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Computer Audio > Computers > Macintosh Desktops > Apple Mac Pro (Quad Core 2.8GHz)

We recommend these great replacements:

Apple Mac Pro (Quad-Core, 3.2GHz) Apple Mac Pro (Quad-Core, 3.2GHz)
3.2GHz, Quad-core Desktop Tower CPU with 6GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, 18x SuperDrive, Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Low-profile Keyboard, and Apple Magic Mouse

Sale Price: $2499.00

View all Macintosh Desktops »

Apple Mac Pro (Quad Core 2.8GHz) (No Longer Available)

2.8GHz, Quad-core Desktop Tower CPU with 3GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, 18x SuperDrive, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Low-profile Keyboard, and Apple Magic Mouse

Sorry, the Apple Mac Pro (Quad Core 2.8GHz) is no longer available. We've left this page up for reference only. Check out the great alternatives on this page or call toll-free (800) 222-4700 to speak with a Sweetwater Sales Engineer about similar products.

From Our Research Team:

Unbelievable Mac Power!



The Apple Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz is a member of Apple's most powerful family of computers yet. Boasting all-new "Nehalem" processors for seriously beefed-up performance, the Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz accesses information between cores more efficiently than ever before. Plus, with a huge 1TB hard drive - and three more internal drive bays for expansion - along with 3GB of installed memory (expandable up to 32GB), four FireWire 800 ports, and five USB 2.0 ports, you'll have a powerhouse companion for your demanding professional audio work, with the Apple Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz.

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 - an inefficient way to access information. The Quad-core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor changes all of that. The Nehalem's single-die 64-bit architecture makes 8MB of fully shared L3 cache readily available to each of the four processor cores. The results are 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.

The Mac Pro gives you 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 shuts off the idle cores while simultaneously increasing the speed of the active ones.

All-new high-performance graphics cards from AMD make the Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz's graphics technology faster than before. Perfect for motion graphics, 3D modeling, rendering, or animation, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory comes standard - and provides up to 2.9x the performance of previous Mac Pro standard graphics cards.

There are plenty of places to connect external devices to your Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz. You'll find two FireWire 800 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and a headphone minijack right up front - where it's more convenient to connect storage and multimedia devices as well as high-speed peripherals. And there are even more ports on the back: three USB 2.0, two FireWire 800, optical audio input and output, analog audio input and output, and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports.

The Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz's graphics card features two display ports for maximum workspace flexibility. A Mini DisplayPort connects to the new 24" Apple LED Cinema Display with ease, while the onboard dual-link DVI port connects to any other DVI display.

The Mac Pro comes with four 3.5" internal hard drive bays for an enormous amount of internal storage - up to 4TB when you install four 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s drives. Each bay provides its own independent 3Gb/s channel for fast access to data. Plus, thanks to the cable-free direct-attach installation system, adding (or replacing) hard drives is a surprisingly simple process.

The redesigned interior of the Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz feels like the well-organized workstation it is - no rat's nest of components here. You don't need to turn the system on its side or struggle to reach into awkward spaces to make changes - just remove the side panel for instant, easy access to everything. You can slide out the processor tray to add memory, slide out hard drive bays to add storage, or slide a simple bar to change up to four expansion cards at once.

Apple Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz Computer Features at a Glance:
  • One 2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor
  • Next-generation Intel microarchitecture
  • 8MB of fully shared L3 cache
  • Integrated memory controller
  • Turbo Boost dynamic performance (up to 3.33GHz on 8-core 2.93GHz system)
  • 128-bit SSE4 SIMD engine
  • 64-bit data paths and registers
  • Optimized for energy efficiency
  • 3GB (three 1GB DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM
  • 4 memory slots supporting up to 32GB of main memory using up to 8GB DIMMs
  • 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s, 7200 rpm, 16MB cache
  • 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD-R DL/DVD-RW/CD-RW)
  • ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB GDDR5 1GB of GDDR5 memory, PCI Express 2.0, a Mini DisplayPort, and a dual-link DVI port
  • Two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
  • 4 FireWire 800 ports (2 on front panel, 2 on back panel)
  • 5 USB 2.0 ports (2 on front panel, 3 on back panel)
  • 2 USB 2.0 ports on included keyboard
  • Front-panel headphone minijack and internal speaker
  • Optical digital audio input and output TOSlink ports
  • Analog stereo line-level input and output minijacks
  • 3 open full-length PCI Express expansion slots (1 PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, 2 PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots)

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

The Apple Mac Pro Quad-core 2.8GHz offers up serious performance for demanding audio applications!
Specification Detail
Manufacturer Part Number MC560LL/A

Mac Pro (Quad Core 2.8GHz) Image Gallery

Can We Help?

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Call toll-free (800) 222-4700 or E-mail us

Be the first to review this product

It just works!!!!

by Bob from Dallas, TX
September 28, 2011
Music Background: Recording Engineer\Producer Orange Couch Studios
Just sick and tired of messing with PC's and all of the hassles involved with Audio Recording(Pro Tools) so I bit the bullet and got the Mac Pro. 27 years in the PC world and this was my first Mac. Be... read more [+]st decision ever!!!! Just worked right out of the box. Installed all of my Audio software and it just worked with no issues. Pro Tools runs like a dream. Saffire Liquid 56 sounds great. I will be buying more Mac's in the future for sure!!! close [-]

A fine choice

by Aaron Robinson from
March 6, 2011
Music Background:
An Authorised Avid repair and outlet dealer who builds hd systems said this machine is the best value even now. And it still remains an amazing machine. But it is not " next generation" architecture. ... read more [+] Next is Sandy Bridge. Current is Westmere. Previous is Nehalem from 2009. This one is Nehalem, but it still remains a fine choice. close [-]

I love the personalized service from Sweetwater! I buy almost all of my musical equipment from you. That way, my rep knows exactly what I'm working with and can therefore anticipate my needs in many ways.


Jennifer, Chicago, IL
See Also: Apple , Apple Macintosh Desktops

Apple Mac Pro (Quad Core 2.8GHz)

Today's Payment: $876.00
Includes $10 processing fee
Payment 2: $666.50
In approx. 30 days
Payment 3: $666.50
In approx. 60 days

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