Mac Pro 8-Core AC Power Requirements

I am in the US (120 VAC) and am wondering if anyone has more details concerning the amperage usage on these units. Apple tech specs show only a MAXIMUM of 12 amps when running in the Low range (120 VAC). I am assuming that the maximum of 12A is during startup draw and possibly under heavy load conditions. But, is there a "normal" draw?
The reason I am asking is that in the next 60 days, I will be replacing 18 PPC G5 units with the MP 8-Core units, and there will be a period of time that I will be required to run both units (due to software and workflow issues).
In most newer wiring scenarios, the breakers are rated for either 20 or 25 amps, and will trip at an 80% load.
I've got LCD's (minimal amp requirements), so I'm trying to determine how many units per circuit I can have running without tripping breakers.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Chris

I have an 8-core (Nehalem) Mac Pro with 14 GB of RAM and two internal drives. The measurements cited here are observed on the information display of an APC Back-UPS XS 1500 that has an additional 20" Apple Cinema Display plugged into the (measured) backed-up outlets of the UPS.
This Mac has a second display but it is not connected to the backed-up outlet of the UPS and therefore not measured, but there could be extra power draw by the GPU because of it.
The measurements are taken with the line voltage at about 119 volts RMS.
When booting, there is a large instantaneous in-rush that showed over 400 watts, but it is just for the blink of an eye, so I wouldn't trust what the XS-1500 tells me. The in-rush current is non-trivial, though. I had to change to the XS-1500 UPS because an RS-900 UPS that I had earlier used with a dual core G5 PowerMac, which this MacPro replaced, did not have enough capacity to allow this Mac Pro to boot.
During booting, the peak power draw is about 205 watts. The XS-1500 may not see spikes in the power draw, so the actual peaks may be a bit higher than 205 watts.
After booting and when idle (no active apps), the power draw is about 170 watts.
When put to sleep, the Mac Pro and the display together runs about 14 watts.
I have written a (antenna design) program that uses Grand Central Dispatch and it can push Activity Monitor past 800% (I have seen it go up to 1200% on this mere 8 core machine, so I am not sure how much you can trust Activity Monitor either). In that condition, the power draw is 270 watts.
All in all, the Mac Pro is quite power efficient, but you may want to stagger the booting of your 18 machines just in case the in-rush is too great.
That being said, there is an unresolved bug as of 10.6.2 (you can find it in a different Mac Pro thread here) that causes power consumption to bump up to 240 watts (on my machine) whenever Core Audio is actively running. This jump in power occurs even when you play music in iTunes and occurs even when I use a couple of external USB or FireWire Sound Cards that I have (including the Griffin RadioShark and an external USB speaker). A couple of apps that I have written uses Core Audio -- and I can tell that the jump in power happens the instant you start causing Core Audio to issue callbacks.
Kok Chen

Similar Messages

Fileshare between my Mac Pro Quad Core Intel Xeon (64-bit) & Power Mac 9600

I want to make my Power Macintosh 9600/233 (Mac OS 9) a shared computer with my Mac Pro Quad Core Intel Xeon (64-bit)(Mac OS 10.6.6). I am using a Netopia Model 3346N-VGx DSL Ethernet Managed Switch to network with my Samsung printer and the Mac Book Pro.
I also have a Power PC G4 (Mac OS 10.5.8) connected (via a Ziplinq 48" Retractable Crossover Network Cable) to a Farallon EtherWave 10 Base-T AAUI Transceiver, which in turn is connected to the Netopia, from which I can share files. All of this is ethernet connectivity.
I thought I could connect my 9600 using the same method as for the G4 or by connecting the ethernet cable from the 9600 directly into the Mac Pro Quad Core. However, neither of these methods work.
An additional stumbling block is that I have not used this 9600 for several years and am not sure of its account name. I'm fairly certain of its password. But because I don't have a second monitor for this machine, I can't muddle my way in.
My questions:
1. What might be a network solution to this dilemma?
2. Or, do I need to get another monitor for this computer and leave it un-networked and just transfer files manually?
3. Or, would whatever hard drives are in the 9600 be transferable into the networked G4 or the main Mac Pro? (not sure what they are.)
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Oh man, what a dilemma...
1. What might be a network solution to this dilemma?
Without a monitor on the 9600, almost none. At the very least you'll need to configure the server with appropriate network settings for your environment, and that can't be done headless.
You might only need a display for long enough to setup the network, but you'll need one all the same.
Once the network is configured your options are either AFP or FTP, but I'm not even sure the old version of AFP is supported anymore, which means you may need to fire up an FTP client on the 9600 and push the files to your MacPro.
2. Or, do I need to get another monitor for this computer and leave it un-networked and just transfer files manually?
As mentioned above, you're going to need a monitor at the very least to configure the network settings. I'd be inclined to say at that point you might as well copy the files off any way you can and put the 9600 to rest. If you're really, really fortunate and the 9600 has a CD burner I'd probably use that and count myself lucky
3. Or, would whatever hard drives are in the 9600 be transferable into the networked G4 or the main Mac Pro? (not sure what they are.)
The 9600 shipped with SCSI drives, which no current Mac support (at least without a SCSI card), so there's no way to remove the drive from the 9600 and attach it directly to the MacPro.

Error message on my Mac Pro Quad Core Dual

Hello..I'm hoping someone out there can help or advise me.
I turned on my mac this morning to find it's normal loading screen of grey with the darker grey logo in centre..all normal at this stage. This was followed by a wipe from top to bottom making the background grey a little darker and in the centre the apple logo was replaced by what appeared to be a semi transparent power button symbol with the words. "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the restart button"
I have tried this several times to no avail I have also zapped the P RAM again nothing. Can anyone out there help. I have a Mac Pro Quad Core Dual which is only a few months old and is up to date with its system software.
I could be so grateful of any assistance.
Warm regards
Sophia

Make an appointment. But in the meantime...
So from cold boot, you can't do the Command Option P R through 2-3 full reboot cycles (don't let up)?
Unplug everything and let it sit overnight without power cord or anything. That is the only way to rest the SMC system management controller on the 2008 model, the older model still had a reset button.
Also learned that the 2008 Macs can all boot AHT if the original OEM installer was used to install the system and the drive has not be completely reformatted and retail OS X used, just holding down "D" on startup. But you have to
Also, pull all your hard drives. Rule out that, which I have seen a hard drive cause panic on startup, which required disabling journaling and other repairs from Disk Utility and deleting caches, then repair, and finally do Safe Boot (shift key down on startup).
The only way to test RAM is with TechTool Deluxe or Pro; with Memtest or Rember; and to test some devices is to try using a differnent one, keyboard and mouse included if you have any.
Last hope: open case, look inside, take the two RAM Riser cards and pull out, check the DIMMs are fully seated.
If you have 3rd party memory, remove that (would need to before taking in probably).
Might want to put RAM back to way it shipped with 2 x 1GB and one DIMM on each Riser in slot one. Maybe that will wake this sleeping giant. Changing RAM config use to be one way to clear nvram in the distant past in the time of Arthur.
PS: it is "odd" to find a BTO 3.2GHz system, and only 2GB. For memory performance, Barefeats found a marked improvement with 8 DIMMs, and of course Mac Pro really needs memory to feed 8 cores and pro apps (2GB would be okay for web and email type use only).

Mac pro 12 core or a top spec iMac?

Hi all,
Im after a little advice...
Ok so ive been using a mac since the start of this year, i started out with a top spec mac mini, which i love but i now need more power.
So after looking at apple computers constantly im stuck for whats gonna be best for my needs and the decision comes down to 2 computers, the iMac or Mac Pro.
What i want is a computer i can game with for games such as skyrim, borderlands, battlefield 3, starcraft 2 etc and run them at the highest graphic settings with no problems, on top of this i will be doing graphic design, web design and some video editing using adobe software and ofcourse apple software, besides that i will be using it to watch movies, play music, browse and download/upload etc as an everyday person would.
IMac
So i was first looking at the top spec iMac you can buy, has the quad i7 3.4 processor with 2gig graphics and plenty of ram, and enough hd room for me too, not to mention it looks gorgeous with the apple display, the only dissapointment is that they havnt updated it as i hoped they woukld along side the MacBook Pro, which forces me to wait for the next update if i do decide to purchase one.
Is the current spec good enough to play my games and create my graphics etc? If it is then i should have no problems with the next updated iMacs.
Mac Pro
After reading a few reviews about the iMac and Mac Pro it seems that those xeon processors are beastly compared to the iMac, so ive focused my viewing onto the Mac Pro 12 core, and with the same requirements that i need above, is the 12 core beast a little OP for me? and not to mention i sacrifice having thunderbolt and a sweet display, and if an update is heading to the iMac i could miss out on a retina display along with USB 3 and more.
But on the other hand i can upgrade a Mac Pro alot easier if i need to, and it will be massive power compared to the iMac, plus it would be more futureproof wouldnt it? Is trhe current Mac Pro 12 core spec good enough for my requirements? (im asking that question based more on gaming)
So right now im stuck, what would you suggest? Do i get a powerful monster of a computer or a pretty machine with all the latest tricks( after an update ofcourse )?
Help me out folks, im soo itching to get one or the other.
I appreciate all your help, Thanks!
Carl

Wayne said it right, "future upgradeability" is key. I saw myself witht he same dilema and at the end bought a 12 core. The Quad core might run some tasks faster than the 12 core for the fact that is 3.33GHz and the 12 is 2.4GHz, but it you can keep upgading the RAM up to 64Gig, the Quad up to 32, plus the cache is double, I'm quite happy with my purchase. If you don't want to spend that much, to some the best choice is order the quad with a 6 core chip, a hair over 3K.
Tower Power!

Mac Pro 8 core with boot drive cloned from MacBook Pro

I bought a Mac Pro 8 core and in order to avoid having to reinstall all my stuff, I cloned my OSx (tiger 10.49) partition from my MacBook Pro running vista (installed via bootcamp) to my new MacPro's startup disk. The disk works fine except that the MacPro will not boot to osx unless I use the option key and choose the OSX partition. If i just turn the machine on it doesen't find anything. I think it is looking for windows. What do you think?????
Also, if i restart from the os x partition on my mac pro it stops just before the lound bong sound and seems to be looking for the dvd drive. Any ideas??

Well, I've covered this extensively here:
A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs
If you are migrating a PowerPC system (G3, G4, or G5) to an Intel-Mac be careful what you migrate. Keep in mind that some items that may get transferred will not work on Intel machines and may end up causing your computer's operating system to malfunction.
Rosetta supports "software that runs on the PowerPC G3 or G4 processor that are built for Mac OS X". This excludes the items that are not universal binaries or simply will not work in Rosetta:
Classic Environment, and subsequently any Mac OS 9 or earlier applications
Screensavers written for the PowerPC
System Preference add-ons
All Unsanity Haxies
Browser and other plug-ins
Contextual Menu Items
Applications which specifically require the PowerPC G5
Kernel extensions
Java applications with JNI (PowerPC) libraries
See also What Can Be Translated by Rosetta.
In addition to the above you could also have problems with migrated cache files and/or cache files containing code that is incompatible.
If you migrate a user folder that contains any of these items, you may find that your Intel-Mac is malfunctioning. It would be wise to take care when migrating your systems from a PowerPC platform to an Intel-Mac platform to assure that you do not migrate these incompatible items.
If you have problems with applications not working, then completely uninstall said application and reinstall it from scratch. Take great care with Java applications and Java-based Peer-to-Peer applications. Many Java apps will not work on Intel-Macs as they are currently compiled. As of this time Limewire, Cabos, and Acquisition are available as universal binaries. Do not install browser plug-ins such as Flash or Shockwave from downloaded installers unless they are universal binaries. The version of OS X installed on your Intel-Mac comes with special compatible versions of Flash and Shockwave plug-ins for use with your browser.
The same problem will exist for any hardware drivers such as mouse software unless the drivers have been compiled as universal binaries. For third-party mice the current choices are USB Overdrive or SteerMouse. Contact the developer or manufacturer of your third-party mouse software to find out when a universal binary version will be available.
Also be careful with some backup utilities and third-party disk repair utilities. Disk Warrior (does not work), TechTool Pro (pre-4.5.1 versions do not work), SuperDuper (newest release works), and Drive Genius (untested) may not work properly on Intel-Macs. The same caution may apply to the many "maintenance" utilities that have not yet been converted to universal binaries.
Before migrating or installing software on your Intel-Mac check MacFixit's Rosetta Compatibility Index.
Additional links that will be helpful to new Intel-Mac users:
Intel In Macs
Apple Guide to Universal Applications
MacInTouch List of Compatible Universal Binaries
MacInTouch List of Rosetta Compatible Applications
MacUpdate List of Intel-Compatible Software
Transferring data with Setup Assistant - Migration Assistant FAQ
Because Migration Assistant isn't the ideal way to migrate from PowerPC to Intel Macs, using Target Disk Mode or copying the critical contents to CD and DVD or an external hard drive will work better when moving from PowerPC to Intel Macs.
Basically the instructions you should follow are:
1. Backup your data first. This is vitally important in case you make a mistake or there's some other problem.
2. Connect a Firewire cable between your old Mac and your new Intel Mac.
3. Startup your old Mac in Target Disk Mode.
4. Startup your new Mac for the first time, go through the setup and registration screens, but do NOT migrate data over. Get to your desktop on the new Mac without migrating any new data over.
4. Copy the following items from your old Mac to the new Mac:
In your /Home/ folder: Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites folders.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist (* This is a very important file which contains all email account settings and general mail preferences.)
/Home/Library/Preferences/ copy any preferences needed for third-party applications
/Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
/Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data
Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft
Credit goes to another forum user for this information.
If you need to transfer data for other applications please ask the vendor or ask in the Discussions where specific applications store their data.
5. Once you have transferred what you need restart the new Mac and test to make sure the contents are there for each of the applications.
Written by Kappy with additional contributions from a brody.
Not knowing what you did when you migrated from your PB to the MBP, I can't really comment, but it's quite possible it didn't go as well as you think. Numerous users who migrated from PPC Macs to Intel Macs ended up with an Intel Mac that didn't work properly because Intel coded components had been replaced by PPC coded components.

IMac 27" or Mac Pro Quad-Core?

Hello all,
I understand that this topic has been covered before although I am still unsure and I am looking for some help please!
I am currently looking into purchasing a new computer to complete my architectural post-graduate degree. I currently use a PC, which I have done so for many years and initially I was thinking about buying a customisable Dell XPS sticking to using PC’s. Having recently been sent an email from Apple regarding student discounts offered on the Mac range I thought I'd look into getting an Apple having heard nothing but praise and also that it can also run Windows XP (via ‘Bootcamp’). This would mean I would effectively get 2 “computers” for the price of one, however, after hours of research, scrolling through web pages I am torn between the Mac Pro Quad-Core and the iMac 27” (Intel i7) !
I mainly use Microstation V8/AutoCAD, Maxwell Render, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign, SketchUp, etc, and require a computer which can run programs quickly and efficiently, including some rendering. I will be switching between both operating systems, but will heavily use Windows to run most of my software.
I was first hooked onto the iMac due to its sheer simplicity, elegance and also the specification (Intel i7) which was on par with the Dell I was considering. Although reading deeper on various forums, articles, I found that the Mac Pro Quad-Core might be a better alternative for future proofing (IE. Upgradable hardware) but it costs a little bit more than the iMac plus no monitor included. I feel that the iMac will suffice for what I need but I am not sure how about its longevity. I will be using the computer intensely for the next year, however, after I graduate I will see the computer being used casually.
Another question is, if I were to use Bootcamp how would I share drivers (printers and scanners) between both Windows & Mac OSX? Also, when running Windows OS, would I need to install anti-virus software just like a PC?
I am wondering if anybody could shed some light, assistance, experience and guidance to help me with my purchase please.
Many thanks in advance!

I would say a lot of it depends on just how extensively you expect to be using it after you graduate. Either system should carry you through a single year easily, but the Mac Pro obviously has the expandability advantage that will help extend the tail of its useful life.
IMO, a reasonable expectation for an iMac is 2-3 years, while a Mac Pro is 3-4 for the quad core, 4-5 for the 2x4-core, and if you're buying one of those 12-core systems, odds are you're doing some serious number crunching and you'll be replacing the thing pretty quickly.
So, if you think there's a better than 50% chance of needing to keep this computer for a longer than 2-3 years, go for the Mac Pro, otherwise you can get the iMac now and see where life has taken you in 2-3 years.
As for bootcamp... Think of it like dual booting on a PC. Bootcamp does NOT allow you to run both operating systems at the same time, it's one or the other. Think of it like a time share. Programs like VMWare and Parallels let you run Windows in a virtual machine, but odds are you won't want the performance hit the emulation brings with it. So, there's no need to share drivers, because you'll need to install drivers for all hardware on both operating systems. You'll just need to make sure that any hardware you buy will work with both Mac OS X and Windows. When you're running Windows, it's no different from as if you had bought the Dell you were contemplating. Everything you would have done on the Dell as far as security software, you should do on the Mac with bootcamp. Mac OS X doesn't necessarily need AV software (yet), but Windows absolutely does.

FCS2 - Mac Pro 4-Core or 8-Core

Been reading both the FCP forum and the MacPro forum and still not unsure which way to go.
I'm an avid Avid user (sorry about that) for many years and now making the switch to FCS2. My confusion lies in which configuration to get to best maximize FCS2-- Mac Pro 4-core with maximum RAM or Mac Pro 8-core with 6 or 8 GB RAM? The machine will be used 90% for FCS 2 so that's the main decision-making factor here.
Been reading articles about bottlenecks that make having 8-cores benign, but I find them hard to believe. Either way, the cost is about the same (the $$ saved buying the 4-core would be spent on more RAM).
Thanks for your time and advice.

If you become a "power user" i.e. running more than one app at a time all the time.... The 8 processor machine will be faster than the quad... if not, they'll be similar in speed.
See: http://www.barefeats.com Rob there comes up with much the same conclusion. There are certain apps though that really shine on the octo... AE for example... and Certainly Compressor 3... big time...
I'd go with the faster machine figuring Leopard will make a big difference in the way it handles mulitple processor machines.
Jerry

Adding new hard drive to Mac Pro (quad core)

I've just ordered a new Mac Pro quad core (2.66 GHz) with one GB HD. Since Apple is charging £240 for a second drive I decided to get it from somewhere else. I found a 1GB Western Digital Caviar Green but I also noticed 1GB WD Caviar Black. I wonder if anybody has any experience of those drives and would they work with the latest Mac Pro ?
Does anybody knows what make of drive is Apple using in their latest Mac Pros ?
Tom

*WD Caviar Black 640GB*
HD Tune: WDC WD6401AALS-00L3B2 Benchmark
Transfer Rate Minimum : 59.1 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 118.1 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 96.4 MB/sec
Access Time : 11.8 ms
Burst Rate : 125.3 MB/sec
*Black Caviar 1TB:*
HD Tune: WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B Benchmark
Transfer Rate Minimum : 53.9 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 108.7 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 86.1 MB/sec
Access Time : 12.9 ms
Burst Rate : 111.5 MB/sec
+(note the slower average to the smaller 640GB model)+
*Green Power 1TB*
HD Tune: WDC WD10EADS-00L5B1 Benchmark
12-23-2008
Transfer Rate Minimum : 41.6 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 95.6 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 74.3 MB/sec
Access Time : 14.0 ms
Burst Rate : 117.2 MB/sec
*WD Caviar Blue 640GB*
HD Tune: WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B Benchmark
Transfer Rate Minimum : 55.6 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 113.3 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 90.2 MB/sec
Access Time : 11.8 ms
Burst Rate : 112.9 MB/sec
the 32MB cache did not make a real or noticeable difference in benchmarks
http://www.barefeats.com/hard112.html

Opinions, Mac pro 12 core or 6 core for video editing?

Hello everyone,
I know that this a most likely a rhetorical question but i currently have a mac pro 12 core 2.4ghz 12 gigs of ram (plan on upgrading to 32 gigs) and a 6 core 3.33ghz 12 gigs of ram. I do a lot of video editing (starting to use Final cut pro X) and i do a lot of visual effects work in Adobe after effects and 3D animaton work in cinema 4d. I am only keeping one of the computers.. what are your guys thoughts? Should i keep the 12 core even tough it has a lower clock speed, or should i keep the 6 core since it has a higher clock speed? I dont mean to ask such a dumb question but i want to hear what your guys thoughts are.
Thanks in advance!

After Effects: http://www.barefeats.com/aecs6.html
If you rely on cpu alone, it may look like it is working, or lagging, or wating, but with the combined power of GPGPU can make all the difference.
Communicating over Quick-Path is okay but Intel knows that they need to up the GT and L3 cache to improve it more. ie, there are times when two 6-core Mac Pros are faster than one 12-core, given the same GHz.
the real reason people bought dual with lower clock was hoping it would do more work, but when you have 3.33GHz a lot of work that cann't be dispatched and is not multi-thread or multicore all benefit.
W3680s are relatively cheap @ $600, you will not find X5600 sets unless you can make your system pay for whatever you throw at it and do so in a year to write it off and pay for doing more projects and more income.
This guy goes kind of crazy with custom setup 12-core 3.33s, 960GB SSD PCIe and 96GB RAM.
More RAM helps some areas but not rendering. So find the bottlenecks or throw everything at the problem and hope.
$1660 a piece X5680 - $1470 on Amazon
http://ark.intel.com/products/47916/Intel-Xeon-Processor-X5680-(12M-Cache-3_33-G Hz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI)
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-X5680-Processor-Socket-LGA1366/dp/B003ELYSJQ/
Only if you shop ebay for used parts, and by then whatever Intel and Apple agree on next go round new is a better system solution most of the time than to throw $3000 into an older system. $3k would be another 6-core 3.33 if that helps.

Fully Buffered RAM for Mac Pro 8 Core or will non buffered do?

Hi guys,
There are a large number of questions about RAM for the macs on the forum but I can't seem to find the answer to mine any where. Do you think you could help?
Does the new Mac Pro 8 Core require it's DDR3 1066MHz ECC 240 pin DIMM to be Fully buffered or can I use something like this:
http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/79985/kingston-4gb-ddr3-1066mhz-ecc-240pin-dim m-memory-module-with-thermal-sensor?CAWELAID=298234485
since this is considerable cheaper to build up a mac to 32GB than other kits on offer. Also note that none of the kits offered by OWC and other manufacturers mention that they are Fully buffered for the money. Not even the mac store mentions it. Which only adds to my confusion?!
Many thanks in advance for the help
J

Unbuffered.
When in doubt I always look up Crucial memory configuration.
Part #: CT938460 • DDR3 PC3-8500 • CL=7
• Unbuffered • ECC • DDR3-1066 • 1.5V • 256Meg x 72 •
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=CC3E3949A5CA7304
And because no one but Apple has 4GB DIMMs, I wouldn't buy with someone else, but it might, but that begs why Micron isn't offering any.

Mac Pro 8-Core 3 GHz: Instability / DVD Superdrive / Airport problematic.

I am the new proud owner of one of the 8-Core Mac Pro machines. I have had numerous problems with it however.
1) The DVD/CD Superduper Drive: I've searched the discussions but it seems that the problem I am having may be specific to me. The drive will not read any DVD-R media that I burned. It does read CD, CD-R, DVD movies.
2) Instability: This machine seems to crash a lot. I use Combustion often and it seems to crash any time I get near the 3GB memory ceiling that I have. It also crashes whenever it doesn't find a path that no longer exists. Additionally it fails to startup whenever the iPod is plugged into a USB port. Also it sometimes won't boot up for no reason and I have power cycle the machine completely. That part is more rare.
3) Airport: I purchased the machine from a retailer other than Apple and it appears that the Airport Extreme card (M8881LL/A) does not work with this machine. Can someone explain what hardware I need to get here? Is there a part number?
So if any of you have the 8-Core Mac Pro feel free to chime in and let me know if you've had any of these experiences. Also I did put extra Edge memory (2GB) in this box. Is it possible that its instability is related to the extra RAM? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Mac Pro 8-Core 3GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) 3GB RAM/ 250GB HD/ ATI 7300 GT

Ah good point - I hadn't thought of that. Well I'm not seeing anything too specific that tells me what's causing the crashes.
I may just pull the new RAM that I installed and see if that changes things any.
Here's what I found in both the console log and the combustion crash log:
Console.Log
/p4Local/branches/xcode/oxygene/macproject/../source/route.c:120: failed assertion `!List_Empty(&op->ParentList)'
Jul 1 12:17:08 8-CORE-COMPUTER crashdump[269]: Combustion crashed
Jul 1 12:17:09 8-CORE-COMPUTER crashdump[269]: crash report written to: /Users/edeinzer/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/Combustion.crash.log
Jul 1 13:01:54 8-CORE-COMPUTER crashdump[298]: Combustion crashed
Jul 1 13:01:55 8-CORE-COMPUTER crashdump[298]: crash report written to: /Users/edeinzer/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/Combustion.crash.log
Combustion.crash.log
Host Name: 8-CORE-COMPUTER
Date/Time: 2007-07-01 12:17:06.864 -0700
OS Version: 10.4.10 (Build 8R2218)
Report Version: 4
Command: Combustion
Path: /Applications/Combustion 4/Combustion.app/Contents/MacOS/Combustion
Parent: WindowServer [57]
Version: 4.0.5.5031 (???)
PID: 259
Thread: 0
Exception: EXCBADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERNPROTECTIONFAILURE (0x0002) at 0x000007c7
Thread 0 Crashed:
0 XPLib.dylib 0x0022b227 NewActivePalette(XPWindow*, XPPalette*, long, long, long) + 319
1 XPLib.dylib 0x0022db58 DisplayPaletteXP(TagItem*) + 8008
2 Oxygene.dylib 0x01891554 OXViewPalette::Show(long) + 380
3 Footage.oxp 0x173f6c27 FootageOperator::ShowUI(OXRouteDesc*) + 387
4 Oxygene.dylib 0x01882fbd OXViewManager::SetCurrentOperator(OXRouteDesc*, ChannelHeader*) + 1217
5 Oxygene.dylib 0x01acd4cd WSListPalette::EventHandler(XPEvent*) + 439
6 XPLib.dylib 0x0031bb8c XPCPalette::RoutineCallback(XPEvent*) + 240
7 XPLib.dylib 0x0021b29c Do_Event(unsigned short, unsigned long) + 570
8 XPLib.dylib 0x002ce5bf Do_CustomEvent(XPCustomEvent*) + 333
9 XPLib.dylib 0x002e484e CustomGadMouseDown(XPWindow*, Point, EventRecord*, long) + 388
10 XPLib.dylib 0x002d5344 AppEventHandlerXP(OpaqueEventHandlerCallRef*, OpaqueEventRef*, void*) + 7502
11 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92deb537 DispatchEventToHandlers(EventTargetRec*, OpaqueEventRef*, HandlerCallRec*) + 1093
12 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92deabdc SendEventToEventTargetInternal(OpaqueEventRef*, OpaqueEventTargetRef*, HandlerCallRec*) + 304
13 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92df1fbc SendEventToEventTarget + 56
14 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92df244f ToolboxEventDispatcherHandler(OpaqueEventHandlerCallRef*, OpaqueEventRef*, void*) + 1169
15 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92deb8ee DispatchEventToHandlers(EventTargetRec*, OpaqueEventRef*, HandlerCallRec*) + 2044
16 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92deabdc SendEventToEventTargetInternal(OpaqueEventRef*, OpaqueEventTargetRef*, HandlerCallRec*) + 304
17 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92df1fbc SendEventToEventTarget + 56
18 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92e35eb3 ToolboxEventDispatcher + 81
19 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x92e348cb RunApplicationEventLoop + 165
20 XPLib.dylib 0x002cf2c0 HandleGUIXP() + 308
21 XPLib.dylib 0x003182cb XPCApplication::PumpMessages() + 11
22 XPLib.dylib 0x0031a507 XPCApplication::Run(long) + 129
23 com.autodesk.combustion 0x00003694 main + 2308
24 com.autodesk.combustion 0x0000270a _start + 228 (crt.c:272)
25 com.autodesk.combustion 0x00002625 start + 41
Thread 1:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 2:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 3:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 4:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 5:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 6:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 7:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 8:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x901101bf semaphoretimedwaittrap + 7
1 XPLib.dylib 0x00316a61 WaitSemaphoreXP(unsigned long) + 31
2 XPLib.dylib 0x00316cec TaskFunc(TaskParams*) + 48
3 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 9:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x900248c7 semaphorewait_signaltrap + 7
1 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90d1d970 MPWaitForEvent + 221
2 XPLib.dylib 0x0032b6d8 XPCEvent::WaitForMultiple(XPCEvent**, unsigned long, unsigned long) + 40
3 Oxygene.dylib 0x01a72335 OXScriptEngine::WorkProc() + 63
4 XPLib.dylib 0x0032c476 XPCThread::ThreadEntry(void*) + 60
5 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90cb8c6c PrivateMPEntryPoint + 51
6 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 10:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90009cd7 machmsgtrap + 7
1 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9082d2b3 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 2014
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9083e188 CFRunLoopRun + 60
3 com.apple.DVCPROHDMuxer 0x1747c507 AVS::DestroyAVCDeviceController(AVS::AVCDeviceController*) + 285
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 11:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90009cd7 machmsgtrap + 7
1 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9082d2b3 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 2014
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x9082cace CFRunLoopRunInMode + 61
3 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x9146841e HALRunLoop::OwnThread(void*) + 158
4 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x91468239 CAPThread::Entry(CAPThread*) + 93
5 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 12:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90047dd7 semaphoretimedwait_signaltrap + 7
1 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90ce1da9 TSWaitOnSemaphoreCommon + 163
2 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90ce8d91 TimerThread + 87
3 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 13:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90047dd7 semaphoretimedwait_signaltrap + 7
1 ...ple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 0x90ce1da9 TSWaitOnSemaphoreCommon + 163
2 ...ickTimeComponents.component 0x97f9c18a ReadSchedulerThreadEntryPoint + 4895
3 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90024227 pthreadbody + 84
Thread 0 crashed with X86 Thread State (32-bit):
eax: 0x00000000 ebx: 0x0022b0f6 ecx: 0x00000000 edx: 0x000007c7
edi: 0x17005c40 esi: 0x1cc59094 ebp: 0xbfffd048 esp: 0xbfffcff0
ss: 0x0000001f efl: 0x00010246 eip: 0x0022b227 cs: 0x00000017
ds: 0x0000001f es: 0x0000001f fs: 0x00000000 gs: 0x00000037

Mac Pro 8-core slow compression on MPEGs

My Mac Pro 8-core with 9GB of RAM is very slow compared to my G5 Dual 2.7GHz with 2.5GB on doing MPEGs... the problem only exist with MPEGs in Compressor 3 or 3.0.1. All other formats the Mac Pro gives the G5 a thrashing. I've read in here that many people have it the other way around.. that MPEGs are supposedly more multiprocessor capable.
Both with using virtual clusters (4 instances) and no virtual clusters I'm getting around 52 minutes on a DVCPRO HD 720/24p clip which is exactly 6 minutes in length. The G5 dual 2.7GHz with 2.5GB of RAM did this job in 21 minutes and 33 seconds.
On the Mac Pro I've erased my system and reinstall with just FCS2 on the system... still the same speeds. I've taken out the 2x4GB sticks.. still the same speeds. I've moved the 6 minute clip onto different volumes still the same problem. I've tried other DVCPRO HD clips.. still the same.
The problem only happens with the DVD 90-150 presets regardless of quality. Does not occur with the HD DVD presets or H.264.
Mac Pro configuration:
Mac Pro 3GHz 8 core
9GB of RAM (2x512mb, 2x4GB)
ATI Radeon X1900 XT with dual 30 inch ACDs
3TB of internal Hard Drive storage... one unraided 750GB for system files.. 3 RAID 0 for Scratch.
AJA KONA LHe capture card
Runiing Final Cut Studio 2 with compressor 3.0.1
G5 configuration:
Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz
2.5GB of RAM (2x256MB, 4x512MB)
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL with 23" ACD
250GB + 160GB internal Hard Drives.
Running final Cut Studio 2 with Compressor 3.0.1
Any help would be appreciated... I've tried everything in my technical powers to solve this one.

Made a new DVD: MPEG-2 custom setting with an average bit rate of 7.7Mbps... still slow... about 50 minutes to complete the 6 minute DVCPRO HD 720/24p clip. The compressor daemons are averaging around 60MB of Real Memory and 450MB of virtual memory. I really think this lack of memory usage is causing the problem. This only happens on the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets. Any other format is grabbing at least 200MB per daemon... including HD DVD MPEG-2 and DVD MPEG-1. I will continue to test different settings and pray for a change.
Getting all compressord (Not Responding) for each 4 instances in the virtual cluster when I run the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets. The batch monitor is still reporting progress. Real memory usage fluctuating in the 60's per daemon and around 450MB's for Virtual Memory. Compressor daemons not responding is a problem solely on the DVD 90-150 MPEG-2 presets.
No major difference in speed between CBR or VBR custom presets... memory usage still in the 60's per compressor daemon.
With Job Segmenting turned off & One Pass CBR... 20 minutes to job completion. The memory usage is around 65MB of Real Memory and 450MB of Virtual Memory. CPU activity on the one active compressor daemon is averaging around 460%.
One thing I am learning is that processor activity as reported by Activity Monitor is not a reflection of speed.
Message was edited by: Trancepriest
Message was edited by: Trancepriest

Mac Pro 8-core RAM Configuration question

I know there is a lot of questions about Ram fro Mac Pro on this site but I got a brand new Mac Pro 8-Core today, didn't buy RAM from Apple because of the obvious reason, 1GB (2x512mb) is what I have right now. I am interested in upgrading to 8GB...SO... my question is, What is the best RAM configuration for my Mac Pro? Read the list below. Keep in mind that I am a web/graphic designer so Photoshop is one of my main tools along with Aperture, DreamWeaver, Flash, Final Cut, Illustrator, etc...
My options:
2x4GB
4x2GB or...
8x1GB ???
Please advise. Thanks in advance.

2GB X 4 is best due to the combination of benefits of performance, cost, power consumption, thermal profile.
Performance: groupings of four FB-DIMM allow 256 Bit memory access
Cost: 2GB FB-DIMM are less expensive and more generally available than 4GB
Power consumption: 4 FB-DIMM use 1/2 the power of 8
Thermal Profile: fewer FB-DIMM generate less heat and allow more airflow

Slow Performance On Mac Pro 12-Core

Hello Everyone,
I just recently purchased a 2012 Mac pro 12-Core and i have been getting unbelievabley slow performance with it. I am using Premiere Pro CS6 and it seems that the footage can sometimes get a bit laggy at times and not play back smoothly, sometimes rendering can take a bit of time as well. However here are the specs of my system:
Mac Pro 12-Core 2.4GHz (2.67GHz Turbo Boost)
40GB of Ram
ATI 5770 Graphics Card
1TB scratch disk (with a user on the drive that i can boot into)
OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 SSD OS/APPS drive
First question i would like to get answered once and for all.. Did i make a bad decision by purchasing a computer with such a slow clock speed (2.4GHz)?? I figured since The new editing software is switching to 64bit it shouldn't depend on clock speed anymore? (i just want to be sure that i purchased a more than capable machine) However i will be buying a Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB SSD Drive for Scratch within the month. (I dont have the budget to buy a Raid controller yet to utilize 6GB/s transfer speeds, so 1 Fast SSD drive will have to do for now)
I should mention the current SSD drive im on right now only has 13GB remaining, would that affect performance? Also, my 1Tb media drive is filled up with CRAP from my previous computer (Migration transferred EVERYTHING to that drive, only 120GB remains) would that drive with the media im working with affect performance too? Also just as a test, i took some footage from my GoPro Hero 3 camera and put it on my SSD to see if that would eliminate the lag, but still lag was present in Premiere.. (the footage was in a crappy .M4P format, so that may have affected it, but I dont know)
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
-Thanks in Advance!

The new editing software is switching to 64bit it shouldn't depend on clock speed anymore?
Wrong, clock speed is everything.
I should mention the current SSD drive im on right now only has 13GB remaining, would that affect performance?
No, not really.
Also, my 1Tb media drive is filled up with CRAP from my previous computer (Migration transferred EVERYTHING to that drive, only 120GB remains) would that drive with the media im working with affect performance too?
When fill rates go up, performance goes down. With almost 90% fill rate, the disk performs only at around 50% of a new disk.
Two disks is absolute bare minimum, and your cores will constantly be waiting for the disks to read or write data, sitting idle most of the time.
Also just as a test, i took some footage from my GoPro Hero 3 camera and put it on my SSD to see if that would eliminate the lag, but still lag was present in Premiere..
GoPro material requires a very fast computer, which yours is not with the low clock speed, outdated E5620 CPU's, only two disks, and a non-CUDA capable video card.
Take a look at the PPBM5 Benchmark and look at the system at rank # 854, which is a MacPro, very similar to your system, dual E5620, AMD video card, less memory but uses three disks.
So, your system would be around the same rank as the one above, among the slowest 25% of all systems and something like 10 - 15 times slower than a fast system. You tax your system to the extreme with the GoPro Hero3 material, and the consequence is the slow performance you see.
Sorry, not much you can do, other than get a new system. If you sell it now, it may get you a price, good enough to get a much faster Windows system and maybe even keep the change. Simply said, you bought a MacPro for € 3.5 K, sell it for € 3 K, buy a PC for € 2.5 K that is around 5-6 times faster and your loss is recovered.
However i will be buying a Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB SSD Drive for Scratch within the month
What a pity the MacPro does not have SATA 6G ports, only SATA 3G, because then that SSD will run at almost half speed.

HT1338 I have a Mac Pro Dual Core, 3 Ghz, that I purchased in the Spring of 2007. What is the latest OS that i can upgrade to? And is that OS compatible with Logic 10?

I have a Mac Pro Dual Core, 3 Ghz, that I purchased in the Spring of 2007. What is the latest OS that i can upgrade to? And is that OS compatible with Logic 10?

Logic Pro 10 requires OSX 10.8.4, which is not officially supported on your Mac Pro (must be Early 2008).
There are, however, unofficial workarounds to install 10.8 on those older models that you can search for on Google.

Mac Pro 8-Core AC Power Requirements

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