Maybe Apple will commit to modularity and user-serviceable upgrades? So far it seems like support is pricey and sporadic-some devices waiting a year between launch and part support. Our unit has a beefy drive and a spare slot, but that slot is at best and overly pricey future upgrade-if Apple sells the parts-and at worst, a reminder of what we can’t have.Īt the launch of the Mac Pro (remember when they released guides? wild!) and with the glacial rollout of the Self Service Program, our hopes were reluctantly rising. SSD-Sad, Sad, DisappointingĪpple has been using M.2 blade SSDs for awhile, but despite the easily swappable form factor, they’re rarely ever compatible with third-party options. But that brings us to the final bitter pill. Thanks in part to the lack of upgradable RAM, the SSD slots got, well, an upgrade.

No longer hidden, the SSD is immediately accessible. Left, the 2019 Mac Pro manual, right, the 2023 heatsink featuring no sunken screws. Or in my case, just a lot of trial and error. This year the process is much smoother, so long as you have the proper documentation. 2019’s heat fin behemoth required an ultra-long driver to get at the T15 screws securing it to the logic board. The heat sink is a beast, and different enough from last model that Apple’s official manuals aren’t enough to get it off. But that’s not particularly new, what has changed since the 2019 edition is the improved heat sink removal and SSD placement. Modular I/O boards (though, non-modular ports), plug and play powers supply, spring-contact fans. The boards are modular blades that plug into the logic board leaving snarled wires to the PC peasants. It is phenomenal how few cables are in this machine. No more RAM stick replacements or additions, you’re stuck with your at-purchase configuration. This move allows for ultra-quick, pun intended, processing with the M2 Ultra, but also locks down future upgrades. With integrated graphics and RAM, the interior is positively barren. The 2019 Mac Pro was pretty capacious, allowing for lots of upgrades, and the 2023 takes this even further. But sometimes the device deserves a bit of bitterness, with only a sweet central respite. Ordinarily, I love a compliment sandwich, leave the criticism in the center with a gentle wrapper on either side.

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