OWC launches Mac Pro CPU and memory upgrade service

After confirming in December that Apple's newly redesigned Mac Pro incorporates a socketed CPU, OWC is now taking advantage of the aftermarket replacement opportunity with its Turnkey Upgrade Program.

Instead of purchasing a new CPU outright, customers send their existing Mac Pros to OWC, which swaps out the old chip for one of four upgrade options. The process is akin to a trade-in program. Four Intel Xeon E5 options are available, including a 2.6GHz 8-Core model and a 3.0GHz 10-Core chip not sold by Apple.

OWC's CPU pricing (including trade-in of old processor):

• Intel Xeon E5-2650 v2 8-Core 2.6GHz with 20MB Cache — $1498
• Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 8-Core 3.3GHz with 25MB Cache — $2448
• Intel Xeon E5-2690 v2 10-Core 3.0GHz with 25MB Cache — $2396
• Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2 12-Core 2.7GHz with 30MB Cache — $2978

The company noted all configurations, which are 25 percent to 45 percent faster than base factory processors, have been tested and meet or surpass Apple's thermal standards. They are also up to 31 percent cheaper than upgrading through the Apple Store at time of purchase.

Along with the CPUs, the firm is also selling memory upgrades as part of the program, with capacities coming in at 32GB (8GB x 4), 64GB (16GB x 4), 96GB (32GB x 3) and 128GB (32GB x 4). Pricing starts at $450 and moves up to $2130, lower than Transcend's third-party DIMMs launched in March. MacMall also sells Axiom 32GB DDR3-1333 ECC RDIMMs for $620 per stick.