Mac Pro 2013 vs Hackintosh vice versa (for work and gaming)

[zyxep]

Hi Guys.

 

I am new here on the forum and couldn't find a thread exactly like mine.

I am aware that there are a ton of threads out there about the new mac pro, but i think my question is a bit different than "what do you think of the new mac pro".

 

I am a gamer (not youtuber), developer and a mac fan boy.

I currently have a "shitty" old desktop from 2008.

i7-920, Geforce GTX285, 12GB ram, 1TB hdd (sata2, 3GB/s)

 

I use my PC currently to everything and at work i use a Mac, after switching back to OS X do i found my old love back to the OS but we all know that gaming on OS X is shitty as hell.

 

So when the new Mac Pro came out i said to my self " I WANT THAT" but the month have been flying away and i don't have it yet and many thoughts have been traveling through my head.

 

Would it be a nice idea to buy the new Mac Pro and have bootcamp on so i have OS X and Windows 8 on?

Apple have announced the Mac Pro supports bootcamp with windows 8, not 7.

 

Or should i build a custom computer with nice specs and install hackintosh on?

[Hans Christian | Teri]

It really depends on whether or not you need the features from the Mac Pro that makes it so incredibly expensive (Xeon processors, ECC RAM and workstation grade graphics cards mainly).

[AnotherTechGuy]

.

[Sauron]

Hackintosh all the way. For the usual reasons: macs are overpriced, you can't expand them properly (even the mac pro can only be expanded to a point) and you can install whatever other os you deem fit on it. And by the way if you don't want that "shitty" pc can you send it to me? I could use that ^^

[Si3Rra_7]

Lord GabeN wishes you to come to Linux or at least Windows , you heathen !

[ShadowCaptain]

Stick a new GPU in that "shitty" PC 

 

and get a Mac Pro.

[WinNut]

Hackintosh all the way unless you need ECC or dem Xeon processors. Plus you can OC and all sorts of fun things on PC.

[Samdb]

Hackintosh all the way. For the usual reasons: macs are overpriced, you can't expand them properly (even the mac pro can only be expanded to a point) and you can install whatever other os you deem fit on it. And by the way if you don't want that "shitty" pc can you send it to me? I could use that ^^

 

The new Mac Pro is not overpriced.

[Sauron]

The new Mac Pro is not overpriced.

sure, because I can't get the same system for 1000$ less right?

[zyxep]

I forgot to mention, i would also like to start live streaming on Twitch.

 

And what i know of regarding hackintosh can it require a lot to get everything to work.

[Brazsty]

Hackintosh with osx and windows. Perfect for absoloutely anything!

[91Chris]

sure, because I can't get the same system for 1000$ less right?

 

No you can't.

[Samdb]

This is the closest that I can find.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/qNFYQ7

 

This is the lowest end Mac Pro that is it based on.

http://store.apple.com/uk/buy-mac/mac-pro?product=ME253B/A&step=config

[91Chris]

I did a quick search for a high end comparison. I got to like £2312 with just the CPU, RAM and PCIe SSD. Thats not including the dual GPU's which are stupid expensive, or anything else. The high end base Mac Pro starts at £3299.

[Nathanv31]

Hackintosh, for more expandability and overclocking.

[Sauron]

This is the closest that I can find.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/qNFYQ7

 

This is the lowest end Mac Pro that is it based on.

http://store.apple.com/uk/buy-mac/mac-pro?product=ME253B/A&step=config

 

yeah, the pc has a 6 core and still costs less than a mac pro with a quad core. consider also that you can easily spare 100+ £ on the case and you don't need aftermarket cooling for a locked cpu and you're sparing 100£ (case) + 67£ (cooler) + 210£ (what you spare even with your build) + 200£ (assumed extra worth of the 6-core xeon over the mac pro's quad core, and by the way a 6 core xeon on a mac pro would cost you 400£ <I know it's clocked higher that's why I assume 200£>) = 577£ = 980$ at the current exchange rate. You proved my point.

[ShadowCaptain]

yeah, the pc has a 6 core and still costs less than a mac pro with a quad core. consider also that you can easily spare 100+ £ on the case and you don't need aftermarket cooling for a locked cpu and you're sparing 100£ (case) + 67£ (cooler) + 210£ (what you spare even with your build) + 200£ (assumed extra worth of the 6-core xeon over the mac pro's quad core, and by the way a 6 core xeon on a mac pro would cost you 400£ <I know it's clocked higher that's why I assume 200£>) = 577£ = 980$ at the current exchange rate. You proved my point.

 

Not really, a comparable computer would have great thermal performance like the mac pro as well as great build quality

 

Aftermarket coolers are still useful on non overclocked CPUs you know. They can still get hot when pushing professional workloads, and lets not forget form factor, that mac pro is TINY and that is wroth the money to some people

 

Also 6 thunderbolt ports, for certain pros this is something they could not live without. I am swapping my Alienware laptop with a 15" mac pro because thunderbolt will seriously improve my workflow

 

Sometimes they make sense, for a gaming/home machine I think they suck ass, but for a pro work enviroment that demands reliability and performance the mac pro is a very smart piece of kit.

 

Costs less the the camera and lens I am about to buy

[Victorious Secret]

Not really, a comparable computer would have great thermal performance like the mac pro as well as great build quality

 

Aftermarket coolers are still useful on non overclocked CPUs you know. They can still get hot when pushing professional workloads, and lets not forget form factor, that mac pro is TINY and that is wroth the money to some people

 

Also 6 thunderbolt ports, for certain pros this is something they could not live without. I am swapping my Alienware laptop with a 15" mac pro because thunderbolt will seriously improve my workflow

 

Sometimes they make sense, for a gaming/home machine I think they suck ass, but for a pro work enviroment that demands reliability and performance the mac pro is a very smart piece of kit.

 

Costs less the the camera and lens I am about to buy

 

 

This so freaking much, people don't understand that a PC is often the cheapest tool a professional will have in their arsenal. 

 

Mac, Hack, BYO; it really doesn't matter. Some people can stand tinkering, others don't give a shit and just want a tiny trash can that works. Thats not a insult to the Mac Pro, its the greatest thing. Its a self contained system that can be wired to every addon you need or don't need, the core system is still powerful and very usable. The Apple tax doesn't apply to the Mac Pro like it once used to. Its still there, but it isn't horrific. To build a similar PC, you really aren't saving shit. ECC memory, Xeons, Firepros; crap ain't cheap. And for those that actually need such hardware, its a wash if they can save a few grand if the workflow is better on the other system. Time is money, even if they have to pay to get that time down as low as possible. 

 

My one lens I just bought actually did cost more than my build. Twice over. Arguing about saving money to professionals who actually use and abuse their stuff and make money is laughable. They don't care. They needs tools that work, and if the Mac Pro is the better tool then so be it. 

[Sauron]

Not really, a comparable computer would have great thermal performance like the mac pro as well as great build quality

 

Aftermarket coolers are still useful on non overclocked CPUs you know. They can still get hot when pushing professional workloads, and lets not forget form factor, that mac pro is TINY and that is wroth the money to some people

 

Also 6 thunderbolt ports, for certain pros this is something they could not live without. I am swapping my Alienware laptop with a 15" mac pro because thunderbolt will seriously improve my workflow

 

Sometimes they make sense, for a gaming/home machine I think they suck ass, but for a pro work enviroment that demands reliability and performance the mac pro is a very smart piece of kit.

 

Costs less the the camera and lens I am about to buy

 

Your camera can't be built piece per piece at a lower price. I understand that some people value the size and "build quality" (as if a custom case was not well built) and that for some professionals it makes sense, but since the OP proposed a hackintosh straight off I figured he wouldn't mind the extra space and having to build it himself. That's why for HIM a hackintosh is much more worth the money he'd pay it imo.

[ShadowCaptain]

Your camera can't be built piece per piece at a lower price. I understand that some people value the size and "build quality" (as if a custom case was not well built) and that for some professionals it makes sense, but since the OP proposed a hackintosh straight off I figured he wouldn't mind the extra space and having to build it himself. That's why for HIM a hackintosh is much more worth the money he'd pay it imo.

 

No but I was saying that the overall cost of a Mac for certain peoples is a fraction the cost of the rest. And some features of the mac pro may be worth more to the OP than the money saved doing a hackintosh. But only IF the OP wants OSX and wants the features of the mac

 

I agree that if he is happy to spend time and space building a PC he could get much better results, but IMO if you are using OSX for professional work you should be doing it a legitimate way just as you should use all legitimate software.

[Sauron]

you should be doing it a legitimate way just as you should use all legitimate software.

I'm sure he would be willing to pay for it, but as it stands you can't really buy it

[That Norwegian Guy]

You can't supplant the Mac Pro parts using a DIY build with retail parts for the same or lower cost. So the Mac Pro wins. Strange, yeah? Strange times.

[Sauron]

You can't supplant the Mac Pro parts using a DIY build with retail parts for the same or lower cost. So the Mac Pro wins. Strange, yeah? Strange times.

in this very thread there is a build that costs less and is faster.