iMac Pro Teardown Highlights Modular RAM, CPU and SSD Along With Redesigned Internals

[AxiomaticRubric]

Apple, design these with a hinged door or something so the whole thing opens up and can be worked on and upgraded easily. Design is not just about looks. Function is important too.

This is the bean counter design. Its function is to increase Apple's revenue by promoting hardware replacement, as opposed to hardware upgrades.

 

[cmaier]

This is the bean counter design. It's function is to increase Apple's revenue by promoting hardware replacement, as opposed to hardware upgrades.

For some customers, sealed design is a feature. I know my employer doesn’t want me tinkering with the components in the machine they give me.

 

[VictorTango777]

This is what happens when business and politics gets in the way of engineering. Were Apple hardware engineers specifically told to make the iMac so that accessing the most basic components requires major surgery and total disassembly? The serviceability in all recent iMacs is completely reversed from the first iMac G5 (without camera).

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+RAM+Replacement/872

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+Hard+Drive+Replacement/873

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+Power+Supply+Replacement/877
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For some customers, sealed design is a feature. I know my employer doesn’t want me tinkering with the components in the machine they give me.

Weak argument. The G3, G4, G5, and Mac Pro towers had lockable side panels. Installing a Kensington lock on original iMac G5 prevented the back cover from being removed. And it prevented the computer from walking away.

 

[cmaier]

This is what happens when business and politics gets in the way of engineering. Were Apple hardware engineers specifically told to make the iMac so that accessing the most basic components requires major surgery and total disassembly? The serviceability in all recent iMacs is completely reversed from the first iMac G5 (without camera).

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+RAM+Replacement/872

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+Hard+Drive+Replacement/873

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+G5+20-Inch+Model+A1076+Power+Supply+Replacement/877
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Weak argument. The G3, G4, G5, and Mac Pro towers had lockable side panels. Installing a Kensington lock on original iMac G5 prevented the back cover from being removed. And it prevented the computer from walking away.

For my employer, this saves the hassle of having to get 14,000 Kensington locks and manage their keys.

 

[VictorTango777]

For my employer, this saves the hassle of having to get 14,000 Kensington locks and manage their keys.

Another weak argument. If your company really has such a large number of computers, the lock manufacturers can provide locks that use the same master key, or combo locks that let IT management set the combination. And unless you actually work in that company's IT department and are responsible for repairs, you have no business speaking for them.

 

[cmaier]

Another weak argument. If your company really has such a large number of computers, the lock manufacturers can provide locks that use the same master key, or combo locks that let IT management set the combination. And unless you actually work in that company's IT department and are responsible for repairs, you have no business speaking for them.

A master lock is a terrible idea. One of those goes walking and you are screwed.

 

[dutchyonabike]

Yeah, I still have a 2008 Mac Pro with a metal side door like that. I have upgraded the GPU multiple times, and I put a super fast SSD in one of the PCI slots and it boots up as fast as this $5,000 iMac "Pro". That 2008 Mac Pro is faster than my 2013 iMac that was purchased 5 years after the Mac Pro, because of the upgrades.

My $6,000 2013 Mac Pro (price doesn't include monitors or hard drives outside of the internal 256 gig SSD) is slower than a 2010 Mac Pro that is upgraded with a current GPU.

I'm waiting for a new Mac Pro that has slots. This time next year, I'll buy that or I'll buy a custom PC and switch from Apple Final Cut Pro X to Davinci Resolve for Windows.

I gave up waiting for a new Mac Pro and jumped to a 16core Threadripper, using Premiere Pro. Glad I did, as High Sierra has been a nightmare on my old Mac Pro. I really love my PC, words I NEVER thought I'd say.

 

[Guy Clark]

Really silly to post this. How about post the same ‘90s advert for the iMac and see how they’re touting its upgradability?

There will be a modular Mac Pro coming. This is not the modual machine. This is an iMac Pro. Pro specs, iMac chassis. It can’t be that difficult to grasp.

On the contrary the post is merely highlighting how un-upgradeable Macs have become. A prime example being the iMac pre Slimline design. A 21.5" iMac from 2011 could be cracked open and the user could tweak away with ease as the internals are mostly screwed together. Moved forward a year to a 21.5" iMac from 2012 with the introduction of the Slimline design and the iMac needs to be completely dismantled just to upgrade the RAM.

 

[dutchyonabike]

I personally know many of them. It started when Apple really screwed up their Final Cut Pro X launch by putting out Alpha quality software. A huge number of Final Cut Pro 7 users switched to Adobe Premiere Pro, and since the entire Adobe suite is exactly the same on Windows, a huge number of people switched to Windows PCs.

And this company, Apple, that has over $200 billion cash on hand hasn't really wanted to make pro software that the entire industry craves. Whenever I say I use Final Cut Pro X, I get chuckles. That's Apple's fault. They should have a suite that makes Adobe's suite look like stone age software. And I love Final Cut Pro X, and I love Apple Motion 5, except there are some really boneheaded missing features in both. And so they aren't serious.

So you have pro software like Davinci Resolve that now has editing, and world class color grading that makes it the industry standard, and it's on Windows, you got to ask why run the same software on a $5K iMac Pro (minimum)?

Apple is really blowing it in the pro industry. Windows 10 is better than the previous version and it will continue to get better.

People are buying Amazon Echos for smart home tech.

The Apple TV has an idiotic remote and a UI from hell and my PS4 does better at streaming.

The Google phone has a fantastic camera and is the best Android phone.

Apple is Microsoft in the year 2000.

I used FCP 7 from day one, then jumped to Premiere Pro after Apple stopped selling FCP7. Now with Adobe CC I no reason to stay on Mac for my work. I jumped to PC and will likely stay here for many years to come.

 

[VictorTango777]

A master lock is a terrible idea. One of those goes walking and you are screwed.

You are really embarrassing yourself with your reaching. One can lock a serviceable computer. But one cannot make an unserviceable computer suddenly serviceable.

 

[cmaier]

You are really embarrassing yourself with your reaching. One can lock a serviceable computer. But one cannot make an unserviceable computer suddenly serviceable.

My employer doesn’t service anything. When the machine breaks they swap in an identical one and send the broken machine off for service. Your solution is fifteen thousand keys (and you can’t explain why a master key isn’t a terrible insecure idea).

 

[Bryan Bowler]

What a stupid device.

Makes about as much sense as a disposable mansion.

Jealous?

 

[dantroline]

This is the bean counter design. It's function is to increase Apple's revenue by promoting hardware replacement, as opposed to hardware upgrades.

Apple's design philosophy used to come from an engineering and ergonomics perspective. Now it comes from an accounting and marketing perspective. Deep down we all know, Apple is losing its edge and giving the competition free kick after free kick.

It's just not a compelling device.

 

[macguru9999]

Does it get throttled when its battery is under 80% capacity?

I just had to replace the HD in a mac mini late 2014 with a samsung evo ssd. All went fine but i am still angry about the effort required to upgrade this totally impractical design. Now we have another imac pro which requires a strip down to add ram. Admittedly it sounds great speedwise but I despair about the next mac pro design and wonder if it really will be upgradeable.. I mean all you really need is a squatter version of the old cheesegrater tower with a space grey paint job. A dozen or so xeon cores on a current chipset mobo and space for multiple blade ssds and some conventional drives and regular graphic cards such as nvidia titan, radeon vega etc, and a big tough power supply to suit !

 

[dewasinting]

Does it get throttled when its battery is under 80% capacity?

No, because it does not have batteries.

Yes, if your iMac Pro detects that you don't paste the Apple logo sticker on your car.
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For my employer, this saves the hassle of having to get 14,000 Kensington locks and manage their keys.

No one buys 14,000 Macs all at once

 

[Michael Scrip]

I just had to replace the HD in a mac mini late 2014 with a samsung evo ssd. All went fine but i am still angry about the effort required to upgrade this totally impractical design. Now we have another imac pro which requires a strip down to add ram. Admittedly it sounds great speedwise but I despair about the next mac pro design and wonder if it really will be upgradeable.. I mean all you really need is a squatter version of the old cheesegrater tower with a space grey paint job. A dozen or so xeon cores on a current chipset mobo and space for multiple blade ssds and some conventional drives and regular graphic cards such as nvidia titan, radeon vega etc, and a big tough power supply to suit!

Everything you asked for is available from companies who are not named Apple...

So if MacOS isn't a requirement... there are plenty of companies who will sell you powerful workstations in all shapes and sizes. And they'll let you upgrade them too!

What we're seeing from Apple demonstrates the danger of a single-vendor platform. If Apple doesn't offer what you want... you're stuck. And we end up with threads like "Waiting for ______" here on MacRumors.

I realize Windows isn't as "elegant" as MacOS... and there might be little niggles here and there by comparison...

But you can get the hardware you want.

 

[dazzer21-2]

I supported 5,000+ Pros at ESPN, guess how many ever upgraded their machines? None. The iMac Pro is a business leasing computer that some independents will purchase.

You want upgrades, that's why they're remaking the Mac Pro. There's NOTHING to complain about here.

At last. This, people. THIS!!

 

[femike]

I would prefer if this same cooling design and improved speakers were in the standard iMac range, but the drawback would be no ram door.
Anyway, I'm not a fan of this iMac design due to thermals and lack of access doors for ram and ssd and a few other things.

 

[Timur]

Definitely looks that way. IBM’s site is the first result for “enterprise AppleCare”

https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/applecare-for-enterprise

Very good. What does it cost?

 

[dilbert99]

Form over function, I guess Jony can't design a system that allows users to change the ram themselves. Maybe they need a better designer?

 

[H2SO4]

Apple, design these with a hinged door or something so the whole thing opens up and can be worked on and upgraded easily. Design is not just about looks. Function is important too.

Yes, but not so much with computers and Apple know this all too well. Wait until the iCar is released and they make it so that there is now flap to fill it with gas, see how well that goes down.
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Form over function, I guess Jony can't design a system that allows users to change the ram themselves. Maybe they need a better designer?

That is exactly what makes him an average designer in my opinion. Cars wouldn't look like they did if they never had to meet crash regulations.
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For some customers, sealed design is a feature. I know my employer doesn’t want me tinkering with the components in the machine they give me.

Then they can put proprietary bolts on it.

 

[MacBH928]

I don't get it, back in the 80s and 90s it was profitable to build computers and sell them and they will be upgradable. Now when computers are everywhere you have to make them absolutely difficult to upgrade and fix so it would push you to buy a new computer in few years.

 

[barmann]

For some customers, sealed design is a feature. I know my employer doesn’t want me tinkering with the components in the machine they give me.

For some people , erectile dysfunction is a feature .
There, I posted made-up nonsense on the internet , let's discuss !

 

[PBG4 Dude]

For some people , erectile dysfunction is a feature .
There, I posted made-up nonsense on the internet , let's discuss !

Except his post isn’t made-up nonsense. My employer doesn’t allow tinkering with work computers either due to regulations around the data being analyzed. Hell, the only way to get software installed is through encrypted package delivery so only software dual-authorized can be pushed to a computer.

 

[filmak]

Does it get throttled when its battery is under 80% capacity?

Yes, when its new version will be out later...


(Oh! By the way, it's already throttled...)