LIAN LI PC-A70B Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail, ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail,OCZ Special Ops 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3SOE10664GK - Retail, COOLER MASTER UCP RS700-AAAAA3 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply - Retail,2 - Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM, ASUS EAH4870X2/HTDI/2G/A Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail,2 - LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model GH22LS30 - OEM,Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 27.5” 3ms Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor - Retail, Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 - Retail, Intel Core i7 940 Nehalem Quad Core 2.93GHz 4.8GT/s 8MB L3 Cache LGA1366 CPU Processor. Total cost of all hardware $2732.87.
So with virtually equal hardware performance you will pay a little over $2100.00 more for the Mac. and the only thing that you will get for that $2100.00 is the logo (remember there is no operating system in the price).
Other than the Apple instruction set programming, all of these parts are on the same level of performance and quality.
If it is worth $2100.00 to be a bore, then you buy the Mac. But I prefer the savings.
Also by learning to build your own computer you will find that for the most part retail computers are poor preforming junk, since they are into maximizing profits while keeping the price down.
Are you planning to delete the software and operating system when you take delivery?
Also by learning to build your own computer you will find that for the most part retail computers are poor preforming junk, since they are into maximizing profits while keeping the price down.
Also by building your own computer and then peeking inside a Mac Pro, you'll learn to appreciate the build quality of Macs.
Nice case, Wooly... but the Aluminum at 8/100 of an inch is not as sturdy or nice as the Mac Pro's 1/8" thick Aircraft grade Aluminum skin... but I'll accept it as close to equivalent. At least it's not plastic.COOLER MASTER UCP RS700-AAAAA3 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply
Why are you using a $180 700W power supply to match the Mac Pro's 1440 Watt? I would think that you should use at least a 1000 Watt.Since you like the Cooler Master, let's use the COOLER MASTER UCP RSB00-AAAAA3 1100W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply - Retail $350 - Add $170.00
Retail, Intel Core i7 940 Nehalem Quad Core 2.93GHz 4.8GT/s 8MB L3 Cache LGA1366 CPU Processor.
Not anywhere near the same processor, Wooly.Intel Core i7 940 Nehalem 2.93GHz 8MB L2 Cache 1366 MHz 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail $559.99
The Nahelem model being used in the single chip Mac Pro is rumored to come in a bit less expensive than the over $2500 for the current 2.93GHz Xeon... it is $1,386 for the Intel Xeon EP X5570 6.4GT/s 8MB L3 Cache, 1366, designed for single socket Motherboards..
The ones included in the dual Mac Pro are the Intel Xeon MP X5570 (MP for multi-processor) 6.4GT/s 8MB L3 Cache, for Dual socket mother boards and will be more expensive but not as expensive as the current Xeon listed above. I could not find a retail price quote for the unreleased MP model. It also requires an entirely different and more expensive Motherboard, ECC memory, and different cooling.
Using the EP's price of $1,386, it is still $827 more expensive than the one you've selected. Add $827
ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $399
Nice Motherboard. I notice it supports ECC FB RAM even though your selected CPU doesn't. OK.
OCZ Special Ops 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3SOE10664GK Times 2 - Retail $142
This RAM is OK for your selected CPU, but not for the Upgrade to match the Mac Pro's Xeon which requires Fully Buffered ECC RAM. I'm partial to Crucial memory... New Egg has Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) ECC Fully Buffered Dual Channel Kits for $121 X 2 - Retail $242 - Add $100
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - Retail $105 X 2 = $210
Let's not get two drives for this comparison... which you selected because you know that Apple does charge more for such peripherals. Let's get just one. We can add more later to both systems from any source. Minus $105Since were dropping to one drive, on the Mac Pro Minus $300
ASUS EAH4870X2 Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $455
OK
2 - LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model GH22LS30 - OEM - $26 X 2 = $52
I have never seen a user who needed two DVD burners... and these can be added to either system from any source after the purchase, so let's get just one apiece. Yours: Minus $26 Mac Pro, Minus $100
Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 27.5" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI Monitor - Retail $360
Since the Mac Pro and your computer can drive the same monitors, let's leave them out. They are irrelevant to the discussion. Besides, your monitor is not equivalent to the Mac LED Cinema Display in contrast ratio or candelas. Yours, Minus $360, Mac Pro, Minus $899Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 - Retail - $116
Hey, you're building this... you can use the OEM price - Minus $26
You will notice that there is no software or operating system (on the Mac).
Yes, there is, Wooly. It's included in the base price. Apple does not sell Macs without OS X and its suite of iLife software. It's included. To match the OS X complete operating system, you have to add Windows Vista Ultimate OEM 64bit: Add $180I am going to assume that you can find Apple iLife equivalent Windows apps for the same price Apple retails them for (you can't but we'll assume it anyway), so Add $79
So, using those figures modified to better compare the computers and not the extras you added in to pad the costs, your unassembled computer, now more equivalent, would cost you $3,397
Making similar deductions for unnecessary extras that can be purchased from 3rd parties,the completely assembled, tested, Mac Pro, with a one year warranty, and world class support, would RETAIL for $3,599. The Mac's shipping is free.
Let's see. The complete upgraded Mac Pro, with software loaded, is being sold and supported for just $205 more than your box of unassembled parts... and that's not counting shipping. That's 6% more for the Mac Pro.
Where is that $2100 differential???