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MP All Models What is (user) upgradeable on the new 2019 Mac Pro?
- Thread starter d-squared
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CPU - any other W3200 processor, probably just fine.
RAM - sure, ECC 2933 RDIMMs, best to buy in groups of six
Hard Disk - not to replace the blades that are there with anything else in those slots (other than going back to Apple for their replacement blades) but if you want to add a PCI card that takes NVMe blades itself to expand your capacity, sure, I'm sure there will be options.
GPU - if you want to take advantage of the MPX form factor you can buy one of the three options Apple has now. Aside from MPX, generally most modern AMD cards will work as just standard PCI devices, modern Nvidia doesn't have any supported drivers at this time.
All subject to people getting hands on and trying things out but in general this should be the expectation.
RAM - sure, ECC 2933 RDIMMs, best to buy in groups of six
Hard Disk - not to replace the blades that are there with anything else in those slots (other than going back to Apple for their replacement blades) but if you want to add a PCI card that takes NVMe blades itself to expand your capacity, sure, I'm sure there will be options.
GPU - if you want to take advantage of the MPX form factor you can buy one of the three options Apple has now. Aside from MPX, generally most modern AMD cards will work as just standard PCI devices, modern Nvidia doesn't have any supported drivers at this time.
All subject to people getting hands on and trying things out but in general this should be the expectation.
The Apple shipped SSD won't really be upgradable at launch, it interconnects with the T2 chip. Maybe later some company will offer an adapter, but right now I don't know if passive adopters will work with the T2.
There are two internal SATA connectors, but you'll have to buy a 3rd party (internal) drive bay .
There are two internal SATA connectors, but you'll have to buy a 3rd party (internal) drive bay .
Probably zero chance Apple will offer a CPU upgrade - upgrading a CPU is "buying a new mac". Probably very doable as a DIY thing*. Probably Apple will refuse to service if presented with a machine with a non-original CPU.
*That's assuming a big IF - that Apple will not use the T2 to place the individual CPU serial within the chain of trust. This is the first T(x) equipped machine with a non-soldered CPU AFAIK. They could very well make the machine refuse to boot if the "secure" CPU has been "tampered with".
User-serviceable.
Probably an "Apple technician only" / "In-store only" item, to key the SSDs to the T2. The chain of trust for the T2 is in part to prevent the storage being taken out, and read somewhere else, but also to prevent it being replaced with a different storage device that may be doctored to compromise the machine.
Third party storage on MPX or SATA, user-serviceable.
User-serviceable.
I think only Ram and PCI-e slot upgrade will be allowed while keeping care+ protection.
Going beyond Applecare, CPU probably.
Not being able to upgrade Power is a huge down, but then, the power used by Apple is pretty high quality.
Going beyond Applecare, CPU probably.
Not being able to upgrade Power is a huge down, but then, the power used by Apple is pretty high quality.
Why the heck would anyone want to upgrade the power supply in a 110V country? It's already pulling everything that's safe to get out of a 110V 20A outlet. I imagine it'll be a circuit-breaker flipper in some home offices, both because people plug it in to a 15A outlet by mistake (common in homes, uncommon in modern commercial buildings) and because people don't realize two outlets share a breaker and the other one has a coffee maker, a laser printer or another good-sized computer.
Another issue is things like vacuum cleaners and floor buffers that tend to be plugged in in random places for short periods of time. Leave a render running overnight and come in to discover that the custodian accidentally left a big vacuum in the middle of your scene! This thing is enough of a power hog that big configurations should be on a dedicated breaker (with other receptacles on the same breaker blocked off).
In terms of power supply quality, I can't see what could be an upgrade, short of some kind of lab power supply. This thing is going to be at least as good as the really high-end gaming power supplies (at the very least, it's something like a $500 Corsair, and I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's gone a step above that).
In 240V countries, there may be outlets that can supply substantially more power (without running something like a dryer cord). 240V 16A outlets are relatively common in offices in mainland Europe, for example.
Aside from T2 tricks, everything else should be upgradeable. The factory blade SSDs most likely aren't - nobody offers that upgrade on the iMac Pro, and that should be the same configuration. Using SSDs on a PCIe card is easy, and should even be officially supported (change secure boot settings to boot from them). RAM and GPUs are easy and officially supported. Unless they've changed something since the iMac Pro, CPU is possible - iMac Pros occasionally get CPU upgrades (unofficial).
The case where CPU upgradeability may be important is if Apple sticks to their guns on offering only the much more expensive high-memory versions of the 24 and 28 core CPUs. A small (and tech savvy) business may be able to save thousands by buying 8-core Mac Pros and 28 core CPUs without the high memory option. Simply put the original CPU back in if it ever needs to go to Apple for service. Big shops won't bother, it's not worth the hassle - but places with one or two video pros, architects, engineers, etc. who aren't afraid of the insides of computers?
Another issue is things like vacuum cleaners and floor buffers that tend to be plugged in in random places for short periods of time. Leave a render running overnight and come in to discover that the custodian accidentally left a big vacuum in the middle of your scene! This thing is enough of a power hog that big configurations should be on a dedicated breaker (with other receptacles on the same breaker blocked off).
In terms of power supply quality, I can't see what could be an upgrade, short of some kind of lab power supply. This thing is going to be at least as good as the really high-end gaming power supplies (at the very least, it's something like a $500 Corsair, and I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's gone a step above that).
In 240V countries, there may be outlets that can supply substantially more power (without running something like a dryer cord). 240V 16A outlets are relatively common in offices in mainland Europe, for example.
Aside from T2 tricks, everything else should be upgradeable. The factory blade SSDs most likely aren't - nobody offers that upgrade on the iMac Pro, and that should be the same configuration. Using SSDs on a PCIe card is easy, and should even be officially supported (change secure boot settings to boot from them). RAM and GPUs are easy and officially supported. Unless they've changed something since the iMac Pro, CPU is possible - iMac Pros occasionally get CPU upgrades (unofficial).
The case where CPU upgradeability may be important is if Apple sticks to their guns on offering only the much more expensive high-memory versions of the 24 and 28 core CPUs. A small (and tech savvy) business may be able to save thousands by buying 8-core Mac Pros and 28 core CPUs without the high memory option. Simply put the original CPU back in if it ever needs to go to Apple for service. Big shops won't bother, it's not worth the hassle - but places with one or two video pros, architects, engineers, etc. who aren't afraid of the insides of computers?
Well I will edit my wording to better understanding of what I meant.
Change "upgrade power" to "swap power in case of failure".
Yes. you don't have to upgrade power as it's power output is already plenty enough. And Apple's quality in power is pretty good. My macs never failed in power. But then, if you remember all the problem MP 1,1~5,1 had to go through in case of supply failure, you know what I meant. It's probably going to be proprietary connector being used between motherboard and power supply cable. So it's kinda impossible unless you find other second hand parts or one of those Chinese dupe.
Most of the places Apple's trying to put these will be able to get ahold of replacement Apple power supplies to put on the shelf... Power supply is a single cable swap, because all the power connectors are on the motherboard, if I read it right. Yes, it's proprietary, but Pixar Technical Services will have spares!
Even smaller shops will be paying for Apple's Joint Venture service (and I suspect that these monster Macs will get some special treatment under Joint Venture).
Even smaller shops will be paying for Apple's Joint Venture service (and I suspect that these monster Macs will get some special treatment under Joint Venture).
it is really worth actually looking the the Mac Pro's support page folks.
One of the items there "Install and replace parts". One of the items once get to that page....... power supply.
This whole thread's premise is basically covered there. ( except all the options on how to blow past warranty coverage. That isn't. ).
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https://support.apple.com/mac/mac-pro