MP 7,1 POLL: The NEW Cheese Grater Mac Pro (nCMP). Hot or Not?

[ZombiePhysicist]

Updated:
Cool Johnny Ive video from here:

https://www.macobserver.com/cool-stuff-found/wwdc-2019-the-not-shown-jony-ive-new-mac-pro-video/

What do you guys think of the (I dub thee) new Cheesegrater Mac Pro (nCMP). I'm freaking out with glee! What do you like or not like about it?

 

[ssgbryan]

I like it, and if it was 2016, it would be reasonably priced.

Alas, it isn't 2016 anymore.

 

[xgman]

that pic is funny. . .

 

[MisterAndrew]

Same! Couldn’t be happier! I’m ecstatic!

 

[pascalbros]

Here we go

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

Did anyone get a sense of if the machines are PCI 4 or 5?

 

[zephonic]

I like that they prioritized function over form, but am more than a little put out by the price.

Oh, and there's no way Jony Ive designed this, or even signed off on this. Fugly.


But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that it's rack-mountable.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

So I think the monitor is totally over priced. I'd complain about the SSD but you can get a 15TB NVMe SSD for under 2800 and a PCI card to run 4 NVMe blades for around 400bux. So I'll just spec the smallest apple SSD and basically ignore it. Ram from 3rd party. Not clear if the CPU is soldered in, but let's assume so. So that means you just have to commit to the number of cores.

 

[Manic Harmonic]

So I think the monitor is totally over priced. I'd complain about the SSD but you can get a 15TB NVMe SSD for under 2800 and a PCI card to run 4 NVMe blades for around 400bux. So I'll just spec the smallest apple SSD and basically ignore it. Ram from 3rd party. Not clear if the CPU is soldered in, but let's assume so. So that means you just have to commit to the number of cores.

Looking at the website it seems implied the CPU is upgradeable based on the animation of the CPU dropping onto the logic board (even in the 6,1 it was so considering this model is more expandable it makes sense)

 

[snek]

Where do I put my hard drives in that thing? Also, 6000 dollars starting price.

 

[ssgbryan]

Did anyone get a sense of if the machines are PCI 4 or 5?

PCIe 3.
[doublepost=1559591763][/doublepost]

Where do I put my hard drives in that thing? Also, 6000 dollars starting price.

Spinners are external - TB or a eSATA card.

 

[captainfamicom]

Where do i put my hard drives in that thing?

According to Apple, hard drives are totally obsolete for pro users.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

This is the solution to storage:

15tb NVME SSD 3.5GB/sec (I've seen it as low as 2770)
http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin/shop...300000U01125_B6NN193P.shtml&order_id=!ORDERID!

And this PCI NVMe card (already works with the cMP):
http://highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-ssd7120-overview.htm
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1388123-REG/highpoint_ssd7120_nvme_u_2_raid.html

More info in this thread here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-support-for-micron-9300-pro-15-36-tb-nvme-ssd.2179713/

All the above will be cheaper by the time the nCMP comes out. The highpoint card will give you room for 4 NVMe blades. Not sure where to tape/hold the 2.5" micron drive, but zip ties will be my friend.
[doublepost=1559592535][/doublepost]

PCIe 3.
[doublepost=1559591763][/doublepost]

Spinners are external - TB or a eSATA card.

Downer on the PCI3. I'm kind of ready to be free of spinners on the physical box. I have a NAS for that. High capacity NVMe drives are finally falling to below crazy apple SSD upgrade pricing. Note my post above on a really fast huge NVMe SSD above.

 

[thirdwaver]

Here’s what I’m worried about. This will be replacing an 8 core Mac Pro Late 2008 model with 2TB of SSD storage, upgraded video card, lots of RAM. The limitation for me today has not been hardware as much as that Apple cut me off from OS updates last year. I think I’ve gotten good mileage for my money up to now. The machine still yawns except during my largest Logic projects, but now that the entry price is $5k, And this new machine is so powerful, I can imagine sitting in this place in 2030 but worse. A machine that’s still considered Uber powerful, that I paid twice as much for, but Apple decides to cut me off of OS updates. Anyone have any reassuring words?

 

[gigapocket1]

Here’s what I’m worried about. This will be replacing an 8 core Mac Pro Late 2008 model with 2TB of SSD storage, upgraded video card, lots of RAM. The limitation for me today has not been hardware as much as that Apple cut me off from OS updates last year. I think I’ve gotten good mileage for my money up to now. The machine still yawns except during my largest Logic projects, but now that the entry price is $5k, And this new machine is so powerful, I can imagine sitting in this place in 2030 but worse. A machine that’s still considered Uber powerful, that I paid twice as much for, but Apple decides to cut me off of OS updates. Anyone have any reassuring words?

I hear you but that’s 2008... you was able to get 10 years of software updates. Plus I’m pretty sure theirs a way to get Mojave’s installed on yours with a little tinkering.

I do believe that this new Mac Pro will be upgradable and serviceable for years to come. I can see people using this into 2030.: this design is here to stay. The only thing that can slow it down is PCI4. But that’s probably 3 to 4 years away atleast before that’s standard and pci3 is dropped

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

This is the ugliest thing Apple has designed in a long, long time.

 

[Jegriva]

It's the return of the King.

 

[Jegriva]

This is the ugliest thing Apple has designed in a long, long time.

Ugly, but practical. Pursuit of pure beaty kinda screwed many recent Apple products. From MP6.1 expandibility, to recent notebooks keyboard reliability, to iMac Pro repairability.

 

[CLS727]

It’s hot.

As the cool kids would say, it’s fire.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

My big concern is if it's PCI 3, PCI 5 is now out. It's basically 4x the speed of PCI3. I'd like to poo on apple about it, on the other hand, it's more intel not having a chipset to support the new standard.

So the dilemma is, do i wait a year and hope the new intel chipset and updated mac pro come out with PCI 5. Or, do I fear that intel doesnt update the chipset for a couple of years and by the time apple gets to updating it, it might be 3 years from now (or not ever). So do I just bite the bullet and get it now, or hold off for the much more modern PCI 5 standard?

 

[JesterJJZ]

This is the ugliest thing Apple has designed in a long, long time.

Who cares?

 

[AndreeOnline]

This is the ugliest thing Apple has designed in a long, long time.

You're not looking at it right.

This is the most beautiful workstation there ever was (or soon to be). I can already see it in the pictures, including the insides. But I think some people who think it's ugly now will change their mind when they see it live.

The think the finish is extraordinary.

 

[TheAppleFairy]

Well it's much better than the trash bin.

 

[0388631]

Am I the only person who's shocked the GIF in the OP's post wasn't posted by @AngerDanger?

 

[mode11]

PCI 5 is now out

What are you talking about? PCI 4.0 is only barely coming out now, with the latest Ryzens.