This cost somewhere in the ballpark of $2000 right now, which is a really great deal when you consider that Apple charges three times that ($6000!) for the same configuration. With this in mind, I opted for a 384GB RAM LRDIMM configuration from Nemix. Remember, Apple notes that you cannot mix DIMM types, so you’ll have to select one or the other. The folks over at Nemix make the Mac Pro compatible DIMM modules in either R-DIMM or LR-DIMM varieties. As we showed you late last year, you can easily upgrade the RAM in the Mac Pro and save tons of coin in the process. One of the most obvious upgrades is adding more memory. Although I kept a lot of the system stock during the build-to-order process, I’ve already added several key upgrades during my brief time with the machine. My Mac Pro setup: upgradesĪs stated, the great thing about the Mac Pro is that it’s so upgradable. The Radeon Pro 580X is less than ideal, especially with only 8 GB of VRAM, but I’m waiting until the Navi-based Radeon W5700X MPX modules become available before I upgrade the GPU.
It’s just enough to not have to worry about micromanaging the system and installed apps, and it allows enough space for a comfortable Boot Camp Windows partition if desired.įor everything else, I kept it stock, including the GPU. Although I could have managed having such a small amount of storage, I feel like 1 TB is the sweet spot. Besides, Apple charges a reasonable price for the CPU upgrade that’s largely in line with what you’ll find when purchasing the processor separately.Īpple includes a paltry 256 GB of storage in the base model Mac Pro. The base model 8 core didn’t really make sense for my needs, and I ultimately decided that I didn’t want to have to fool with upgrading the CPU myself at a later date. I left everything on the Mac Pro stock during the build-to-order process except for two key areas: processor and storage.Īs mentioned, I opted for the 16 core processor.
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Special thanks to iFixit for sponsoring 9to5Mac on YouTube. Back to the Mac 015: My work-in-progress Mac Pro setup Like the Mac Pro, it’s definitely not perfect, but I’m quite enjoying using it so far. I’ve been testing the Pro Display XDR (stay tuned for a video walkthrough about that soon) and it’s a phenomenal monitor with lots of screen real estate and none of the ugly bezels found on the iMac. Simple things like timeline rendering in Final Cut Pro X and exports via often-used apps like ScreenFlow perform much better now.Īnd as great as the iMac Pro 5K display is, I enjoy the flexibility of being able to select my own display. I opted for the base model iMac Pro with the 8 core Xeon, so replacing it with a 16 core Mac Pro was a big step up. I also purchased the Mac Pro because I wanted a more capable CPU. Thunderbolt 3 connectivity has come a long way since it first arrived on the Mac in 2016, but it’s not a replacement for internal upgrades. As a former iMac Pro owner, I’d grown tired of the inability to upgrade simple aspects of the machine, like RAM and storage.
The main reason I purchased the Mac Pro was due to its expandability. In this latest episode of Back to the Mac I discuss why I purchased the Mac Pro, my Mac Pro setup, how I currently use it, and talk about some of the upgrades: a 24TB SSD and 384GB of RAM. As I alluded to in my initial Mac Pro top features overview, I don’t need a Mac Pro to get my day-to-day work done, but the benefit I receive from its expandability makes it a very appealing machine for me.