Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How Can I Turn Two Identical Macs Into One Powerful Workstation?

Y

YouKnowMacroon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hey everyone,

I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.

I understand I probably can’t literally merge them into a single macOS system, but I’m looking for the closest possible setup where both Macs can work together efficiently.

My goal is to use them for heavy workflows like:

  • Development
  • Docker/server workloads
  • rendering/exports
  • possibly local AI tools in the future
Right now I’m wondering:

  • Can two identical Intel MacBook Pros be configured to share workloads effectively?
  • What’s the best way to make them behave like one seamless workstation?
  • Is Thunderbolt networking worth setting up between them?
  • Can one Mac act as a dedicated compute/render server while the other stays responsive for daily work?
  • Any recommended tools for distributed processing, shared storage, or remote execution?
  • Has anyone here built a similar dual-Mac setup successfully?
Both machines are:
MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) — A2141

Would appreciate any practical setup ideas, architecture suggestions, or workflows from people who’ve experimented with something similar. Thanks.
 
I really don't think you can, easily. And it seems to me the amount of effort and money you'd need to throw at it to force it to happen (from the perspective of nothing is impossible) you'd be better off with just a newer computer.

If these are the the most recent (maybe, only) Macs you have experience of, I don't have words to fully explain how even a used M-series MBP from the last couple of years is so exponentially more powerful than what you currently own, that any effort and money you expend trying to make a frankenstein 'super computer' out of two seven year old laptops is going to be entirely nugatory, because a newer M-series MBP will still wipe the floor with it in every metric.
 
Last edited:
You'd be honestly better off upgrading to a single Apple Silicon machine.

I had a decked out 2019 Intel MBP for work and it was noisy, often sluggish when driven hard etc. The Apple Silicon models are just plain better.

The only way I can see what you consider working is to use one of the computers as the machine for running Docker containers, render tasks etc. and then using your local network to access those containers or to send files to render. But how you can set it up as a render machine will depend on what you use.

Maybe you can use remote access features so your Mac #1 runs closed in clamshell mode and you use Mac #2 to remote control it?
 
Last edited:
Don't know all about what you've written & not what you're asking which I think is similar to what Apple did with logic nodes years ago (but only for one programme), if you're looking to separate things, the closest you're likely to get (imo) is screen sharing from one to the other.
 
YouKnowMacroon said:
I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.
Click to expand...
Yes - sell them and put the money towards a M5 Mac.

Seriously, though - they have a few more years before support for Mac OS Tahoe goes away, and can still do what they did in 2019. SOmeone who didn't need cutting edge could get a few years useful work out of them.

One thing, though - if you're using Docker etc. then they might be useful for running x86-based Docker containers, so maybe install Linux directly on one of them, which might be more effective than running Docker via Linux in a VM under MacOS.

There are tools for "distributed compilation" if you're doing big C/C++ builds - but it depends on what you're doing and, again, a new M5 might still be faster.
 
maflynn said:
Instead of trying to lash together two 7 year old computers, why not just bite the bullet and buy a new mac?

Better performance, better battery life, better support, especially moving foreward with macos 27
Click to expand...
because he has 2 machines currently and maybe doesn't want to or can spend money for a new one and is asking if this is a possibility?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ignatius345
dukebound85 said:
because he has 2 machines currently and maybe doesn't want to or can spend money for a new one and is asking if this is a possibility?
Click to expand...

I'm only providing input on the futile aspect of trying to extend the life span of a computer who's day has long passed it by (well 2 computers).

One could certainly debate whether purchasing a new computer is worthwhile, but it’s difficult to argue against the impracticality of attempting to combine two aging machines into a single functional unit and expecting them to handle modern workloads, especially AI related tasks.

Edit, by the way, I'm largely not saying anything different then any other respondent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arefbe and Flowstates
Nope, not really. You're only advantage is in having two machines that need to do intensive tasks... you can kick one intensive task off on one machine and have the other machine for doing everything else. But the idea of combining their compute power through some hyper fast networking - no, not really. I wondered if it'd be worth to install two Linux Server OS's on each and then create a kind of work cluster, but laptops are REALLY not ideal for server workloads. When workload sharing comes into the picture, you're talking more server infrastructure than consumer laptop areas.
 
YouKnowMacroon said:
Hey everyone,

I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.

I understand I probably can’t literally merge them into a single macOS system, but I’m looking for the closest possible setup where both Macs can work together efficiently.

My goal is to use them for heavy workflows like:

  • Development
  • Docker/server workloads
  • rendering/exports
  • possibly local AI tools in the future
Right now I’m wondering:

  • Can two identical Intel MacBook Pros be configured to share workloads effectively?
  • What’s the best way to make them behave like one seamless workstation?
  • Is Thunderbolt networking worth setting up between them?
  • Can one Mac act as a dedicated compute/render server while the other stays responsive for daily work?
  • Any recommended tools for distributed processing, shared storage, or remote execution?
  • Has anyone here built a similar dual-Mac setup successfully?
Both machines are:
MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) — A2141

Would appreciate any practical setup ideas, architecture suggestions, or workflows from people who’ve experimented with something similar. Thanks.
Click to expand...
No, not in the way you imagine. For a start, you have no way to get the the two CPUs to talk to each other fast enough to make this worthwhile. All you can do is network them via ethernet.
 
Last edited:
Sorry but your ideas are not realistic. Buy a Studio Mac with plenty of RAM; or a MBP with plenty of RAM if you sometimes need mobility.

RAM costs money of course, but you will get what you pay for, and you did say "heavy workflows" in the OP. Some might say load up a Mini, except that you mostly can not load up a Mini, and if you do try you reach very close to Studio pricing. A Studio handles the heat involved in heavy workflows well while a Mini does not.
 
Last edited:
YouKnowMacroon said:
Hey everyone,

I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.

I understand I probably can’t literally merge them into a single macOS system, but I’m looking for the closest possible setup where both Macs can work together efficiently.
Click to expand...

I believe there are two issues here:
1) what can be done with today's software to do what you want
2) is it a good use of your time

As far as #2, probably not but that doesn't mean it can't be a learning experience that could carry over to other setups in the future.

As far as #1, it all comes down to software. In the way people run clusters of distributed PC running Linux, similar could be done on your laptops. However, this requires a combination of system and application support, and I am not aware of anything out-of-the-box to handle the system side.

If you are using commercial software, if it doesn't support it then that's that.

If you just want to fire off Docker containers to run on other systems that should be relatively straightforward (though I've never done it myself).

If you're writing your own software, you can definitely make it happen but will likely be out of the mainstream. The historical standard way to do this was MPI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_Passing_Interface

But it's almost like programming assembly language and you should look at some of the other languages listed at the bottom of that Wikipedia article. On the Apple-specific side, look at Distributed Objects Support:
developer.apple.com

Distributed Objects Support | Apple Developer Documentation

Enable communication among objects in different processes, both locally and on remote systems.
developer.apple.com developer.apple.com


YouKnowMacroon said:
My goal is to use them for heavy workflows like:

  • Development
  • Docker/server workloads
  • rendering/exports
  • possibly local AI tools in the future
Right now I’m wondering:
Click to expand...

YouKnowMacroon said:
  • Can two identical Intel MacBook Pros be configured to share workloads effectively?
  • What’s the best way to make them behave like one seamless workstation?
Click to expand...

Not automatically, seamlessly with standard Mac apps. Having CPU (or possibly GPU) intense things running on all c ores of all machines simultaneous is possible but likely going to require explicit intervention on your part

YouKnowMacroon said:
  • Is Thunderbolt networking worth setting up between them?
Click to expand...

For the cost of a TB3 cable, it wouldn't hurt though it may not be your bottleneck depending on your applications. I am not aware of it enabling any special macOS features that will automatically make what you are trying to do easier.

YouKnowMacroon said:
  • Can one Mac act as a dedicated compute/render server while the other stays responsive for daily work?
Click to expand...
Technically yes but not as a simple configuration option. There would need to be some mechanism to initiate the job on the 2nd computer (and of course a shared filesystem and/or bringing the results back). Things running in a Docker container should be easiest to bounce around.

YouKnowMacroon said:
  • Any recommended tools for distributed processing, shared storage, or remote execution?
Click to expand...

Look at clustering software, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, etc. Your options range from some DIY things like sharing files over NFS and enabling SSH so you can remote login from the Terminal to running the same clustering software used at supercomputing centers.

Note that distributed AI models are tougher. On the Apple Silicon side there are experiments with special software using RDMA over Thunderbolt:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2001817749744476256

But this is hacker stuff and I don't believe supported on Intel Mac (you're probably better off trying this with Linux if you really want to play with this on Intel but then not sure Linux on Mac drivers support RDMA over Thunderbolt...).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brian33 and Flowstates
YouKnowMacroon said:
I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.
Click to expand...
You want to buid a Beowulf cluster?

www.instructables.com

ICluster - Build an Imac Cluster

ICluster - Build an Imac Cluster: What better thing could you do with 4 imacs than turn them into a cluster? A cluster, for anyone wondering, in general terms, is a group of connected computers that work together to complete a task.
www.instructables.com www.instructables.com

jondeaton.wordpress.com

Building a Beowulf Cluster from old MacBooks: Part 1

How I turned a few old MacBooks into a computing cluster.
jondeaton.wordpress.com jondeaton.wordpress.com
 
YouKnowMacroon said:
Hey everyone,

I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.

I understand I probably can’t literally merge them into a single macOS system, but I’m looking for the closest possible setup where both Macs can work together efficiently.

My goal is to use them for heavy workflows like:

  • Development
  • Docker/server workloads
  • rendering/exports
  • possibly local AI tools in the future
Right now I’m wondering:

  • Can two identical Intel MacBook Pros be configured to share workloads effectively?
  • What’s the best way to make them behave like one seamless workstation?
  • Is Thunderbolt networking worth setting up between them?
  • Can one Mac act as a dedicated compute/render server while the other stays responsive for daily work?
  • Any recommended tools for distributed processing, shared storage, or remote execution?
  • Has anyone here built a similar dual-Mac setup successfully?
Both machines are:
MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) — A2141

Would appreciate any practical setup ideas, architecture suggestions, or workflows from people who’ve experimented with something similar. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I apologize if this is authentic but it has a bunch of watermarks that tend to be written using linguistics of chat bots. The questions being asked are incredibly current about the future such as distributed computing and networking. Those planned use cases very few people would be doing without having significant technical and practical CS competence and I just truly don’t understand how a question of thunderbolt networking being worth setting up is even on your radar?

To be clear, I’m not trying to be rude but the reality of the current landscape is that there are bad actors using a variety of methods to obfuscate sencondary gain motives that are not in the spirit of the actual written question.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flowstates
YouKnowMacroon said:
Hey everyone,

I currently have two MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) machines — both are Model A2141 — and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to combine their power/resources into what feels like one massive workstation setup.

I understand I probably can’t literally merge them into a single macOS system, but I’m looking for the closest possible setup where both Macs can work together efficiently.

My goal is to use them for heavy workflows like:

  • Development
  • Docker/server workloads
  • rendering/exports
  • possibly local AI tools in the future
Click to expand...

You can split compiles and docker workloads across them, rendering and other batch jobs you could do half on each, local AI nope.

All this will be manual work for you to do to intelligently split the workload. Probably time you don’t want to spend - human time is more expensive than computer time.

You’d be better off with a single mac mini, but if you have no budget, see above.

But combining them into a single powerful workstation? Nope. Even if you could combine them seamlessly, which you can’t, the pair of them will be outperformed in most things by a modern (M3+) macbook air.
 
To add another high potential risk of your MBP's, is the keyboards failing. In your case you are effectively doubling the chances of the Butterfly KB going belly up. For this alone I'd sell both (whilst they're functional) and move to an M class laptop or desktop.

www.macrumors.com

MacBook Pro / Air Butterfly Keyboard Issues (Repeating, Stuck, Unresponsive)

Apple in 2015 and 2016 introduced updated keyboards for its MacBook and MacBook Pro, debuting a butterfly key mechanism with home switches beneath each key that minimize thickness while also providing a satisfying press under the fingers. Butterfly keys were offered in Macs between 2015 and 2019.
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
OP never returned so this is more and more looking like a chatbot farming answers, just like @Flowstates said. The signs were there, including far too detailed scenarios and uses cases, for an initial enquiry question. And we've been successfully farmed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flowstates and maflynn
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back