New 2013 Mac Pro CPU is Upgradeable

Updated: December 31, 2013

The Mac Pro was the one machine Apple refused to update. This all changed in 2013 with the released of the brand new, cylinder shaped, Mac Pro.

The powerful OS X machine doesn’t come cheap, however, starting at $2,999 and even pushing $9,000 with upgrading the parts. And when you pay so much money for a computer, you probably want the parts to be user upgradeable to stay up to date with all the current technology.

OWC dissected their Pro machine, initiating a swift teardown, and revealed the guts of the cylinder shaped powerhouse. We already knew that the RAM is standard and can be easily replaced by the user, but OWC has found some good news concerning the CPU. The Intel Xeon processor is socketed, as opposed to soldered to the motherboard, opening the door to user upgradability.

Some of Apple’s other Mac desktops have been switching to non-replaceable CPUs, and that concerned many about the fate of the Mac Pro’s processor, myself included. The Mac Pro comes with a standard socket, standard CPUs, and a standard heat spreader (which was absent on older Pros).

Upgrading your CPU would void your expensive desktop’s warranty, no doubt about it. But, if you want to save some dough you could buy the $3,000 base model and upgrade the CPU manually. With the crème of the crop 2.7GHz 12-core Intel chip costing $3,500, the processor is easily one of the most dollar-demanding parts of the Pro machine.

The Mac Pro is Apple’s highest-end Mac, targeting professionals looking to perform graphics-intensive work, such as editing video in 4K. If the Pro is your new deskbuddy, upgrading the CPU is entirely possible and you can save a couple bucks with some processor replacement skills.

Source: MacSales

Raúl Sanpedro

I wouldn’t get it for that price, it’s bs, you’ll end up wasting a lot more than that when you’re about to upgrade it.
- Micheal Kinane
  
  Well, even if you buy all the parts separately it ends up at about the same price so it’s a pretty good deal.
Kevin Mai

FT03 mini build is a much better value for your money and better looking than one of these.
- corey
  
  Sorry the ft03 isn’t much better looking either. Nor would you be able to put the same amount of power into it.
  - Kevin Mai
    
    in comparison to the base spec of the mac pro, you could put in about the same specs for about 1000 less. (water cooled 4770k, titan) If you want to compare to higher tier mac pros, it’s about even, but at base, you can get a much better value with a build. Personally i don’t like the design of the mac pro, and i like the ft03 mini alot more.
    - Chadwell
      
      That’s not how it works. If you wanna call something better value, you have to back it up with the exact same specs for less, not “about the same” and name a desktop class CPU, while the Mac Pro uses a Xeon. This isn’t a gaming computer, it;s for people who need dependable hardware to keep an income stream.
      - Kevin Mai
        
        how about you compare performance numbers instead of specific parts? the r9 290 was 400 (well at launch.. now because of the litecoin BS it’s about the same -_-) performed similar to the 780 which was 500, and nobody got upset when people compared those. An OCed i7 4770k will outperform the mac pro’s xeon chip, and in video rendering a titan will beat the 2x firepro d300′s (essentially a 7870 XT, and the fact that OSX doesn’t really use the 2x gpu’s well). The FT03 mini chassis is designed very similarly to mac pro in cooling, and it’s not a gaming pc either, it’s a mini workstation, similar to the mac pro. I’m not saying that people who buy mac pro’s are an idiot. I see the pros to a mac pro, but i believe a mini ITX build is better, and if you want a similar design to the Mac pro, the FT03 mini is a great way to do it because it’s is a better value for the dollar, and for those willing to tinker, it’s worth it. Ever built a pc or hackintosh? it’s really just the install you tinker, then the rest of the time it runs stable. Pro’s will get a mac pro, but the people reading the stuff here wouldn’t really get one.
      - Zooka
        
        You obviously don’t understand workstation computers. Gaming/standard GPUs are good for gaming and rendering as they have a high teraflop output, which is why cheap yet powerful AMD GPUs can be used to work to farm things like litecoins. Workstation GPUs, however, are, due to their architecture and drivers, a lot more efficient and reliable and support the necessary software for people using things like CAD. Xeon processors are also used for multi-CPU systems widely used by people who need to do a lot of rendering. They too also support the software needed for use in workstation computers and some have a higher no. of cores.
jermaine69

awsome
Meow

Eeeeewww, Mac
dca787

trash, but it made by Crapple so I will buy it haha
- Micheal Kinane
  
  How is it trash? Unless this is a trash can pun.
  - James Edmonds
    
    As much as I feel the case will get mistaken my friends if I had one and thus misused. Building in it is one of my biggest concerns (being circular it can’t be easy to build in)
    
    And, obviously, the usual mac overpricedness.
    - Micheal Kinane
      
      It really isn’t overpriced though. Even if you buy the parts separately it still works out about the same price.
Dani Filth

How is the GTX titan gonna fit in there
Abtin Keramati

HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS ARTICLE GAVE ME A BONER!! I WANT TO FUCK THIS ARTICLE!!! FUCK ME NOW!! IM A RAP GOD NOW !!! 420 WEED KUSH!! DOGE!! ZEN
Abtin Keramati

CAN AN ARTICLE BE SO GOOD????
Abtin Keramati

HOW CAN AN ARTICLE BE SO DAMN GOOD ?!
Abtin Keramati

YOU MUST BE A MAGICIAN YOU MYSTERIOUS ZAIN SIDDICKWEED
Abtin Keramati

You obviously don’t understand workstation computers zain. Gaming/standard GPUs are good for gaming and rendering as they have a high teraflop output, which is why cheap yet powerful AMD GPUs can be used to work to farm things like litecoins. Workstation GPUs, however, are, due to their architecture and drivers, a lot more efficient and reliable and support the necessary software for people using things like CAD. Xeon processors are also used for multi-CPU systems widely used by people who need to do a lot of rendering. They too also support the software needed for use in workstation computers and some have a higher no. of cores.