Highlights: Simply sliding the lock switch allows us to remove the outer casing of the Mac Pro Neatly positioned vertical RAM slots at either side of the I/O panel. With a twist of a T8 screwdriver, the SSD assembly is easily removed The Mac Pro is vented by a single fan, which pulls air from under the case, through the core, and out the top of the case. A giant triangular heat sink, shared by the dual graphics cards and CPU. Second FirePro card could offer opportunity for third party expansion A novel disc-shaped daughterboard ties everything together at the base of the machine. A CPU upgrade appears entirely possible—and well worth itMac Pro Late 2013 Repairability Score: 8 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair) For being so compact, the design is surprisingly modular and easy to disassemble. Non-proprietary Torx screws are used throughout, and several components can be replaced independently. The easily-opened case is designed to make RAM upgrades a snap. The fan is easy to access and replace. While it will require a bit of digging, the CPU is user-replaceable—meaning intrepid fixers should be able to save considerably by upgrading from the base-level processor configuration. There is no room, or available port, for adding your own internal storage. Apple has addressed this with heaps of Thunderbolt, but we'd personally rather use the more widely compatible SATA if we could. With some proprietary new connectors and tight cable routing, working on this $3,000 device without a repair manual could be risky.
Gast
