What is going to be faster 8 core 2008 Mac pro or Quad core i7 with virtual cores?

[pRICE cUBE]

I am not buying but down the road I was pondering how an 8 core 2.8ghz Mac Pro would stack up against a quad core i7 with it's virtual cores. Working in 1080 resolution is making me think that my 4 core mac pro is getting a bit long in the tooth. Looks like 8 core I mention is going for about $1200 on ebay. I would be using Premiere Pro or FIna Cut X so all core are used. I hesitate to get an iMac since I already have a monitor.

[mattkime]

http://www.everymac.com/mac-benchmarks/i...marks.html

indicates that they're fairly close in speed.

video card could also make a difference.

[clay]

I just spent $160 on a pair of Quad-core Xeons (8 cores total) on my Mac Pro 1,1 on ebay. Haven't installed them yet, but should get around to it in the next couple of weeks. MacArtist and bazookaman have done this, too, but I know they have felt like it was worth it.

I only mention it because it would be an easy way for you to get to 8-core performance without changing machines or spending buku bucks. I don't know how close you'd get in terms of pure performance to the i7's, but it would be a significant upgrade.

[Ted King]

You might get some good responses to that question here:

http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

[pRICE cUBE]

clay wrote:
I just spent $160 on a pair of Quad-core Xeons (8 cores total) on my Mac Pro 1,1 on ebay. Haven't installed them yet, but should get around to it in the next couple of weeks. MacArtist and bazookaman have done this, too, but I know they have felt like it was worth it.

I only mention it because it would be an easy way for you to get to 8-core performance without changing machines or spending buku bucks. I don't know how close you'd get in terms of pure performance to the i7's, but it would be a significant upgrade.

Whoa, didn't know my machine could do 8 core. I have the quad core Mac pro 1,1. Is this something a technical novice could accomplish and not ruin my machine? What speed are the processors you got and what is my likelihood of finding the same deal you got?

[clay]

Yup, I have a quad core 1,1, too. Sounds pretty straightforward from all I've read. There are lots of reports out there, and seems like it works well in all cases.

Here are some reports at xlr8yourmac: http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems.html

I purchased this tool to do the upgrade: http://amzn.com/B000X285AW
and thermal compound/cleaner: http://amzn.com/B001FVI91U

I ordered a pair of x5355's on ebay...my guess is that you shouldn't have any problem finding a pair on ebay if you wait around a little...I made an offer on a pair that was listed at $200, and they bit at $160 shipped. There are some other versions of chips that could work as well (different clock speeds, etc), but I can't vouch for what works exactly...there is probably a list on xlr8yourmac or other sites.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

2011 iMac against a 2011 six core Mac Pro.
Final Cut Pro X - http://www.barefeats.com/fcpx01.html
Geekbench & Cinebench - http://www.barefeats.com/imac11b.html

[Ted King]

Edit: Made a goof earlier. This series of videos may be helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBivTJ0sitM&feature=related

And this may help:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=745426&highlight=install+quad+core+in+mac+pro+1+1

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Don't forget about RAM. To get full speed going to an 8 core, you need at least 1 GB RAM for each core.

[mattkime]

its been so long since i've performed a CPU upgrade. you guys are kinda making me jealous.