Rackmountable Mac Pro now available from $6,499

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.

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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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37 Comments

22july2013 11 Years · 3736 comments

About 4 years ago

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.

tht 23 Years · 5654 comments

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?

elijahg 18 Years · 2842 comments

AppleInsider 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?

rob53 13 Years · 3312 comments

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.

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.