3.0GHz Mac Pro benchmarks

Following recent earlier benchmarks comparing the new dual-dual (4 processing cores) 2.66GHz Mac Pro to the previous-generation Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5GHz, Barefeats has received a new dual-dual 3.0GHz Mac Pro system and began testing it against the dual-dual 2.66GHz Mac Pro and PowerMac Quad G5. The new 3.0GHz Mac Pro (when shipped with the same 1GB of RAM as the G5 had) costs the same $3,299 --or $800 more than the dual-dual 2.66GHz Mac Pro. For the tests, Barefeats added 2GB more RAM. The results show that performacne for non-universal apps was surprisingly close between the dual-dual 3.0GHz Mac Pro and the Power Mac Quad G5--separated only by a seconds. In one test, the Mac Pro outperformed the Power Mac G5, despite running non-native software. When running native Intel-based software, the Mac Pro took a decisive lead, completing some benchmarks in just over half the time it the Power Mac G5. "The 3.0GHz Mac Pro's 20 percent faster clock speed, larger L2 cache, and faster system bus enables it to muscle through these two non-optimized apps," according to the website. [sample graph included]

by MacNN Staff