Jeff Wexler Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I just find this really funny --- Apple designs this amazing MacPro, new form factor (which people either love or hate whether they have had experience with it personally or not) and this company comes up with a way to rack mount it and add some expansion. Sonnet Announces Mac Pro 4U Rackmount Enclosure and Expansion Chassis Wednesday March 26, 2014 5:01 pm PDT by Jordan Golson Sonnet has announced a 4U rackmount enclosure and expansion chassis for the new Mac Pro, allowing users to horizontally mount their Mac Pro in a standard data center rack with PCIe expansion capabilities. The xMac Pro Server includes three PCIe single-width expansion slots, with room for one double-width and one single-width card, Thunderbolt 2 compatibility, and a mounting kit for additional storage or optical drives. On the back, the rack includes three USB 3.0 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and an HDMI port, with a single USB 3.0 port on the front. It includes a 300W power supply and a 75W PCIe power connector for supplemental power to certain power-hungry PCIe cards. The new Mac Pro has become the object of desire, but a lustrous finish hides its true beauty—the massive power within. If you're a pro user in the video or audio industries, the Mac Pro offers the power you need, but lacks the built-in expandability you count on. In order to achieve this engineering feat, Apple® designers stripped away components and space to a minimum, taking out PCIe slots and drive bays, and packed the remaining components into a small cylinder. Its compact size makes the new Mac Pro more transportable and rackable, but prevents onboard installation of PCIe expansion cards. In addition, the computer still requires an enclosure to make it road- or rack-ready and provide convenient cable management. Sonnet's xMac Pro Server PCIe expansion system/4U rackmount enclosure addresses these issues and increases a Mac Pro's potential in a big way. Sonnet claims the xMac Pro Server will ship in June, offering a sign-up sheet for interested customers on its website. Pricing has not been announced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 A dit friend of mine has been using his mac pro since they were available here, and he loves it. He is currently building a custom shock rack to mount it to his cart. Not sure if he's seen this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 JW: " I just find this really funny " I don't. I like it... and one of my school's is ready to order a couple... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 The humor of the rig depends on how you are using the new MacPro. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 This company has solved a lot of racking system issues re the oddness of Mac design over the years--dealing with the plastic G3 cases, the big metal handles of mac pro towers, how to efficiently mount a batch of Minis, even pulling the guts out of early iMacs to turn them into space efficient rack units. This setup for the new macpro looks pretty smart, I bet they sell a lot of these to facilities who want to upgrade but need to keep CPUs in racks for efficiency. philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikefilosa Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 I think Jeff's point might be that the "racking" of the revolutionary device fundamentally NEGATES the cylinder and puts the computer into a near-standard tower - but mounted sideways! That is funny!! Hey - It appears to be a sealed box - so I hope they have a plan for ventilation - the cylinder design, in it's intended natural state, is supposed to handle that task in optimal fashion - and rather quietly... MF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfisk Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 I think this is great and solves the problem that every facility with a big machine room is facing with the new Mac Pro. I'm really curious how much this is going to be, as the computer itself is very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Frias Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hey - It appears to be a sealed box - so I hope they have a plan for ventilation - the cylinder design, in it's intended natural state, is supposed to handle that task in optimal fashion - and rather quietly... MF I believe that the ventilation is done through the top and bottom of the chassis, which seems to remain exposed in this rackmount design (at least the bottom does anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikefilosa Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 I believe that the ventilation is done through the top and bottom of the chassis, which seems to remain exposed in this rackmount design (at least the bottom does anyway). You are correct! It's some sort of unique low-noise system - haven't had the chance to hit the Apple Store and hear one (or not) It might take me awhile though, as Apple Stores are very very dangerous for long-term addicts to enter without proper supervision! MF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Frias Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 as Apple Stores are very very dangerous for long-term addicts to enter without proper supervision! I am plenty guilty of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shastapete Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 New Mac Pros are crazy quiet, I need to stick my ear into the ventilation duct on the top to hear anything. I've never heard it ramp up like my macbook Pro either. That and it is incredibly fast, It is living with the VFX department. We raced a new 6 core against a 12 core of the last gen and the new Mac took half the time to render an image in the 3d graphics program we use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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