Apple kicks Mac Pro up to 3.3GHz

Without the usual fanfare, Apple has given the high-end Mac Pro a speed boost to 3.3GHz.

The change only applies to the quad-core Xeon "Nehalem" model, with the 8-core models remaining unchanged (the fastest 8-core model is 2.93GHz).

Expect to pay a hefty premium for this sort of power. While the 2.66GHz quad-core Mac Pro will cost you $2,499, the 3.3GHz model will set you back a whopping $1,200 extra - and that's just for the CPU.

Note: The list price for the 3.3GHz Xeon $1,600 while the 2.66GHz part is listed as $958. So Apple is making a good profit here but adding $1,200 to the base price considering that the actual price difference is only $642.

Looking for a quick way to spend $13,467? Here you go:

• One 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
• 16GB (4x4GB)
• Mac Pro RAID Card
• Four 2TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
• Four NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB
• Two 18x SuperDrives
• Two Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel)
• Apple Magic Mouse
• Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (English) and User's Guide
• AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi Card with 802.11n
• Quad-channel 4Gb Fibre Channel PCI Express card

 I'll take two!