Sonnet Announces New 4U Enclosure to Rack Mount Two Mac Pros

Mounting and organizing options for heavy duty Mac Pro users continue to grow since the new machine's launch at the end of last year, with Sonnet now announcing a new rack mount enclosure capable of holding two Mac Pros. The new enclosure is an additional option to go along with the enclosure and expansion chassis the company announced last week.

Rackmacpro
This time, the Sonnet Rack Mac Pro allows users to rack mount one or two Mac Pro machines in a 4U space. The unit includes a front panel power button with USB 3.0 port for each machine, plus a second USB 3.0 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and an HDMI connector on the back of the rack for each Mac Pro.

There are no rear Thunderbolt ports because, Sonnet says, there are no panel-mount Thunderbolt connectors available. There is, however, room inside the rack for Thunderbolt cables to be attached, and the company says it is "fairly easy" to directly connect Thunderbolt cables and they can be secured to the Mac Pro so they can not be accidentally unplugged.

The Rack Mac Pro also supports the mounting of Thunderbolt to Fibre Channel adapters like the Promise San Link2.

Pricing is expected to be $599 to rack mount a single Mac Pro, with an add-on to mount a second Mac Pro available for $299. Availability is likely to come in June alongside the previously announced combination enclosure and expansion chassis.

Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Mac Pro

Popular Stories

airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
iPhone 7 Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter

Apple Seemingly Discontinuing Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter Introduced Alongside iPhone 7

Sunday November 17, 2024 12:33 pm PST by
It appears that Apple is discontinuing the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter that it released alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. The adapter was recently listed as "sold out" on Apple's online store in the U.S. and most other countries, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The adapter remains available from Apple in only a handful of countries, such as...
Apple TV 4K hero 221018 feature

It's 2009 Again: Apple is Apparently Reconsidering Making a TV

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:27 am PST by
Between around 2009 and 2011, it was repeatedly rumored that Apple would be releasing a TV, but that obviously never happened. Now, a decade-and-a-half later, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the idea is back on the table. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman briefly mentioned that Apple has been "evaluating" the "idea of making an Apple-branded TV set." He did not provide any further...

Top Rated Comments

whooleytoo Avatar
139 months ago
Makes for a nice looking chest.

Yeah... "nice rack" takes on a whole new meaning...
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lucky736 Avatar
139 months ago
It does not make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on top of an already pricey machine simply to rack-mount it. Apple needs to release new dedicated rack-mountable hardware.
So it makes more sense to spend hundreds of millions if not more, when they didn't quite make out the first two times they tried it, designing, setting up manufacturing, marketing, and everything else that goes with selling and SUPPORTING yet another model? :rolleyes:

NEWS FLASH: The market and people who require this setup don't care what the machine looks like, they care what it performs like.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scarpad Avatar
139 months ago
Kinda kills the point of them looking unique, No ?

Which begs the question did they ever need to look that way. The individual or company that needs the power of the pro don't need it to look like a work of art, they just need it functional.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Osnabrueck Avatar
139 months ago
I do motion/video/fx for large productions and travel with my gear all the time.

There's a great practical utility around the MacPro's form factor. For the first time I can easily pack my rig into a carry-on bag. This is a huge deal for me since I'm often asked to render AfterEffects projects on location just hours before showtime.

I'm in the minority, but for me the new Pro has opened up a ton of options for what I can execute while on the road without the hassle of checking in my gear in a tuff case.

Add to that - this rack mount solution is a good approach. We always use redundant machines on location, in case one goes down during a performance.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danielsutton Avatar
139 months ago
They cannot sell "functional" by the hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even the tens of thousands.

A third party has provided a solution that Apple will allow that provides such functionality. Sonnet can be profitable with this with a lower volume of sales.

It does not make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on top of an already pricey machine simply to rack-mount it. Apple needs to release new dedicated rack-mountable hardware.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laurim Avatar
139 months ago
I'll be surprised if they can move one of these things of the shelf. I see a very small purpose for the single mount option, but I wouldn't think anyone would have two MP's in a rack, and why does it cost this much?
In live show work, we almost always have a "Main" and "Backup" computer. This would be perfect for that. Slips into a rack with the other A/V components and makes the MacPros essentially impossible to steal when we're not on site.

Just because you don't know what pros use MacPros for, doesn't mean a market doesn't exist. For Sonnet to go through the trouble to make this, THEY understand the market.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)