Apple today began taking orders for the alternative Mac Pro version designed to be installed in server rooms; previously it was only taking pre-orders. Units purchased today ship next week.
The rack-mount model comes in a different casing than the more standard tower one, and costs $500 more.
The 2019 Mac Pro debuted last month, but only in the tower configuration. Pre-orders for the rack-mounted variant could be placed in December, but with no time frame for delivery given at that time.
The company now says orders placed today ship as early as Thursday, Jan. 23.
Apple’s most powerful computer
Whether tower or rack mount, this workstation sports an Intel Xeon processor, and there’s room for epic amounts of RAM. It has eight PCI expansion slots, a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports and an audio jack.
RAM options vary between 32GB and 1.5TB. The slowest processor is an 8-core, 3.5GHz Xeon W, but this computer can go up to a 28-core, 2.5GHz Xeon W. Storage capacity tops out at 8TB.
Apple’s latest offering is only for those who do high-end work, including professional video and audio editing. It’s not a gaming machine.
Mac Pro rack mount vs. tower
Aside from the alternative casing, the rack-mounted version of the 2019 Mac Pro has the same configuration options as the tower model.
Although the interior is the same between the two variants, the rack-mountable exterior adds a bit to the price. The base model of this variant is $6,499, while the base model tower Mac Pro is $5,999.
Orders can be placed now on the Apple Store.
