Getting inside the case is just as easy as it was before, lift the lever at the back and remove the side panel:

Apple Mac Pro


Click to Enlarge

Unlike its predecessor, the Mac Pro has no plastic guard covering the internals and helping channel airflow around the case. Instead, the components are even further compartmentalized; all you can see are the FB-DIMM riser cards, the PCIe slots and the ICH (I/O Controller Hub).

Apple PowerMac G5


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As excited as we got about the two extra USB 2.0 ports we found on the outside of the case, the four removable drive bays on the inside of the chassis are manifestations of our dreams.


Mac Pro SATA drive bays - Click to Enlarge

The PowerMac G5, a multi-thousand dollar computer, was sold with no more than two 3.5" drive bays that were anything but easily accessible (as seen below):


PowerMac G5 SATA drive bays - Click to Enlarge


Click to Enlarge

The new Mac Pro features four fairly easily removable 3.5" drive sleds; just slide them out, mount your hard drive and slide them in. You don't have to bother with cables as the Mac Pro features four independent fixed connectors that any standard SATA drive will mate to.


Click to Enlarge

Mac Pro vs. PowerMac G5 The Drive Sleds (continued)
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  • plinden - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link

    No point in arguing with this guy - he's shown just how much he knows about the subject. How could someone regularly read AnandTech and not know about EFI? And then profess to have confused it with some obscure mobo manufacturer?

    Oddly enough, I can't find any motherboards for sale manufactured by a company called EFI - either it's very obscure or he's making it up. I wonder which one it is?
  • michael2k - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link

    EFI isn't a manufacturer, it stands for "Extensible Firmware Interface", see the link in the other post.
    Lian Li had an aluminum case first, but Apple's design was COPIED by Lian Li. Read the Anandtech article in which half the comments for the case review claim "G5 ripoff".
  • plinden - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link

    quote:

    EFI is an average/cheap mobo maker at best (not to say unreliable, just average in function, and performance). They are no DFI, or ASUS, not even close.


    I laughed out loud at this. You're absolutely right, EFI is no DFI or ASUS, not even close.

    You've just proved you know fuck all about this. I suggest you read up on EFI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_I...">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_I... before posting about this in the future.

    I'm not going to tell you makes the Mac motherboards. I'll leave that up to you to research.
  • Petoschka - Wednesday, April 1, 2020 - link

    Well, my Junk Pro from early 2008 is still running.
  • pervisanathema - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link

    I want one. :o
  • takeshi7 - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link

    Just a small correction on page 2: The Power Mac G5 PCI-E also has 3 USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel.

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