Replace logic board (2008) vs. new Mac Pro?

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Replace logic board (2008) vs. new Mac Pro?

My early 2008 Mac Pro (3,1) appears to have a bad logic board - I'm torn between replacing it, which is fairly expensive, versus just getting a new Mac Pro.

Is the performance difference in a new one vs an early 2008 8 x 2.8 GHz really worth it? I rarely do any really processor-intensive tasks. Also, if I bought a new one, are the hard drives compatible? I'd migrate the boot drive over from the old computer but I have 3 additional drives in there that I'd like to pop into the new one, without have to buy 3 more drives.

On that same note, if I wanted to avoid spending too much, how would the current quad-core Mac Pro compare to my early 2008 8-core?

Thanks!

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on May 24, 2012 3:14 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

May 24, 2012 3:17 PM in response to NeverColdCall

You miay find some useful benchmarks at Bare Feats or AnandTech.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

May 24, 2012 3:20 PM in response to Kappy

Replacing a logic board in a Mac Pro is not a trivial task notwithstanding the cost of the motherboard. Finding a motherboard may also prove difficult. Check eBay. Also check at ifixit.com.

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Answer 3

May 24, 2012 3:50 PM in response to NeverColdCall

"How would the current entry-level Mac Pro 4-core compare to the one I have?"

They would be indistiguishable:

Primate Labs has posted Geekbench results for all the Mac Pro models since 2006. Here are some of the numbers in 32-bi/64-bit modes:

2.0 GHz 4-core 2006, 4011/4445

2.66 GHz 4-core 2006, 5178/5865

2.8 GHz 4-core 2008, 5650/6456

3.0 GHz 4-core 2006, 5768/6567

2.66 GHz 4-core 2009, 8265/9226

2.8 GHz 4-core 2010, 8629/9723

2.93 GHz 4-core 2009, 9072/10072

2.8 GHz 8-core 2008, 9105/10523

3.0 GHz 8-core 2007, 9172/10783

3.0 GHz 8-core 2008, 9460/11153

3.2 GHz 4-core 2010, 9829/10279

3.33 GHz 4-core 2009, x/11475

3.2 GHz 8-core 2008, 10108/11807

3.33 GHz 8-core 2009, 10304/11476

2.26 GHz 8-core 2009, 11831/13323

2.4 GHz 8-core 2010, 12722/14083

3.33 GHz 6-core 2010, 14049/15781

2.66 GHz 8-core 2009, 14330/16034

2.93 GHz 8-core 2009, 15529/17608

2.66 GHz 12-core 2010, 20226/22733

2.93 GHz 12-core 2010, 21661/24333

from: http://www.lowendmac.com/deals/best-mac-pro-prices.html

The drives would transfer, but those Hot memories would not (and that's a good thing).

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Answer 4

Kappy

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361,741 points

May 24, 2012 3:56 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Video performance will be quite different, however. Geekbench does not benchmark video. Just an add-on note. 🙂

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Answer 5

May 24, 2012 4:04 PM in response to Kappy

So Kappy, do you think today's 4-core would be about the same, a lot better, or a lot worse?

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Answer 6

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

May 24, 2012 4:22 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I know they are much better than my 2006 Mac Pro 1,1. If for no other reason than having the PCIe 2.0 slots. Mine only has 1.0 slots. Can't run Mountain Lion on my model. And, the new models have faster CPUs and can address much more memory than mine. The new ones also use the more standard RAM modules that run cooler and don't require the big heat sinks like on mine.

Yes, I think the current MP is a much better machine than mine. I'd trade you for your 2009 model. 😁

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