Rackmountable Mac Pro now available from $6,499

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2020
Arriving a little over a month after its desk-based counterpart, the rack-mountable version of the Mac Pro is now available to order, with the high-performance workstation starting from $6,499.




The alternative to the standard "Tower" version of the new modular Mac Pro, the Mac Pro "Rack" has gone on sale via the Apple website as of midday Eastern time on Tuesday. At this early period of availability, the variant is currently listed as having a shipment date of between 1 and 2 weeks, though this is likely to grow longer as orders pick up.

Priced at $500 more than the normal Mac Pro, the rackmount version is effectively the same in the vast majority of respects, including specifications. All internal elements, including processors, memory, storage, GPU, and Afterburner card options, are identical to the desktop version.

It is also just as upgradable, with components able to be added or removed at the user's end, without requiring Apple's support. While the entire case lifted off to access the insides of the standard version, the rack-mountable edition has a lid that can be taken off once the unit is slid out from its mounted position, like many other server cases.






Designed to lie on its side, the rackable model repositions the metal handles to the front, which still sports the unique 3D lattice grille. Locks on the sides, a power button, status indicator LED, and two USB-C ports are also positioned at the front.

Around the back is the same rear access panel as the desk-based version, including PCI card and MPX Module slots and the power connection.




Naturally, the Mac Pro also includes rails for mounting it to a cabinet as part of the order, but Apple warns the rails will ship in a separate box.

Despite the likelihood of being locked away in a server cabinet, Apple is still including peripherals along with the rack-mountable version. A keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 ship with it by default, but the latter can be upgraded to the Magic Trackpad 2, or both the mouse and trackpad can be ordered.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 37
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,726member
    If you didn't know those were two handles sticking out you would think they were gaps for your hands to go in to grate cheese with.
    cornchip
  • Reply 2 of 37
    thttht Posts: 5,660member
    How does one change RAM on this thing?

    I assume the whole case doesn’t slide off, and there is a door on the top side to get access to the PCIe slots. But the RAM on the underside of the motherboard? A bottom door? There will be some craning of necks involved?
  • Reply 3 of 37
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,842member

    Naturally, the Mac Pro also includes rails for mounting it to a cabinet as part of the order, but Apple warns the rails will ship in a separate box.
    I think you mean "surprisingly," and that they're not a $499 add on. 

    Now we have a proper Mac Pro again, how about a server version with redundant PSUs and LOM for schools and businesses? Along with a proper version of macOS Server?
    dysamoriadoozydozenElCapitan
  • Reply 4 of 37
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,304member
    tht said:
    How does one change RAM on this thing?

    I assume the whole case doesn’t slide off, and there is a door on the top side to get access to the PCIe slots. But the RAM on the underside of the motherboard? A bottom door? There will be some craning of necks involved?
    If you look at the photo of the rack-mounted Mac Pro there's two slider locks at the sides (along with two TB3 ports on the front) and what appears to be locks on the upper part of the sides to remove the "top" cover plate. I searched for more information on installing memory but Apple only shows how to install memory in the upright version (so far). The fact the front panel comes off should mean there's a way to get to the bottom but until Apple shows the inside of this Mac Pro, we'll have to do a lot of guessing.


    caladaniandoozydozenwatto_cobragordy
  • Reply 5 of 37
    thttht Posts: 5,660member
    rob53 said:
    tht said:
    How does one change RAM on this thing?

    I assume the whole case doesn’t slide off, and there is a door on the top side to get access to the PCIe slots. But the RAM on the underside of the motherboard? A bottom door? There will be some craning of necks involved?
    If you look at the photo of the rack-mounted Mac Pro there's two slider locks at the sides (along with two TB3 ports on the front) and what appears to be locks on the upper part of the sides to remove the "top" cover plate. I searched for more information on installing memory but Apple only shows how to install memory in the upright version (so far). The fact the front panel comes off should mean there's a way to get to the bottom but until Apple shows the inside of this Mac Pro, we'll have to do a lot of guessing.
    Yup, a lot of guessing on how the server case is designed until somebody does a disassembly of it. The hole patterning on the back is back to the regular old 2D hole patterns that can be stamped, rather than the opposable hemispherical bores. The steel tube frame looks like it is gone. There has to be a bottom door of some kind to access the RAM and NAND cards.

    I’m still curious if they will ship MPX CPU “blades”. There should be enough room in the MPX platform to have 1 socket per MPX model, possibly 2 CPU sockets per MPX module. This would essentially be for macOS hosting or for iOS and macOS developers who have server apps that are developed for their services. It would offer maximum compatibility and denser cores per rack for these rack mount Mac Pros. If MacStadium can have a business with racks of Mac mini’s, and even 2013 Mac Pros and iMacs, having this rack Mac Pro capable of 3 to 5 sockets sounds like something they could use.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 37
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    Based on the images on Apple's site, yes, the RAM slots have to be on the bottom. It looks like they use exactly the same motherboard for the tower and the rackmount version.

    I am a little surprised the server version doesn't have redundant power or a DC option.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 37
    rain22rain22 Posts: 132member

    Rackmountable Mac Pro now available from $6,499

    and 7 people cheered... 
  • Reply 8 of 37
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,307member
    Can’t wait to see these in some road racks. Some of the production guys I’ve talked to seemed eager to replace the old towers they have. They won’t even sneeze at the price either. 
    edited January 2020 cornchipdoozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 37
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,304member
    tht said:
    rob53 said:
    tht said:
    How does one change RAM on this thing?

    I assume the whole case doesn’t slide off, and there is a door on the top side to get access to the PCIe slots. But the RAM on the underside of the motherboard? A bottom door? There will be some craning of necks involved?
    If you look at the photo of the rack-mounted Mac Pro there's two slider locks at the sides (along with two TB3 ports on the front) and what appears to be locks on the upper part of the sides to remove the "top" cover plate. I searched for more information on installing memory but Apple only shows how to install memory in the upright version (so far). The fact the front panel comes off should mean there's a way to get to the bottom but until Apple shows the inside of this Mac Pro, we'll have to do a lot of guessing.
    Yup, a lot of guessing on how the server case is designed until somebody does a disassembly of it. The hole patterning on the back is back to the regular old 2D hole patterns that can be stamped, rather than the opposable hemispherical bores. The steel tube frame looks like it is gone. There has to be a bottom door of some kind to access the RAM and NAND cards.

    I’m still curious if they will ship MPX CPU “blades”. There should be enough room in the MPX platform to have 1 socket per MPX model, possibly 2 CPU sockets per MPX module. This would essentially be for macOS hosting or for iOS and macOS developers who have server apps that are developed for their services. It would offer maximum compatibility and denser cores per rack for these rack mount Mac Pros. If MacStadium can have a business with racks of Mac mini’s, and even 2013 Mac Pros and iMacs, having this rack Mac Pro capable of 3 to 5 sockets sounds like something they could use.

    Disregard the stupid comment about 7 people cheering and think about who will use this type of computer. I can see it being used by the same people using the upright version, simply choosing to install it in a desk size rack along with a rack mounted RAID and possibly a rack mounted UPS system. It's a 5U rack, while you can get 2U, 3U (and larger) RAID racks along with an APC UPS (2U/3U) meaning these three would take 10U of rack space (a quarter rack). That fits easily under a typical desk leaving the entire work surface available for displays, keyboards and other devices. A typical rack is 42U high meaning eight Mac Pros could fit in one rack. That's a lot of processing power in a small footprint, something the upright version couldn't match.

    As for blades, I've asked about these for years. I don't think the current Mac Pro configuration would work for these, however, that doesn't mean Apple couldn't alter the basic Mac Pro interior, especially for the rack mount version, changing how the motherboard is mounted to allow for vertical/horizontal blades along with memory and storage (I'd move storage outside of the box except for a boot SSD, relying on external RAID with HDD or NVMe SSDs. I could see either large NVMe boards inside the Mac Pro or connected via a PCIe bus cable to a secondary box. The same for GPU racks. Of course Apple would need to come up with a viable server OS that works perfectly with Macs to justify looking at this truly modular high power server system.

    We can only dream. 
    caladanianelijahgwatto_cobrawelshdog
  • Reply 10 of 37
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,232member
    Meanwhile, if ordered today, models with wheels now have a lead time of nearly 2 months. What's up with that?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 37
    rain22 said:

    Rackmountable Mac Pro now available from $6,499

    and 7 people cheered... 
    I cheered, so I guess that makes 8...

    Seriously though, I think quite a few pros (myself included) are happy to see this. Rack mounting the trashcan macPros was a bit awkward (I have done many), so a real rack mount option is a welcome development.
    edited January 2020 cornchipsandordoozydozenuraharaelijahgwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 37
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,475member
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse. 

  • Reply 13 of 37
    sandorsandor Posts: 670member
    elijahg said:

    Naturally, the Mac Pro also includes rails for mounting it to a cabinet as part of the order, but Apple warns the rails will ship in a separate box.
    I think you mean "surprisingly," and that they're not a $499 add on. 

    Now we have a proper Mac Pro again, how about a server version with redundant PSUs and LOM for schools and businesses? Along with a proper version of macOS Server?
    I am fully convinced it will not happen.
    We reactively searching for solutions, with Zentyal https://blog.macsales.com/50567-a-possible-successor-to-macos-server/ being the leading contender currently 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 37
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
  • Reply 15 of 37
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    caladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 37
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    Ah, that makes sense. Yeah, that is odd. Why would anyone buying a rack-mounted workstation or server want to have a separate keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and USB-C-to-Lightning cable for every machine?


    edited January 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 37
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,475member
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    Yes, That is what I meant you can't buy a Rackable version without a keyboard and it seems more odd considering the Mac Mini doesn't have the option at all other than adding the retail keyboard and mouse and that machine is at least intended to be a desktop.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 37
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,304member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    Ah, that makes sense. Yeah, that is odd. Why would anyone buying a rack-mounted workstation or server want to have a separate keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and USB-C-to-Lightning cable for every machine?


    Because people wanting to rack mount a computer aren't necessarily just using it as a server. Please read my comment above for all the reasons.

    If the buyer doesn't want to use the keyboard or mouse then sell them. You're not paying extra for them anyway. They would only save you a couple hundred bucks and Apple would need to create special manufacturing workflows to remove them, which would end up costing Apple more money than the cost of these items.
    mdriftmeyerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 37
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    rob53 said:
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    Ah, that makes sense. Yeah, that is odd. Why would anyone buying a rack-mounted workstation or server want to have a separate keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and USB-C-to-Lightning cable for every machine?


    Because people wanting to rack mount a computer aren't necessarily just using it as a server. Please read my comment above for all the reasons.

    If the buyer doesn't want to use the keyboard or mouse then sell them. You're not paying extra for them anyway. They would only save you a couple hundred bucks and Apple would need to create special manufacturing workflows to remove them, which would end up costing Apple more money than the cost of these items.
    I beg to differ. Consumers are absolutely paying for them. If you have a datacenter filled with Mac Pros then you have a lot of extra equipment that you've absolutely paid for. Not exactly a win for eWaste when you can't exclude items that you don't need and the only answer is to sell it on Craig's List or eBay.


    mattinozcaladanian
  • Reply 20 of 37
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,475member
    Soli said:
    rob53 said:
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    mattinoz said:
    Rackmount doesn't have an option for no Keyboard or mouse.  
    ¿Que? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're getting at, but I see two USB ports on the front that can be used to attach a keyboard and mouse.
    I think what he's saying is that you can't order without a keyboard and mouse. This would be a good option for a multi-Mac Pro installation where all Macs are connected to a KVM switch with a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. (Ideally you would get a credit back for forgoing the normally included keyboard/mouse.)
    Ah, that makes sense. Yeah, that is odd. Why would anyone buying a rack-mounted workstation or server want to have a separate keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and USB-C-to-Lightning cable for every machine?


    Because people wanting to rack mount a computer aren't necessarily just using it as a server. Please read my comment above for all the reasons.

    If the buyer doesn't want to use the keyboard or mouse then sell them. You're not paying extra for them anyway. They would only save you a couple hundred bucks and Apple would need to create special manufacturing workflows to remove them, which would end up costing Apple more money than the cost of these items.
    I beg to differ. Consumers are absolutely paying for them. If you have a datacenter filled with Mac Pros then you have a lot of extra equipment that you've absolutely paid for. Not exactly a win for eWaste when you can't exclude items that you don't need and the only answer is to sell it on Craig's List or eBay.



    Although if you are buying that many I'm sure your Apple rep can get a special build with any of the consumer packagings. I do wonder if they'd go as far as racking them for you.
    watto_cobra
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