MP All Models Let’s says Apple released 7,1 filler…another xMac discussion

[yurc]

If Apple willing to make :

2013 enclosure as oversized Mac Mini

Current square mini enclosure are impossible to dissipate heat with higher counts, is explain why current 2018 Mini cpu are custom made SKUs rather than off-shelf desktop CPU.

It would allow for higher counts consumer desktop CPU, such i9-9900K, no discrete graphics, just with TB3 ports at back.
Might be called Pro Mini or Mini Pro. Price starts $2000. Peripheral not included.


2010/2012 enclosure with LGA2066 based CPUs.

To accommodate more power, this bigger enclosure are perfectly suitable for thermal handling. Basically this should be same with iMac Pro internal chipset. It can be Xeon W-2000 series or consumer i9-Cascade Lake X. In order it won’t overpowered 7,1 it only has less PCIe (caused by lesser 48 PCIe lanes from processor itself), no MPX module, no onboard PLX switch, eight slot quad channel DIMM slots with 256 GB RAM at maximum, ECC is not mandatory.

Basically it retains same backplane design as 5,1, just with updated internal, SATA3 on drive sled, TB3 instead of FW800 ports, removal of optical bays probably as additional storage bays. Just called them Mac. Starts from $3500 with keyboard and Magic Mouse included.

iMac Pro needs to be killed from lineup, probably to avoid line up duplication besides headless differences. After all iMac Pro was Mac Pro placeholder at that time while waiting actual 7,1 released.

All models featured T2 chips, 10G Ethernet as additional order, removable SSD (dump NAND SSD like 7,1 due T2 encryption), 256GB SSD for entry models, RX5500/RX580 entry level GPU

Not mentioning AMD chips, unless they actually released in future. I just want to discuss and talking about possibilities and fair pricing here, since 7,1 was not intended like previous iteration of cheese grater. If you kind of folks “Apple isn’t made xMac or such”, please refrain from bashing about it.

Thoughts?

 

[th0masp]

As far as I'm concerned Apple already have (or rather had) the Mini Pro form factor. Throw out one of the two GPUs in the trashcan and update the internals and voila, that was easy.

Fair pricing however seems a goner with Apple's lineup in recent years if what's referred to here is competitive (with the PC world) pricing. It appears they no longer need to do that now that they are a mainly a fashion brand and not a computer company.

If I was looking into a new Apple machine my focus would be that it is quiet and power efficient first and foremost. I don't need a another power-hungry modular computer - the PC will always win there and that T2 chip needs to die in a fire as far as I'm concerned. On top of locking things down to disadvantage the end user it even causes crashes in some (all?) models - WTF.

 

[deconstruct60]

If Apple willing to make :

2013 enclosure as oversized Mac Mini

Current square mini enclosure are impossible to dissipate heat with higher counts, is explain why current 2018 Mini cpu are custom made SKUs rather than off-shelf desktop CPU.

The CPU package is "custom". The die inside is not in any substantive way. It is soldered to the motherboard ( Ball Grid Array , BGA) instead of a package with pins to insert into a socket. That helps with z-height and reliability. It doesn't have much substantive to do with thermals.

It was not expensive at all for Apple to get the same thing stuffed into a BGA package. You are trying to push the notion that Apple is willing to raise the costs here substantially for this product. That is not here at all.

Not mentioning AMD chips, unless they actually released in future. I just want to discuss and talking about possibilities and fair pricing here, ...

AMD chips with similar z-height restricts would have the substantially the same issues.

The Mini probably isn't going to get that much bigger; if at all. While Apple has built a rackmount version of the Mac Pro , that version sucks up tons of volume (5U). The Mini's don't. For better or worse there are thousands of mini rack mounting brackets out there that have a limited, defacto form factor as a 'feature".

At best, probably getting a better integrated GPU with a move but a switch to CPU + dGPU probably is not coming. Both because it represents a substantive increase in bill of materials cost and that the Mini already has a role to play in the line up. ( and Apple is highly unlikely to add yet another Mac to the overall product line up in this limited space. Even less so to introduce more fratricide with the best selling desktop they have. )