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Replace "left" GPU with a second "Right" GPU for two SSDs is nMP?
- Thread starter JesterJJZ
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I am so far removed from being a hardware expert that it's a wonder I'm allowed to choose my own fork, but I was under the impression there was an issue about the data channels involved, and that the non-SSD board would probably not have the requisite data feeds linked to it.
It's impossible. Two GPU boards are not identical. Two silver holes on the top located in opposite side, like mirror image.
Please see photos.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1690722/
Lots more than 40 lanes
There are 48 lanes, plus a PCIe switch to add more (oversubscribed, but available). See https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/18571924/
There are 48 lanes, plus a PCIe switch to add more (oversubscribed, but available). See https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/18571924/
do you think it's possible we'll see more lanes added with haswell E? (or whatever the next gen equivalent processors are called)
No. Haswell-EP has 40 lanes. I think you'll just see it as a second generation addition in typical Apple fashion.
Come on! You mean you're not enthusiastic about attaching your scratch disk via a Thunderbolt cable? I know you have an extra $50 you're just dying to give to Apple.
Me, I like 1 GPU, 2 CPUs and at least 2 CDrives, but I'm old fashioned that way.
The point is some people prefer stuff inside the machine rather than cables and powerbricks everywhere.
Then why are those people even considering a new Mac Pro? For me, I've got a 33' Corning TB cable going from my desk to an equipment cabinet where all the drives are. Along with two ethernet cables - that's three total - I've got all the I/O bandwidth I need and don't have to look at a single power brick and cable mess.
Conventional boxes are big, noisy affairs, and my Old Mac Pro is hardly the clean layout system. I could never get it organized, it had eSATA coming off, a USB 3.0 card, this that and the other thing. Now for I/O I condensed that down to ONE cable.
We're not.
What's to stop is from taking about how to improve the design to make it more attractive to us?
Nothing, nor is there anything preventing me from pointing out the (IMO) uselessness of the wish. Like it or hate it, Apple has been working on eliminating internal expansion for at least six years, and with the release of nMP they've completed it across the line. Seems to me to be counter productive to wish it were different, instead of focusing on what new possibilities open up with external expansion, such as remote (noisy) disks as I mentioned.
It's not uncommon for Apple to purposefully withhold obvious features (like two PCIe slots) so the next product release has a longer new feature list...
Example - finger print reader being absent in the latest iPads... Easy addition, left for next release feature list. The next nMP will have 2 PCIe slots for two SSD cards.
Example - finger print reader being absent in the latest iPads... Easy addition, left for next release feature list. The next nMP will have 2 PCIe slots for two SSD cards.
Your logic failure here is comparing a basic consumer device (iPad) to a workstation....
While that is true Apple does tend to with hold features to get you to upgrade, do you really see a second internal SSD really a "selling point" to have people upgrade next year? I do not. Also, we are not talking about Phones or Tablets here that are < $1000 and people consider upgrading from year to year. These are $3k+ devices. One small upgrade such as that is not going to get people to dump their current machine and upgrade.
If Apple does add a second SSD next year, it is not because they "with held it to get it people to upgrade", it is only because they figured out a good way to do it even with the "limited" amount of PCIE lanes available.
I'm not comparing devices at all. Rather, pointing out a common Apple marketing tactic. Wait and see I guess.
If Apple wanted to add two PCIe/SSD cards, they could have. Every product has a roadmap. While no single feature on the list of generation-to-generation upgrades is generally compelling in and of itself, it is usually the sum of the new features that drives people to buy. Apple is measured/disciplined in their approach to providing 3-4 new/improved features with each generation and are known to withhold features that easily could have been included in the prior gen.
I didn't say people were going to dump their current machines for an extra SSD slot/capability btw. Nor did I claim Apple withheld the feature to get people to upgrade. Your words, not mine.
I really thought they would have an option to have two. 2000+MB/s in RAID. Not that you'll need that type of speed.
It would be kind of silly to waste a 2.5" drive on such a fast interface.
The point of using PCIe instead of SATA is that it is faster than SATA's max throughput. It also disintermediates the need for a SATA to PCIe host controller, which decreases latency by a smidge and increases speed.
I would love to see a 2nd SSD. No matter how fast the first SSD is I just like to have all my Apps and OS on one volume, and my various data sets, project and whatnot on another. Old habits die hard.
It's not always about speed. You could probably cram a 2TB 2.5" drive in there. 2TB SSD would be really expensive for simple storage.