Pro in GeekBench 3’s single-core benchmark.
Speedmark 9 scores
Mac model | Speedmark 9 Score |
---|---|
Mac Pro 8-Core/3.0GHz (Late 2013) | 350 |
Mac Pro 12-core/2.4GHz (Mid 2012) | 196 |
Mac Pro quad-core/3.2GHz (Mid 2012) | 171 |
27-inch iMac quad-core/3.5GHz CTO (Late 2013) | 326 |
15-inch Retina MacBook Pro quad-core/2.3GHz (Late 2013) | 282 |
Results are scores. Higher results are better. Best score in bold. Reference models in italics.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith and Albert Filice
However, the new Mac Pro handily beat the iMac—and every other Mac we’ve ever tested—in our Final Cut Pro X test, the iPhoto test, the HandBrake test, the Photoshop tests, the Cinebench CPU test, the Mathematica test, and several graphics-engine tests. It also crushed most other Macs in GeekBench 3’s multi-core benchmark.
The Mac Pro’s Final Cut Pro X performance was especially impressive, as it finished our rendering test in half the time of the next-fastest Mac, and about a quarter of the time it took on two 2012 Mac Pros (a quad-core and a dual six-core). An Apple demonstration to Macworld staff was likewise striking, as it involved Final Cut Pro X displaying 16 different angles of 4K Multicam video simultaneously, while live-rendering 4K video with multiple, complex effects applied. This demo was, of course, designed to show the Mac Pro in the best light, but it’s a demo few computers could do at all. Similarly, the user-run Final Cut Pro X site fcp.com published its initial tests based on a Mac Pro similar to ours. In one test, the site put a Red Raw 4K clip in a 4K project and added 18 effects; the clip rendered and played in real time without dropping frames.
The disparate results of our individual tests reflect my real-world experiences with the new Mac Pro. When performing basic computing tasks, such as working in the Finder, surfing the Web, working with iTunes, and the like, the new Mac Pro of course felt a good deal faster than the heavily upgraded 2010 iMac in my office, but not necessarily $4000 and three years faster. But when I started playing with filters on high-res video in Final Cut Pro X, and transcoding video using HandBrake, the new Mac Pro showed just how much more powerful it really is. For example, it took just over 12 minutes for HandBrake to convert a two-hour movie from a ripped .dvdmedia package to an H.264 file, and this was while the computer was downloading and installing about 1.5GB worth of software updates and I was browsing the Web. On my 2.93HGz Core i7 iMac with Fusion Drive, the same conversion took roughly 40 minutes.
We also ran the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on the Mac Pro to see what kind of I/O performance the PCIe-based flash storage provides. The utility showed write speeds of 952.8 MBps and read speeds of 920.5 MBps—both impressive numbers, though similar to what we’ve seen on Apple’s latest Retina-display MacBook Pro, which also uses PCIe flash storage.
Performance explained
You might find our overall results confusing, but in many ways they confirm what we’ve found with other Macs in recent years: When it comes to apps and tasks that can take advantage of multiple processor cores, GHz matters, but multi-core matters just as much—or more. For apps and tasks that don’t benefit from multiple cores, the processor’s clock speed becomes more important. Thus, a 3.5GHz quad-core iMac beats a 3.0GHz eight-core Mac Pro at things like Finder and iTunes tasks; the Mac Pro, on the other hand, easily bests the iMac in Final Cut Pro X, HandBrake, Mathematica, and Photoshop.
Indeed, if you look at Apple’s webpage on performance, the company touts the new Mac Pro for video editing, 3-D modeling and animation, photography, design and layout, audio production, and science—all areas of computing where multi-core processors and/or high-end, high-resolution displays are key.
(It’s also worth noting that the non-Xeon processors in current and recent MacBook and iMac models incorporate Intel’s QuickSync technology, which is specifically designed to accelerate the transcoding of video; the Xeon processors in the Mac Pro lack this feature. iMovie takes advantage of QuickSync, which explains why a maxed-out 2013 iMac bested the Mac Pro in our benchmarks. The iMovie test in turn boosted the iMac’s overall Speedmark score relative to the Mac Pro: If the 2013 Mac Pro had scored even identically to the souped-up 2013 iMac in the iMovie test, the Mac Pro’s Speedmark score would have jumped from 312 to 342, besting the iMac overall by 54 points, rather than 24.)
Like previous Mac Pro models, the new Mac Pro should also offer performance advantages (compared to Apple’s other computers) in an area that our Speedmark scores don’t really show: sustained peak performance. Intel’s current processors, including the Xeon processors used in the Mac Pro and the i5 and i7 processors used in Apple’s other computers, have a feature called Turbo Boost. When more computing performance is needed, Turbo Boost can increase the processor’s clock frequency (up to a particular speed that’s determined by both the processor itself and its number of cores). However, Turbo Boost is limited: The processor can ramp up its performance only as long as the CPU stays below particular temperature, power-consumption, and current-consumption limits.
In desktop and laptop computers, it’s generally the TDP (thermal design power)—the highest amount of heat the processor is allowed to generate before performance is restricted—that’s the limiting factor for Turbo Boost. As noted by Marco Arment, the Xeon processors used in the 2013 Mac Pro have a TDP of 130W, while the TDP of the i5 and i7 processors used in Apple’s MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac lines have TDPs ranging from 15W to 84W. In addition, the Mac Pro’s unified thermal core provides much more cooling capacity than the tiny heat sinks and small fans found in Apple’s other computers. Combine these capabilities, and the Mac Pro can boost its processor cores for much longer periods. The result should be significantly better sustained maximum performance for the Mac Pro, even if, say, a 3.7GHz i7 iMac can best the Mac Pro in short, single-core tasks.
TDP also explains why, when choosing processor options for the Mac Pro, clock speeds go down as the number of cores go up: The 12-core Xeon processor used in the Mac Pro has the same TDP as the 4-core version, so the base clock speed must be lower for the 12-core CPU.
What does this mean for you? A couple of things. First, even if you’re shopping for performance, unless you regularly use software that either takes advantage of multiple cores or subjects your Mac’s processor to sustained heavy loads (or both), you’re probably better off with an iMac or a MacBook Pro. These computers offer competitive single-core performance, often at higher base clock speeds; they’re even competitive at particular nonsustained multi-core tasks. Second, even if you do need a high-end, multi-core processor, you’ll want to consider how frequently you need the full multi-core capability. Unless you will regularly be tasking all the cores of a 12-core processor, you’ll be better off with fewer cores running at a higher base clock speed.
In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be performing additional performance testing, both with this particular Mac Pro configuration and with other Mac Pro models as we get them.
Apple Mac Pro 2013 Manual Download
Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Pros
- Impressive multi-core performance
- Dual workstation-class GPUs
- Fast internal storage
- Plenty of external-expansion options
- Compact, attractive design
- Quiet and relatively cool
- Many internal components upgradeable
Cons
- Single-core performance not substantially better (and sometimes worse) than that of other current Macs
- No internal expansion options
- Higher-end configurations quickly get expensive