Concept Imagines What a Modular Mac Pro Might Look Like

Last week, Apple executives announced that the company is working on an updated Mac Pro that features a revamped modular design to accommodate regular component upgrades.

The launch of the new modular Mac Pro is at least a year away as development has just started, so we have no idea what the machine will look like when it's finished, but that hasn't stopped designers at CURVED/labs from dreaming up a conceptual design that includes a simple Mac mini-style box and a matching Apple-branded display.


The imagined Mac Pro features a design that's entirely upgradeable, with two slots for full-sized graphics cards, rotating housing sides, and easily accessible sections for the processor, RAM, and storage.

macproconcept1
Holes on the top are designed to allow hot air to escape, and there are added features like a Touch ID power button, a Touch Bar for accessing information on included components, and USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI ports, along with a microphone and a headphone jack.

macproconcept2
Accompanying the imagined Mac Pro is a revamped 27-inch Apple "Cinema Display" with ultra thin bezels, an iMac-style stand, and and USB-C ports at the back.

macproconcept3
Again, this is in no way representative of what the finished Mac Pro might look like, but it does imagine features that are in line with what Apple executives have said about the Mac Pro so far. It's going to be a high-end high-throughput machine that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple's pro user base. And given its modular nature, it will ship with an Apple-branded "pro" display.

Apple is in the process of "completely rethinking" the Mac Pro and execs say it will take "longer than this year" to finish. What that means is not entirely clear, but one rumor has suggested it might not launch until 2019. Apple has a dedicated team working on the machine, which will serve the company's "most demanding pro customers."

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

Popular Stories

M4 Mac mini Ortho Silver Cooler

Amazon Leaks Smaller Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, Up to 64GB of RAM, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 7:16 pm PDT by
Amazon has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini ahead of Apple's announcement this week, revealing several details. Our concept of a smaller Mac mini According to a comparison chart on Amazon's product listing for the new iMac, the new Mac mini will be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. In addition, the chart indicates ...
M4 iMac With Magic Accessories

Apple Announces iMac With M4 Chip, Upgraded Camera, Nano-Texture Display Option, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced that it has updated the 24-inch iMac with the M4 chip, which debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year. This upgrade comes around one year after the previous iMac with the M3 chip was released. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for more videos! As expected, the M4 chip in the iMac is available with up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple says the iMac with the ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, and More

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Promises Two More Mac Announcements This Week Following New iMac Today

Monday October 28, 2024 11:18 am PDT by
Apple introduced a new iMac today with the M4 chip and more, but that's not all, as it still has two more Mac announcements planned this week. "This is a huge week for the Mac, and this morning, we begin a series of three exciting new product announcements that will take place over the coming days," said Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, in a video announcing the new iMac....
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 8:07 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, the first major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 come six weeks after the release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
tvOS 18 Thumb 3

Apple Releases tvOS 18.1

Monday October 28, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.1, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.1 comes over a month after Apple released tvOS 18, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.1

Monday October 28, 2024 8:05 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.1, the first major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.1 comes one month after Apple released watchOS 11. watchOS 11.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.1 can be downloaded on an iPhone running iOS 18.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app...
iOS 18

iOS 18.1: What You Get If You Don't Have an iPhone With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 3:49 pm PDT by
iOS 18.1 is the first iOS 18 update with Apple Intelligence capabilities, and that's what a lot of the coverage about the new software has focused on. If you don't have an iPhone that's capable of Apple Intelligence, you're probably wondering just what's in the update for you. While Apple Intelligence does make up the bulk of what's new, if you have an older device, you still get some solid...

Top Rated Comments

TimUSCA Avatar
99 months ago
These are always hilarious. They never look like something Apple would design because they're almost always based off of old designs that they aren't going back to. And that monitor would never even stand upright. It's like this designer doesn't know how gravity works... that, or they assume gorilla clue on the bottom of the base plate.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
99 months ago
It looks so small that it will have the same issues the trash can one has.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
99 months ago
It looks like that would be a thermal nightmare. Nice work on the concept but it's not practical, just give us a more traditional tower form factor and we'll be happy.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markfc Avatar
99 months ago
Too small for a modular Mac but great work
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zen Avatar
99 months ago
Yes, that can really fit four full-length nVidia Titan (or similar) GFX cards.

What the hell is the obsession with size? I'd like to see a concept that shows the modular Mac Pro as big, or bigger, than the old cheese grater tower.

Edit: Yes, I see it says "two slots for full-sized graphics cards" - with no room for anything else inside. Not that it could run two full-sized graphics cards considering there is no room for cooling or fans.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
longofest Avatar
99 months ago
How about this for a modular mac-pro:

Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)