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Apple adds eight-core Mac Pro

Wednesday 04 Apr 2007 - 16:50

Apple has debuted its first Mac Pro workstation featuring Intel 'Clovertown' quad-core Xeon processors, which has two brand-new 3.0GHz chips. The new model boosts the maximum internal storage to 3TB, but is otherwise the same as previous models -- which are still available.

The company has just updated its US Web site with details of the new model. So far, the UK Web site hasn't been updated, and UK pricing or availability details have been released by Apple.

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The model number of the Intel chip inside the new Mac Pro configuration is unknown, as currently the fastest quad-core workstation chip listed on Intel

Armari's Magnetar QX back in November.

A Mac Pro with two 3.0GHz quad-core Intel Xeon processors will set you back an extra $1,498 (around £757) on top of the standard model, which has two dual core 2.66GHz chips. A choice of 2.0GHz and 3.0GHz dual-core chips is also available.

The Mac Pro will support up to four 750GB Serial ATA hard drives for up to three terabytes (TB) of internal storage, as well as dual optical drive bays to simultaneously read or write CDs and DVDs. The new drive bays snap into place. All new Mac Pros come with three full-length PCI Express expansion slots and one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot. The machines also include two USB 2.0, one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 ports on the front, as well as additional FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports on the back panel.

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The Mac Pro comes standard with the nVidia GeForce 7300 GT video card with 256MB of video memory, providing built-in support for dual-displays and Apple

The Quadro FX 4500 also includes a stereo 3D port to connect goggles for stereo- in-a-window applications and is ideal for the most demanding animation, special effects and scientific visualization applications. Up to four PCI Express graphics cards to drive up to eight displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.

Neil Bennett

For more information see the Apple Web site.

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