The only way to get 256GB RAM in an iMac Pro is to buy a custom configuration from Apple

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  • Reply 21 of 24
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,761member

    but eGPUs can always swoop in to save the day.  
    I wish people would quit letting Apple off the hook with statements like this.  eGPUs are restricted to 4 PCI express lane whereas slots can go up 16 lanes.

    Thats four times the bandwidth.  eGPUs might be able to cover some use cases, but I've never seen people so willing to pay a lot more for reduced functional with the added bonus of even more clutter vs. Apple just kicking out a "boring" case that can handle plain old expansion cards. 

    I shudder at all the ways they could over engineer "modular" - and more time passes without even a hint of the new Mac Pro the more I'm expecting something even worse than the trash can Mac Pro they let wither on the vine for more than five years.

    Apparently the real courage is just releasing a pro machine that pro's can really use even if it might be boring.  How about it Phil?  Boring yet functional?  Real slots in a real pro machine?  Real keyboards that work on all your laptops even if they might have to be slightly thicker?  A remote on the Apple TV that's functional and easy to use vs. finicky and error prone?  Yes it looks good.  Just don't brush against it or your Apple TV will take over whether you want it to or not.

    I remember when Apple was interested in all aspects of the user experience and not just how products looked in the advertisements.  It would be nice to go back to that :rage: 
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  • Reply 22 of 24
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,761member

    but eGPUs can always swoop in to save the day.  
    I wish people would quit letting Apple off the hook with statements like this.  eGPUs are restricted to 4 PCI express lane whereas slots can go up 16 lanes.

    Thats four times the bandwidth.  eGPUs might be able to cover some use cases, but I've never seen people so willing to pay a lot more for reduced functional with the added bonus of even more clutter vs. Apple just kicking out a "boring" case that can handle plain old expansion cards. 

    I shudder at all the ways they could over engineer "modular" - and more time passes without even a hint of the new Mac Pro the more I'm expecting something even worse than the trash can Mac Pro they let wither on the vine for more than five years.

    Apparently the real courage is just releasing a pro machine that pro's can really use even if it might be boring.  How about it Phil?  Boring yet functional?  Real slots in a real pro machine?  Real keyboards that work on all your laptops even if they might have to be slightly thicker?  A remote on the Apple TV that's functional and easy to use vs. finicky and error prone?  Yes it looks good.  Just don't brush against it or your Apple TV will take over whether you want it to or not.

    I remember when Apple was interested in all aspects of the user experience and not just how products looked in the advertisements.  It would be nice to go back to that :rage:
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  • Reply 23 of 24
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,761member

    but eGPUs can always swoop in to save the day.  
    I wish people would quit letting Apple off the hook with statements like this.  eGPUs are restricted to 4 PCI express lane whereas slots can go up 16 lanes.

    Thats four times the bandwidth.  eGPUs might be able to cover some use cases, but I've never seen people so willing to pay a lot more for reduced functional with the added bonus of even more clutter vs. Apple just kicking out a "boring" case that can handle plain old expansion cards. 

    I shudder at all the ways they could over engineer "modular" - and more time passes without even a hint of the new Mac Pro the more I'm expecting something even worse than the trash can Mac Pro they let wither on the vine for more than five years.

    Apparently the real courage is just releasing a pro machine that pro's can really use even if it might be boring.  How about it Phil?  Boring yet functional?  Real slots in a real pro machine?  Real keyboards that work on all your laptops even if they might have to be slightly thicker?  A remote on the Apple TV that's functional and easy to use vs. finicky and error prone?  Yes it looks good.  Just don't brush against it or your Apple TV will take over whether you want it to or not.

    I remember when Apple was interested in all aspects of the user experience and not just how products looked in the advertisements.  It would be nice to go back to that :rage:
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  • Reply 24 of 24
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,724member
    Maybe iFixit or some such firm will order a 256GB RAM iMac Pro and let us know if there’s any mechanical reason why you couldn’t install your own set of four 64GB modules, but I’m guessing it is either a firmware issue or that macOS itself requires a custom-designed RAM chip to utilize that much RAM effectively.

    Also, bear in mind that the guideline is reflective of the reality on the ground today, not for some future date when specialists like OWC create/reverse engineer whatever needs to be there to fully utilize 4x64GB sticks.

    I can recall many instances where at the time a given machine came out, for example, Apple said you couldn’t put (certain size or combo of RAM) in it — mainly because of either macOS limitations or just because those modules didn’t exist in the market at the time. A quick check of Everymac.com shows many examples of “Apple said you couldn’t put more than X amount of RAM in this machine, but you can now”.
    watto_cobra
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