Crowdfunding bid seeks $10,686 for kit to fit standard PC parts inside 2019 Mac Pro case
An enthusiast is crowdfunding a roughly $500 kit that lets owners of Apple's 2019 Mac Pro reuse its aluminium case with standard PC components. The Kickstarter campaign has drawn $7 from one backer toward a $10,686 goal, with 28 days left.
The Mac Pro 7,1, nicknamed the Cheesegrater for its perforated aluminium exterior, is the model the kit is designed for. The system replaces Apple's original internal hardware with mounting parts that accept ATX motherboards, standard power supplies and graphics cards up to 308 mm long and 140 mm tall. Air coolers up to 140 mm tall can be fitted, or liquid cooling systems with radiators up to 240 mm long, and there is room for two SATA drives measuring 2.5 or 3.5 inches.
The kit is designed to keep the case's three original front fans running through three custom adapter circuit boards and associated wiring. A separate interface connects the original power button, indicator light and two USB-C ports, which support USB 3.1 Gen 1.
The planned package includes a motherboard and power supply mounting plate, two drive sleds, two drive cables, the custom circuit boards, fasteners and an internal power cable, along with a bracket for the motherboard's rear connections and expansion slots. An optional processor cooling cover costs extra.
The $500 figure covers the kit alone. Buyers must supply the Mac Pro case and pay separately for the motherboard, processor, graphics card, memory, power supply, storage drives and cooling system, so the total outlay could be considerably higher than the kit price.
TechRadar reported that installation requires removing the Mac Pro's original internals, fitting the replacement parts and connecting the wiring, work it said can only be done properly by experienced PC builders, although a guide is included. Because the chassis itself is unchanged, the conversion can be reversed if an owner later wants to reinstall Apple's hardware. Buyers are advised to check graphics card dimensions, available cooling space and motherboard compatibility before ordering.
Crowdfunding campaigns carry risks including delays, changes to the product or non-delivery, and TechRadar stated that it does not recommend or endorse any crowdfunding project.