Hiding Macs in my Rack!

[@nusermane1076]

Well, it’s called the “Rack-in-tosh“ and needs a partially eaten router-logo 😁

[@harshkalbhor4653]

If apple has a new rack maunt mac pro that would be awesome like 2 of those with flash storage and all the things you need rackmaunted for the ultimate rack rackintosh pro

[@monad_tcp]

@@harshkalbhor4653 except its going to still cost too much, VmWare and an actual proper server to the rescue. it can even run Windows and Linux , and BSD, both at the same time !

[@Appri]

@@monad_tcp Not even VMWare, just a hackintosh :)

[@harshkalbhor4653]

@@monad_tcp okie I think you can run linux which is all I need and you know when people spend loads of money renting machines might as well just use my own with some windows pcs also in there and was a suggestion for people like mkbhd I don't want suck good loking rack I am fine with a ITX pc and most of the people also are

[@ytechnology]

Me: Check out my old MacIntosh! Jeff: Check out my new Macinrack!

[@harrkev]

Some advice. Go to your local Walmart or home improvement store. Near where they sell air conditioners, they usually sell cut-to-fit washable foam to act as filters for A/C units. By creative use of scissors, you can get better filtration to sit under your Macs. However, being rack mounted, you would need to remove the rack to remove/wash/reinstall, but at least you wouldn't have to disassemble the Mac itself. I use this stuff on the bottom of my laptop cooling fan pad, and I don't really have any dust issues. Also, a Roomba on a daily schedule can also really help to keep the dust down too.

[@secondc0ming]

I used to administrate XServes through the 2000s, they were great bits of kit. Couldn't believe Apple discontinued them and suggested the replacement of a Mac Mini server. You should try and find an old one and gut it to put some up-to-date hardware in.

[@PiersCawley]

I love my 1U version of that. It lives in a rolling rack case, which means I can sling my whole streaming studio in the back of the car in a rack, camera bag and a lighting bag. Or just set up in a different room in my house with minimal fuss and re-running of cables.

[@mikefarrington7141]

I wonder if you could install a removable / washable dust filter under that new rack? It might not catch all the dust, as it would still come from the sides, but it'll probably keep you from needing to open the macs as frequently.

[@JeffGeerling]

Not a bad idea. Might get a magnetic filter screen and just slap it across the bottom, since there are four round cutouts under each Mac.

[@sarkasaa]

would have been a nice touch to have removable dust filters included with the rackmount

[@ChrisBurnes]

Meh, that would just restrict the airflow directly to the unit. The 'real' solution to a dustproof rack is to have a fully enclosed rack with its own thermal management system, complete with fans, and filters. Then everything that goes into the rack stays clean, and always has fresh cool air.

[@stevesteve8098]

Don't be silly., that would extend the life of the product

[@sarkasaa]

@@ChrisBurnes yeah but the real solution is not really feasible for the average joe. A simple mesh would already block lots of dust without inhibiting the airflow too much, and considering the macs thermal headroom (I never thought this to be something I'd say lmao) I honestly don't think it would be an issue

[@ChrisBurnes]

@@sarkasaa Lol, well... We are talking about rack mounting Mac computers... I'd say we are already beyond "Average Joe"...

[@sarkasaa]

@@ChrisBurnes i still consider this "average joe" to "maybe enthusiast" since the mount itself certainly not a professional product. The mount also isnt optimised for for typical front to back or back to front airflow. And considering pricepoint id still say that the proper solution is not in budget the budget for most people. But yeah, if given the choice between the two i would obviously go for the proper solution, but ony if i dont have to pay for the power bill and purchase itself. And we havent even talked about the, noise yet, which is an issue since jeff runs his rack in his office

[@alskjflaksjdflakjdf]

Some hook and loop tape on the bottom of your mac studio would fix the sliding issue. Over-engineered is the best kind of engineered, so I approve of your alternate solution! :)

[@hnryjmes]

lol, first thing I thought of too. came here to see if anyone had the same idea. put some 3M Dual Lock on there!

[@poiu477]

Velcro vs. hook and loop Why on earth would one not just use the genericized trademark? I've NEVER heard it referred as "hook and loop"

[@sandmanxo]

At that price point I'll just put my old Mac mini on a shelf. Every time I watch one of Jeff's videos I still get the itch to compile a Linux kernel again. I've probably compiled around 100 of them in the 1.3.xx series and early 2.0.x series back in the mid to late 90s but haven't since.

[@Megabobster]

I've been looking to learn, especially in the context of early Linux and 90s PCs, so if you need an excuse, I need a teacher 👀

[@kingneutron1]

Starting around the core i5, modern hardware got fast enough and distro kernel compiles got good enough that you really wouldn't see much of a noticeable speed difference anymore. Main reason to self-compile your kernel these days is mostly to trim it down in size and maybe leave out some modules

[@InMyElement]

My absolute favorite Dr. Seuss book "Macs In Racks"

[@SaHaRaSquad]

Pack the Mac back in the rack of my shack.

[@leonkernan]

Im using the myelectronics nuc rack mounts and they’re brilliant

[@JeffGeerling]

They do have those, too, forgot to mention them!

[@IanLantz]

I can tell you what Apple was thinking hiding those screws: "How can we make this desktop computer as difficult to repair and anti-consumer as possible?" Everything they make at this point is intentionally engineered to be e-waste the second it leaves the factory. Hopefully Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm or someone will come out with a desktop ARM processor that can rival Apple's M series.

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

Nah, they are thinking this is designed to be a "plug-it-in and leave it" kinda computer. They also expect you to upgrade your Mac every 5-7years (If not, are you really a professional?). You don't need to open up the case every year to clean your Mac now do you? Macs are tools/appliances, they aren't designed as gadgets that people use to "play around with their computers". They are professional tools, doing mission-critical work. You just have the wrong perspective when looking at these computers.

[@IanLantz]

@@RunForPeace-hk1cu is there any other "appliance" in your home or workspace that is this expensive and specifically designed to not be repairable and to just be thrown away? Also, outside of the M1, there is absolutely nothing special about a Mac versus any other computer. You can even run macOS in virtual machines on far better hardware if you "need" Mac software. They aren't magic or something foreign to regular computers like a PowerPC workstation or zOS mainframe from someone like IBM. Also, with pretty much any other desktop, you can upgrade the machine without replacing the entire system. Power supplies, RAM, and storage can last far longer and remain relevant for more than 5 to 7 years. Even when it comes to laptops, Framework has proven that you can build an easily repairable and upgradable system without sacrificing power, portability, or aesthetic. This isn't about being able to "play around with their computers," this is about not intentionally designing something to be garbage. Edit: Specified expensive appliances because obviously random crappy toasters and cheap calculators and things aren't designed to be easily repaired either, but they also aren't many thousands of dollars.

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

@@IanLantz if you are spending $5000-7000 dollars on a m1ultra , you can bet that same professional will be more than willing to spend another $5000-7000 in 5-7yrs time if the new model is 100% faster. We are still talking about Mac Studio or do you have something against Apple in general … like an Apple Hater? Are you seriously comparing the value between a m1 MacBook to a framework laptop? Do you care about battery life? How many people upgrade their laptop every 1-2years? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Have you done any market research? Or just use bro science and hunches?

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

@@IanLantz if you are a stingy consumer, you ain’t the apple demographic. If you make good money with your computer and can recoup the cost of the computer in 2-3 work projects/contracts, it’s safe to assume that in 5-7yrs that investment is well worth it If you buy it for a business, you’ll think differently from someone buying it using their mom’s allowance money or someone who not buying it for their work. Finally, you can keep saying it’s garbage but people are continually buying them. Maybe you should be more introspective and understand why people become loyal customers of the product rather than calling everything that apple sells are “garbage” $2.5T worth of garbage. You have any garbage to sell to anyone? Let’s see how much garbage you manage to get rid off shall we? Being an emotional wreck don’t make your argument any more valid

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

@@IanLantz do you know how much zOS mainframe computers costs? 😂😂😂 My brother is one of their contractors doofus. You are just throwing random jargon out. Takes a team of full time staff to maintain zOS mainframe. 🤦‍♂️ What are you trying to say really?!? Is that why companies buy racks and racks of macmini because they didn’t know you can virtualized MacOS 😂😂😂🤡 You really think you are some sort of an expert and everyone else are morons. 🤦‍♂️ Do you ever know why they made Mac studio the same dimension as Mac mini? Because integration into those same racks will be a lot more seamless. Just thicker. They are made to make the transition easy.

[@SarahKchannel]

Dont forget, there is media professionals that have mobile setups in flight cases, where solid mounting is key !

[@_nlowe]

Used to work for a software company that made document management software for businesses. We needed to test our software on safari and because of apple's virtualization restrictions at the time we found it was more economical to buy like 50 Mac minis. We ended up buying a few pull out mesh metal shelves for the rack and mounted them vertically with lots of velcro in two rows of 5 on each shelf. That setup was still going strong after 5 years when I left a few years ago.

[@CarbonPanther]

Can't it fit another Mac Mini on top of the first one? Seems kinda like wasted space and potential since the studio is so tall and the extra space isn't used for anything else above the mini.

[@meandhiminc]

"cosplaying as a sys-admin". I am going to be using this for reasons for many things from now on

[@beauregardslim1914]

I wonder if you could rig up some dust filtration for the Studio. A square piece of open cell foam (aquarium filter?) with a circle cut out so as to fit the air intake might help a lot.

[@rivimey]

Jeff, for this kind of review does the company ever respond to your concerns and if so do the products improve?

[@jmonsted]

A plate with a cutout in it that exactly fits the bottom hump of the studio and mini would both solve the sliding problem and provide them with fresh air from below, keeping the hotter exhaust air above. Could even make that area a fan duct from an external fan.

[@yuGtahT]

It's interesting that they provide an IO plate in case you only want to run one mac, but there's all that dead space above the Mac mini... Unless I misunderstood. But they could definitely fit some more keystones above the Mac mini on the right side.

[@poiu477]

I thought the same! Seems like a big oversight to not have keystone spaces on that blank...

[@computersales]

The Sonnet xMac mini server was a nicer solution for the older Mac minis. It gave you PCI expansion slots and a 1U chassis that wasn't much deeper than your standard commercial grade switch.

[@Zactivist]

I've always liked the look of rack-mounted gear. never rack-mounted my gear at home, but I used to work for a small company and convinced the owner to rack mount everything from PCs, servers, routers and switches... mainly because I enjoyed setting it all up so much! In the long run it really helped the company to maximize its resources because the racks could be wheeled around wherever they were needed, and occasionally taken on location in the back of a truck.

[@MegaManNeo]

Looks really cool and handy. Kinda makes me wanna mess around with something like this as well but I have no need for a rack, I think.

[@Rockstarlgnd]

Nice option.. I am going with the Sonnettech xMacStudio option which will have the PCIE card expansion bay right next to it.

[@DrathVader]

Macs in racs sounds like a Dr. Seuss book

[@JohnnyMcMenamin]

Jeff, your shirts are always amazing!

[@geoffupton]

well the mac in the rack came back! 😂😂😂 nice item 😁

[@egheltzer]

i love how he says he will never rackmount his pc in the near future even though it is probably the easiest computer to rackmount considering they make rackmount pc cases

[@adampatterson]

The X Serve was soooooo cooool!

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

What a lovely little rack! Perfect for music production 😊

[@paulogodinho3275]

Next up: Jeff buys a 4U rack case and puts the gaming PC in the rack.

[@JeffGeerling]

Hehe, I've considered it, but my kids like to see the RGB stuff all changing colors when it's running.

[@ZombieBrine1309]

two macs in a rack two macs in a rack my rack mounts my rack mounts involuntarily flex

[@Someguyinatrenchcoat]

Sounds like a Dr Seuss book.

[@jefferygrantham5582]

"I love cosplaying as a SysAdmin." Me too, Jeff. Me too.

[@astranger448]

An anti-slip mat or stick on rubberized feet are also budget solutions. Nice rack tho.

[@UnCoolDad]

Mac in a Rack is the new Elf on a Shelf.

[@franktippin9150]

One could use museum putty to keep the macs in place.

[@corombb]

Sliger makes a bunch of 3U/4U ATX rackmount cases with GPU support if you're interested in rackmounting your PC. I've been thinking about doing it myself, but SFF ITX PCs are an addiction that I cannot shake 😔

[@VjSky]

This is marginally better than a shelf

[@diogoalmeidavisuals]

Can get A LOT of 3D printing done for that price

[@KraKra-Ah]

Oh, this blasphemy! I love those Mac mini design. Can't just stuff it in a rack.... just kidding... Having a huge underground basement garage where my Tesla resides and having a 19" server rack cabinets and enough room for screens and the computer talking back to me while I am busy with a suit that can fly.....is also my wet dream...

[@tonib9261]

Most of the shows on Broadway or the West End have Macs in racks

[@Kellen81]

I'm having flashbacks to Xserves with spring loaded hard drive bays... if you forgot to lock them and bumped the handle it ejected with just enough force to break your RAID :|

[@nicknorth-east]

I don't watch any of your Mac videos as Apple gives me the shivers. To me It's like having car reviews on a cooking show. I love and watch all your other videos though, and don't mind me it's all down to personal preference

[@SDWNJ]

It’s interesting that you mention running Linux on a Mac mini. I’ve been thinking of testing Linux on an 2012 Mac mini that I don’t really use anymore. I’m considering using it in place of a newer i3 NUC that I have that has less cores and less memory (and maybe less disk space).

[@JeffGeerling]

It may be even easier on an older Mini, since it has the Intel CPU and could use Boot Camp to boot into Linux directly. On the M1, it's a little more complicated since only Asahi officially supports that chip right now.

[@temyraverdana6421]

Very interesting video, thanks. What do you think about ad a 3D printer retainer to increase the two keystone socket stability? You can use the existing two screws holes to fasten the plugs

[@MrHack4never]

What about using a large 3D-printed bracket and a rack shelf as the bottom?

[@mabus7367]

raspberry mixed with apple~~ sound tasty

[@no-ld3hz]

lol the xserve, my friend has one, it's very cursed but also really cool :)

[@mark12358]

Genuine professional here! Thanks for sharing. Cheers, M

[@IngwiePhoenix]

I wish I had the room for a rack. I have many game consoles, a huge PC and other things and I would love to just shove them all into a rack, preferably one with a nice temper glass door and just have it look neat and organized. Since I play different retro consoles and run a few switches/hubs for inputs as well as network, this would be so cool... O.O I was aware people made racks for Macs, but just not how expensive they are. Those things sure come at a premium that people needing them are willing to pay. The convenience factor is just so big - i can totally see that. That said, this is the first time I have heared of Keystone... neat lil' thing. Is that some standard or something?

[@JeffGeerling]

Yeah, they make keystone jacks for HDMI, Ethernet, cable, RCA audio, banana plugs, fiber, you name it!

[@donny_bahama]

Why not rack mount your big gaming PC? I had a 42U open frame rack next to my desk (it looked awesome!) with (among other things) two 4U server cases - one of which held my main desktop PC (which I transferred from a huge tower case). Looked great, excellent airflow. Something to think about…

[@Cynyr]

came down here to say this. most 4u white label cases will hold a gaming PC, and take an ATX psu.

[@JeffGeerling]

I've considered it, but my kids do enjoy seeing the RGB when I have the PC on.

[@MegaSunspark]

At Apple, Function Follows Form instead of the other way around as per the adage. It's all about the looks with Apple products, not necessarily proper design engineering. Apple had some wacky impractical designs over the years. Makes thing hard for use in professional environments.

[@edfx]

4:50 british thermal units per hour is weird way to describe watts.

[@alfonsoPina]

ROFL “I like to cosplay as a sysadmin “ 😂

[@andiszile]

There are some standard PC cases that could be fitted in a rack ;) Though most common issue will be location of front IO.

[@DrakeKelch]

Sonnet makes way better rack mounts that are not as flimsy. I install them in a Pro Enviroment all the time.

[@jamisonfrench]

The SD card 😂 Facts. My OCD agrees 100%.

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

Get two Mac Studios and run them in SLI.

[@jared_du_jour]

Ah, the all-new "M1 Max Macs" architecture

[@JeffGeerling]

lol

[@aboudi0507]

I mean dude loving apple isn’t wrong, they do have good design and an awesome ecosystem

[@joeltyler3427]

I'm wondering what Apple is doing announce turn on the 6th. (June) It was hinted when the studio was announced.

[@Tarodenaro]

Another day in Sigma-land, mounting Mac on a Rack, installing Linux in it. 👌

[@Nono-hk3is]

When your mac is full of dust, it's time to buy a new one!

[@RaduUrsache]

awesome setup! im using mac + linux for work/homelab projects and windows for gaming as well. no shame in getting the best of all OSes

[@krisclem8290]

Couldn't you use the IO plate above the mini and run the studio IO there?

[@50ShadesOfBeige]

New from Dr Seuss "The Mac in the Rack".

[@stuartdarling1620]

Yeah I looked at these kinds of shelves for my Mac mini and then thought they were just too expensive... My solution.... £20 rack shelf with ventilation slots and some cable ties to tie the Mac mini to the shelf... Job done 👍

[@NewHopeAudio]

Was just thinking the same. 1/10 the cost & sure it doesn’t look as nice but still.

[@Oberkaptain]

Jeff why not have red shirt Jeff cut a slot in that macmini side and 3d print a bracket to hold your small audio box below it.

[@dirtcreature3d]

Please please please make a video talking about possible mac eGPU support using asahi, could be such a game changer

[@JeffGeerling]

Been following threads on it a while, but so far it seems a ways off :(

[@stucorbishley]

Cosplaying as a sysadmin… dude, T-shirt!

[@xfox360]

You should build the Macs in a ikea lack so you have a Lackrack filled with mac (try saying that 3 times without a mistake)

[@CraigMullins1]

Where's your music channel

[@UpLateGeek]

That's a weird looking raspberry pie.

[@Yuriel1981]

While I appreciate the "Mac back in the rack" joke. I feel you may have missed a "Return of the Mack" joke.

[@JamieCrookes]

8kg per sq m adhesive velcro on each surface, i.e. desk (hooks) and mac (Loops). A 1 inch strip and Problem solved. You ain't having any issues with it moving and it would make a burglar just run away without it.

[@grimsdagger]

What if Jack wants to pack a stack of macs back-to-back in a rack?

[@Soufianni]

Yo we need a rack studio Rackmounable mac studio

[@paulluce2557]

When Apple's lawyers show up... then just give them Red Shirt Jeff to deal with..they'll soon give up...

[@ta-fr9ov]

the rack mount kits are great but the cost is ridiculous...

[@eloimartinez9446]

I would be nice to be able to stack 2 minis in the right side

[@camerontgore]

The little known sequel to Fox in Socks 😂

[@jasong1376]

Does the Mac studio slide back when you put in SD card now?

[@Adrian-jj4xk]

also no reason there couldn't be 4-6 of those keystones on the front too. seems silly knowing there are likely two machines.

[@giorgiotomasetto540]

Put back that mac into the rack !!

[@giorgiotomasetto540]

I’ll consider an hackintosh setup !!

[@danieljin9301]

at 0:54, why does it have a noctua chromax cooler instead of the stock AMD cooler?

[@I_loved_the_90s]

Gorilla Two Sided tape cost less than $5, you could have used that to keep your Macs from sliding.

[@JosephQPublic]

Mmm, sticky residue.

[@I_loved_the_90s]

@@JosephQPublic Gorilla's two sided tape doesn't leave any sticky residue, I use it everywhere from my car to my $2,500 MacBook. I purchase at least 1 roll a month and have never had it leave any residue of Any kind.

[@poiu477]

Couldn't you replace the blank with the io one and have the mac PLUS IO above it?

[@poiu477]

I wouldn't remove the rubber and adhesive, I would use a dremel or something to unbury the screw, allowing access without removing the ring.

[@kyleallred984]

If I've seen correctly, you have two racks? One for audio and the other is networking?

[@JeffGeerling]

Yes; my main rack in the basement has noisier gear, and all the networking/file servers for the house.

[@noobmaster-dm7tu]

where are the outtakes?!

[@JamesScholesUK]

So given you're not sure about the Pro's air intake, would you say the max macs you'd rack in your Mac rack is two Max Macs?

[@danw1955]

Looks pretty handy and decent build quality, but 300 bucks for *THAT?!!* 😮 I paid $169 with FREE shipping for a *complete IBM x-3650 M3* (2U) server, around the beginning of this year (and it came with power cables, 2 x 146GB SAS drives, built-in RAID, etc, etc). Used of course, but not abused. I upped the storage space to around 3.8TB. (on RAID5) and it hosts several VM's, my invoicing program, and Apache for a few local websites. Total investment: around $412 with 8 x 600gb. drives, and another 32gb. of RAM to bring it up to 64 gb. It's no graphics monster, but I could actually install a decent PCIe graphics card for direct desktop access, if I add an x16 PCIe riser bracket in the back. It currently runs Debian 11 with a webmin interface and SSH for a terminal, just in case. Only draws abt. 140w. in 'economy' mode, and still has plenty of power to keep the load levels under 5-10% most of the time. Yeah, I know.. off topic, but relevant if you want to do some serious multi-tasking on the cheap.😉

[@SilentDecode]

Where did you buy that EXACT shirt? I need me one of those! I can only hope they deliver to the Netherlands :P

[@JeffGeerling]

I think it was on redbubble

[@SilentDecode]

@@JeffGeerling Ordered! Thanks!

[@paullee107]

How do you plug in your monitor?? Is it just close enough to your rack? This is always my issue with racks.

[@JeffGeerling]

Yeah, my rack is under my desk, so I just have a 6' cable and it fits well.

[@andersmeiniche2746]

So Mac Mac Mac ! :O)

[@IsaiahCreati]

If you don't mind, what is the purpose of the Cam Link out of the Mac Studio @ 5:27?

[@JeffGeerling]

I use that for video in from my Sony a6600, so I can have a nicer-looking webcam when I'm doing any streaming or web calls.

[@IsaiahCreati]

@@JeffGeerling That makes sense. I was being stupid and thought it was reversed with the HDMI from the mac being fed into the cam link, and you were reading the usb elsewhere. Thank you!

[@freddyhardware840]

That rack mount cost more than my servers and 18RU rack. I also can't afford it cause I'm gonna need that money for the power bill 😅

[@shephusted2714]

next gen sbc are on the way expect even better chips than 3588, pls review new nano pi5s - try it with opnsense and debian arm..it has a pci nvme connector could make a good cluster node for netfs - you may get 200mb/s from one node or do net bridge and get closer to 300-400? newer sbc will have better ipc and more io - zen4 will play a role but be more expensive

[@randybobandy9828]

"I don't know what apple was thinking on hiding those screw holes" they where thinking people wouldn't try and repair and clean the unit so they can sell you a new one.

[@fredrik241]

Rack Attack! Attack of the Macs!

[@danieleriksson3170]

I wonder, Will you still be Jeff Geerling after next time? :D

[@JeffGeerling]

Asking the tough questions!

[@RaidOwl]

Okay now slide an iPad in there...