Mac Pro D. Core Xeon 5160 x2 2006

The Mac Pro "Quad Core" 3.0 (Original), is technically classified as "made-to-order" configuration of the Mac Pro "Quad Core" 2.66 (Original), but is also listed as a separate model for easy reference. Apart from processor, both models share identical specifications.

The Mac Pro "Quad Core" 3.0 features two 3.0 GHz dual core Intel Xeon 5160 processors with 4MB of shared L2 cache per processor, a 128-bit SSE3 vector engine, and 1.33 GHz "64-bit dual independent frontside buses."

The standard configuration featured 1.0GB of 667 MHz DDR2 ECC "fully-buffered" FB-DIMM memory (with a heatsink design that is a bit different from generic FB-DIMMs), a 250 GB (7200 RPM) 3 Gb/s Serial ATA hard drive, a double-layer 16X "SuperDrive", and a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT video card with 256MB of GDDR2 SDRAM, one dual-link DVI port and one single-link DVI port.

Expansion includes two external 5.25" "optical" bays (one occupied by default), four internal 3.5" "cable-free, direct attach" hard drive bays (three available by default), and four PCIe slots (three free with one graphics card installed). Port selection includes dual Gigabit Ethernet, five USB 2.0 ports, two Firewire "400" ports, two Firewire "800" ports, and optical digital audio in/out, and more. AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and a modem are optional.

As the top custom processor option for the original Mac Pro, this 3.0 GHz model represented the zenith of Intel Mac performance at the time. Its two dual-core Xeon 5160 processors boasted superior processing power over the standard 2.66 GHz model, demonstrating a clear speed advantage in CPU-bound tasks. This configuration fully benefited from the exceptional expandability and robust chassis design of the first-generation Mac Pro, and was lauded as the ultimate choice for users demanding peak performance. Although expensive, it delivered computational power commensurate with its cost, allowing it to serve reliably in professional environments for many years.