Pros

  • New Nehalem microprocessor
  • Easier to upgrade internal components
  • Lower price

Cons

  • Most routine apps perform better with fewer, faster processors

At A Glance

The new Mac Pros, with their cutting-edge Nehalem processor technology, are able to execute more tasks at a faster clip, despite lower processor speeds. And their new internal design makes adding hard drives, memory cards, and PCI Express 2.0 cards easier than ever. That said, this model was out-performed by the 2.66GHz quad-core Mac Pro, which costs $300 less.

Manufacturer’s Description

The new Mac Pro introduces Turbo Boost: a dynamic performance technology that automatically boosts the processor clock speed based on workload. If you're using an application that doesn't need every core, Turbo Boost shuts off the idle cores while simultaneously increasing the speed of the active ones.

The Specs

Pricing
Part Number MB535LLA
Processor
Cache size 8.0 KB
Processor count 2
Processor speed 2.26 MHz
Bus speed 1066.0 MHz
Processor type Intel Xeon Quad-Core 5500
Memory
Memory type DDR3
Memory max 32000.0 GB
Display
Included monitor No
Graphics
Number of Graphic Cards included 1
Video Bus PCI Express 2.0 x16
Primary Graphics Chipset Nvidia GeForce GT 120
Storage
Hard Drive Speed 7200 RPM
Drive size 640.0 GB
Drive Controllers Serial ATA
Expansion slots
Number of PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots 3.0
Green
Energy Star compliant 1.0
Dimensions
Height 20.1 inches
Weight 41.2 pounds
Depth 18.7 inches
Width 8.1 inches
Optical Drive
optical_drive_1 SuperDrive
Optical Drive Speed 18.0
optical_model_1 SuperDrive
Optical Drive Type SuperDrive
Included Software
Operating System Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Other Features
Devices
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Speakers
Ports and Connections
Ethernet Type Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Available Interfaces
  • Audio - Digital Optical
  • Bluetooth
  • DVI (dual link)
  • Ethernet - RJ45
  • FireWire Port (front) (x2)
  • FireWire Port (rear) (x2)
  • Keyboard - USB
  • Mini DisplayPort
  • USB - Universal Serial Bus (front) (x2)
  • USB - Universal Serial Bus (rear) (x3)
Case
Chassis style Tower
3.5 Inch Internal Bays 4

Performance

Macworld Labs
Cinema 4D XL 10.5 0:13
iMovie HD 6 0:34
Tested Configuration Mac OS X 10.5.6 with 6GB of RAM
iTunes 7.5 0:47
Quake 4 70.8fps
Photoshop CS3 0:36
Compressor 0:57
Cinema 4D XL 8.5 206
SpeedMark 6 Score 206

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