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Cylinder Mac Pro Q&A - Updated May 5, 2017
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How many PCIe slots of what type are provided by the Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models? What Thunderbolt 2 external expansion chassis are available?
Earlier Mac Pro models have industry-standard PCIe slots. However, the Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models have no PCIe slots at all.
In the company press release, Apple boasts that the Cylinder Mac Pro is "the most radical Mac ever" and refers to it as a "reinvented" Mac for professional users. When it comes to expansion, the Cylinder Mac Pro definitely is a radical departure from previous professional Macs.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left - Tower Mac Pro, Front; Right - Cylinder Mac Pro, Back)
This shift from extensive internal expansion options with previous Mac Pro models to extensive external expansion options -- courtesy of six Thunderbolt 2 ports -- is one reason Apple was able to make the Cylinder Mac Pro so much smaller than its predecessor.
Although many long-term professional Mac users, particularly those with a significant investment in internal storage and PCIe cards might prefer to stick with an older Mac Pro (at least for now), it would have been necessary for many to migrate to Thunderbolt 2-based solutions when it became time to upgrade to a Cylinder Mac Pro.
However, as of April 4, 2017, Apple has quietly acknowledged that professionals prefer a more upgradable system and are hard at work on a "modular design" with greater expansion potential.
Thunderbolt 2 External Expansion Chassis
The Cylinder Mac Pro has internally upgradable memory and a single SSD storage module, but adding PCIe cards requires one to purchase a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 expansion chassis for upgrades. External Thunderbolt 2 hard drives and RAID boxes can be added, too.
The number of Thunderbolt 2 expansion boxes available is increasing all the time, but two of potential interest are available from Sonnet Tech and site sponsor Other World Computing.
Photo Credit: Sonnet Tech (Left) & OWC (Right)
The box on the left, from Sonnet Tech, is the Echo Express III-D, which provides three PCIe slots and a built in 300 watt power supply.
The box on the right, from OWC, is the Mercury Helios, which provides a single x16 PCIe 2.0 double width card slot at an affordable price point.
For the Mercury Helios, OWC also provides a helpful instructional video that covers installation of a PCIe 2.0 card (specifically the OWC Accelsior Pro Q, although the process is nearly identical for any standard PCIe card):
From watching the video, it is clear that installation is straightforward.
Cylinder Mac Pro Expansion Chassis Summary
Ultimately, by purchasing a Thunderbolt 2 expansion chassis it is possible -- and even quite easy -- to add a PCIe card or multiple PCIe cards to a Cylinder Mac Pro.
However, it will be necessary for users who need PCIe expansion to calculate the cost of adding an expansion chassis to a new Cylinder Mac Pro.
Of course, for those who like PCIe expansion in one neat, if comparatively massive computer, there is no shame in preferring an older Mac Pro model, either, at least for now.
Cylinder Mac Pro Expansion Chassis Purchase Options
No matter which expansion chassis you purchase for your Cylinder Mac Pro, be sure to buy from a quality vendor with a good reputation in your country.
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor OWC sells both the Sonnet Echo Express III-D and their own Mercury Helios Expansion Chassis.
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