Totally changes the top of the earlier "Phoenix" concept, and the airflow looks to be total shitte...
Huh. Lots of fanfic in the MR forums, fun to look at but I can't be bothered with all the arguing back and forth over how these concepts would function in real life, etc.
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Yeah, I see the modular aspect of it (separate monitor definition aside) as applying to internal modularity...?
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
Apple are selling lots of Mac Mini's to data centres, so why not a rackable/stackable solution more elegant than this (see pic)?
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
Apple are selling lots of Mac Mini's to data centres, so why not a rackable/stackable solution more elegant than this (see pic)?
Apple did servers, then they didn't...
Doubt they will jump in again...
Right now, we just want a modern Apple personal desktop workstation that is not an all-in-one nor a tiny Mac mini hooked to a huge overpriced eGPU...
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
Apple’s SoC has an AI “accelerator”. If the phone and tablets can have it, why not eventually make one available to a Mac?
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
Well assuming the Spec sheet is real and maybe old, what other custom processors have Apple developed that would be useful in a Mac?
So the "X2" option are either a custom dispatch processor or Neutral Engine. Both would be seem to highly valuable.
Agree Apple wouldn't depoly MacOS in a data centre but given they are depolying alot of hardware in data centres then having a mainboard that works in either a desktop case with standalone power and data or switch for a metal slide and have it pick up rack power and data. Would seem to me to be a great way to increase turnover reduce inventory keep it fresh.
"Modular" means that it will be rackable or stackable in some way. Like a couple of MacMinis with a SuperDrive, a multi-Terabyte drive or two and an Airport Extreme one on top of the other, but with the same form factor and a clever way of connecting them. Notwithstanding the Xserve, a rack would be very non-Apple, so I expect something much more elegant than that. Better too than the RackMac MacMini product. Also expect the CPU module to be water or oil cooled. Hope we don't have to wait much longer!
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Although with talk of AI accelorator a rackable machine (based on say OpenCompute modules) would allow Apple to dog food the a Bare bones MacPro and have full manufacturing control of some of the machines they deploy for iCloud services. The retail version would just wrap it in fancy case.
Talk of AI accelerator? What? They're not using Macs in their iCloud data centers.
Apple are selling lots of Mac Mini's to data centres, so why not a rackable/stackable solution more elegant than this (see pic)?
Because Apple doesn’t use Macs in its data centers... this is niche stuff for people who want to rent Mac servers, not something you’d ever see installed in an enterprise data center.
2.5-width slots give dual-width GPUs room to breathe x8 dual-width slot for the 12G SDI 8K video I/O folks, or a wicked fast NVMe-based RAID card
Ports: four TB3 / USB-C, four USB-A, dual 10Gb Ethernet, one 3.5mm headphone jack
The above could be in the middle chassis, but if it could all be crammed into the far right chassis (without thermal throttling issues), that would be great...
Oh yeah, and if we could get that in Space Grey...? Thanks, Tim...!
Now, I see your modular Mac Pro, and raise you one over-engineered masterpiece...
7.7" cubed, but with the same vertical curved corners as the Mac mini (of which we are sharing the width & depth dimensions), appropriately sized feet to match the proportions of the chassis while still providing appropriate breathing room for bottom intake fan.
So, with that view of the layout on the Space Grey Mac mini, we move to the 7.7" Cube modular Mac Pro version...
Take the same PSU concept, make it go all the way up in the 7.7" tall (excluding feet) chassis. That should allow about 6x the volume for the PSU than in the mini. The mini PSU is 120W, hopefully Apple can do a 750W PSU...?
So now we have three of the 'interior walls' flat, but one still has those pesky curved corners (the one across from the PSU). What to do...? Storage...! Four 2.5" SSDs (two stacks of two SSDs) should not be an issue. That 'flattens out' the fourth 'interior wall'.
So on the inside of the front of the chassis, there will be a backplane with four daughtercard slots, all arraigned vertically.
First daughtercard next to the PSU is the main daughtercard, Threadripper 3 as outlined in above post, but only the two 180W versions (24C/48T & 32C/64T) with copper vapor chamber heatsink & four SO-DIMM slots (RAM slots located below PCH heat sink), & T2 chip with two (Apple-proprietary) NVMe SSDs; heatsink fins & RAM oriented vertically. Let's say the package 'stack' (daughtercard PCB / socket / CPU / vapor chamber heatsink) is 60mm thick, 140mm tall, & as wide as possible. Smaller copper vapor chamber heat sink on PCH as well. T2 / SSDs located on backside of PCB.
The next two daughtercard slots would be PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, for (Apple-proprietary) GPUs, more copper vapor chamber heat sinks with vertically oriented fins. Let's say these package 'stacks' are 30mm thick, with the heat sinks 140mm tall & as wide as possible.
GPU options (again, these are all going to be Apple-proprietary, not drop-in industry standard PCIe GPUs), all these have internal pass-thru (via the backplane) from GPU to rear TB3 / USB-C I/O.
Final daughtercard is the rear I/O card, this will be a 10mm thick package; four TB3 / USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, two 10Gb Ethernet ports, one 3.5mm headphone jack. If Apple has some nice ultra-high speed backplane action, this could allow I/O to be upgraded in the future!
Two Apple-specific (one can hope) Noctua Chromax NF-A14x25 PWM fans , one on the bottom as intake & the other on the top as exhaust. Fans 'smart-controlled' by inputs from a myriad of temp sensors.
So...! All that. packed into a 7.5 liter volume (not including feet).
Comments
Totally changes the top of the earlier "Phoenix" concept, and the airflow looks to be total shitte...
My read on Schiller’s use of modular was to mean a headless Mac coupled with a display. Specifically, because he mentioned it in the context of AIO systems like the iMac. Maybe also to include things like user accessible/removable storage or cards etc but I’m no way would I assume they ever meant to imply stackable or rackable LEGOesque components.
Doubt they will jump in again...
Right now, we just want a modern Apple personal desktop workstation that is not an all-in-one nor a tiny Mac mini hooked to a huge overpriced eGPU...
Ditch the front I/O & have a TouchID power button behind the Apple logo...
Processors: 7nm Zen 2 Ryzen Threadripper 3
- 3990WX 64C/128T, 3.5GHZ/4.2GHz, 250W
- 3970WX 48C/96T, 3.5GHZ/4.2GHz, 250W
- 3950X 32C/64T, 3.7GHz/4.4GHz, 180W
- 3920X 24C/48T, 3.7GHz/4.4GHz, 180W
Memory: Quad-channel, ECC DDR4, eight DIMM slots, maximum 512GB BTO, 64GB standard (4 @ 16GB DIMMs), user serviceableSamsung A-die DIMMS, high-speed, low-latency, high-density, up to 64GB sticks
Storage: T2 (T3?) with dual Apple-proprietary SSDs in RAID, ~4GB/s read and write, 2 TB standard, up to 8 TB BTO
Graphics: PCIe 4.0, two triple-width slots (x16, x16), one double-width slot (x8)
- AMD Radeon VII, 7nm Vega 20, 60CU, 16GB HBM2
- AMD Radeon RX 3090X, 7nm Navi 20, 64CU, 8GB GDDR6 (available Q2 2020)
- AMD Radeon RX 3080X, 7nm Navi 10, 56CU, 8GB GDDR6
- AMD Radeon RX 3070X, 7nm Navi 10, 48CU, 8GB GDDR6
2.5-width slots give dual-width GPUs room to breathex8 dual-width slot for the 12G SDI 8K video I/O folks, or a wicked fast NVMe-based RAID card
Ports: four TB3 / USB-C, four USB-A, dual 10Gb Ethernet, one 3.5mm headphone jack
The above could be in the middle chassis, but if it could all be crammed into the far right chassis (without thermal throttling issues), that would be great...
Oh yeah, and if we could get that in Space Grey...? Thanks, Tim...!
Thunderbolt 4 was weird enough. What is Thunderbolt Pro?