Processor
The “Nehalem” advantage.
Many quad-core processors are composed of two separate dies, which means some cached data has to travel outside the processor to get from core to core. That’s an inefficient way to access information. Enter the Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor. Its single-die, 64-bit architecture makes 8MB of fully shared L3 cache readily available to each of the four processor cores. The result is fast access to cache data and greater application performance. Combine that with the other technological advances and you get a Mac Pro that’s up to 1.9x faster than the previous generation.

Memory bottlenecks begone.
System memory is often connected to a processor through a separate I/O controller. But each Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor features an integrated memory controller — another leap forward for workstation system architecture. By connecting memory directly to the processor, the new Mac Pro processors have faster access to data stored in memory and memory latency is reduced by up to 40 percent.

The integrated memory controller, along with fast 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM, also gives Mac Pro up to a 2.4x increase in memory bandwidth over previous generations.2 More bandwidth allows for more data to be fed to the processor faster, helping each core spend its time processing data, not waiting for information to arrive. And Error Correction Code (ECC) corrects single-bit errors and detects multiple-bit errors automatically. That’s especially important in mission-critical and compute-intensive environments.

Power when (and where) you need it.
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 increases the speed of the active ones, up to 3.33GHz on an 8-core Mac Pro and 3.6GHz on a quad-core Mac Pro.

The virtue of virtual cores.
The new Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processors support Hyper-Threading, which allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core. So an 8-core Mac Pro presents 16 virtual cores that are recognised by Mac OS X. Performance is enhanced because Hyper-Threading enables the processor to take better advantage of the execution resources available in each core.

Path of least resistance.
A new bidirectional, point-to-point connection — called QuickPath Interconnect — gives the Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor quick access to the disk, I/O and other Mac Pro subsystems. In the new 8-core Mac Pro, there’s a QuickPath Interconnect between the two quad-core processors as well. This connection acts as a direct pipeline, so processor-to-processor data doesn’t need to travel to the I/O hub first. It’s another way the new Mac Pro boosts performance across the board.

Powerfully efficient.
Based on an industry-leading 45-nm process technology and combined with improved power management capabilities, the new Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processors are more energy efficient than before. So the Mac Pro is faster than ever, while using less energy when idle.

The fastest Mac graphics ever
Don’t keep those pixels waiting.
If you’re a pro who wants a desktop computer that keeps pace with your imagination, the Mac Pro delivers with faster graphics application performance across the board. Whether you’re decoding H.264 content in Final Cut Pro, creating 3D graphics in Motion, processing massive RAW images in Aperture or playing the latest games, the graphics hardware in the new Mac Pro makes graphics applications faster.

The foundation of this new graphics architecture is the latest generation of GPUs connected to the system via a fast and wide PCI Express 2.0 16-lane bus. Couple that with Core Animation, Core Image and Core Video technologies in Mac OS X. The result is a graphics platform for applications to seamlessly tap into a teraflop of graphics power.

Performance. It’s in the cards.
All-new high-performance graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA make Mac Pro graphics technology faster than before. Perfect for motion graphics, 3D modelling, rendering or animation, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory comes standard — and provides up to 2.9x the performance of previous Mac Pro standard graphics cards.1

For even more graphics horsepower, upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 4870 with 512MB of GDDR5 memory. An ideal choice for the most demanding applications, this card features a wider memory bus and higher-performance GPU, resulting in up to 2x faster performance compared with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120.

Graphics on display.
Every new Mac Pro graphics card features two display ports for maximum workspace flexibility. A Mini DisplayPort connects the new 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display with ease. A dual-link DVI port connects a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display or any other DVI display. And with support for up to four NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 cards, you can connect more displays — up to eight total.

Processor

• Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon

Cache

• 8MB fully shared L3 cache per processor

Memory

• 6GB (six 1GB DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM

PCI Express 2.0 graphics

• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB GDDR3 memory, Mini DisplayPort and dual-link DVI video output

Hard disc drive

• 640GB Serial ATA (3Gb/s); 7200 rpm

Optical drive

• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Wireless

• Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

PCI Express
Three open full-length PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots with mechanical support for 16-lane cards;

• One PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot
• Two PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots

Connections and audio

• Four FireWire 800 ports (two on front panel, two on back panel)
• Five USB 2.0 ports (two on front panel, three on back panel)
• Two USB 2.0 ports on included keyboard

Communications

• Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;2 IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Audio

• Front-panel headphone mini-jack and internal speaker
• Optical digital audio input and output TOSLINK port
• Analogue stereo line-level input and output mini-jacks

Software

• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard
  (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
• iLife
  (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and GarageBand)

Size and weight

• Height:51.1cm
• Width:20.6cm
• Depth:47.5cm
• Weight:18.7kg

In the box

• Mac Pro
• Power cord
• Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Mighty Mouse
• USB keyboard extension cable
• Install/restore DVDs
• Printed and electronic documentation