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Is it worth it to buy a 2019 Mac Pro in 2024?

is it worth it to buy a 2019 macpro in 2024? i found an eBay deal of one for only $1500. has 98gb ram and 2tb SSD. it's a used one.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Sep 14, 2024 10:53 PM

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13 replies

Sep 15, 2024 7:30 AM in response to HiyaThereLovely

I’d say “Yes” ( maybe-) but then again I have a 2012 MacPro… I used to have a 2010 MacPro but it died on me a few years back… back then the “new” MacPro just came out, and I wanted one… so I asked my mom if she’d lend me the $ to buy one… perhaps, she said, how much are we talking about new??… so I looked it up then.. Apple Store said : starts at $ 10,000 CDN then goes up from there… needless to say I was not going to be getting a new 2019 MacPro, period.. about the only maybe thing is that it’s not Apple Silicon ( I believe) , eg M1,M2 or M3… you can get an Apple Silicon Mac Pro tower or server right now with wheels ( if you wanted) starting at $10,000…

IF it works fine and IF it’s packed and shipped properly ( maybe it has a few other little goodies they threw in, I dunno, and IF I had $1,500 plus shipping and taxes I’d probably go for it- just my opinion though


jb

Sep 15, 2024 2:48 PM in response to HiyaThereLovely

That is a terrible choice for lightweight uses like that.


That machine is capable of airframe stress analysis, weather forecasting, or extreme video editing. It is HUGE to use for college, weighs about 42 pounds, is not silent, and dims the lights when it powers up.


A recent MacBook Air can run circles around it for your stated uses for far less money, provide you up the default RAM above 8 GB.

Sep 15, 2024 8:36 AM in response to HiyaThereLovely

What do you have now...?

What App's are you running...?

What type of work are you doing...?


My advise, is to buy new from Apple instead of buying someone else's problem off E-Bay.

see > Mac - Which Mac is best for me? - Apple


FWIW an upgraded M2 or M2 Pro Mac mini is more than adequate for most user's.

see > Buy Mac mini - Apple


FWIW 2 if you need a stronger machine, then the Mac Studio is the way to go.

see > Buy Mac Studio - Apple

Sep 15, 2024 10:49 AM in response to HiyaThereLovely

Those old machines have some advantages for niche applications.

  • They can take enormous amounts of RAM, which might be a requirement for certain narrow scientific application niches. (Though if you're one of the people who needs this, you probably already know it.)
  • They can take beefy add-on PCIe graphics cards and MPX graphics module – unlike the ones that preceded and followed them. The 2013 "trash can" Mac Pros had twin GPUs, but did not have the space or cooling to accept a single really beefy one. The M2 Ultra Mac Pros do not support add-on graphics cards.
  • They can run Intel versions of Windows, dual-boot or in virtual machines.


On the other hand, they are bulky, and consume large amounts of power. They don't have Apple Silicon processors, and for all we know, Sequoia is the last version of macOS they will ever get.

Sep 15, 2024 4:56 PM in response to HiyaThereLovely

I did not say it was noisy... I said "Not silent". If you press it, it heats up, and when it does, the fans ramp up.


it is far quieter than a comparable Windows Server-class machine. Apple has done everything they can to get it quiet enough to not be horrendous in an office environment. But it is not silent.


-----

if that machine "fell on you" for next to nothing, I would say take, use it. Paying that much for machine that does not correspond with your needs makes no sense.


Will you also need a laptop to take notes in class? At 42 lbs and no battery, you will not be moving that big boy around. so no working at a cafe with collaborators.



Is it worth it to buy a 2019 Mac Pro in 2024?

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