Mac Setup: The Mac Pro Man Cave
This weeks featured Mac setup comes to us from Jordan W., who has a nice dedicated workstation which makes up a self-described “man cave“, complete with some great hardware and a jumbo screen to enjoy it all. Let’s jump right in to learn more:
What hardware is included in your setup?
The setup consists of the following hardware:
- Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
- 3.46Ghz 8 core CPU
- 28gb RAM
- 4tb HDD’s
- 120gb OWC Mercury PCIE SSD
- AMD Radeon R9 280x
- iPad Air 16gb Wifi
- iPhone 6 64gb (Used to take photos)
- Apple Wireless trackpad
- Apple Wireless keyboard
- 2tb Time Capsule
- 2tb Seagate external HDD connected to Time Capsule
- Sony 46” TV
- Sony Soundbar
Other geekery consists of a PowerMac g5 as a coffee table with some iOS icon coasters, an Xbox One, some iOS icon pillows I had specially made, and a G5 wall clock.
Why did you go with this particular setup?
I chose the Mac Pro simply because of the life span they can achieve due to their upgradability. I do not have room for a full size desk and monitors in the small room, so I decided simply to use the TV and turn the room into a sort of man cave.
What do you use your gear for?
I do quite a bit of photo editing simply as a hobby, many just from an iPhone 6 but the vast majority from my DSLR. I also love to play games on the Mac Pro, some within OS X and others within Boot Camp, I also have an Xbox One for gaming as well as a retro Xbox. I also like to edit and make movies in iMovie.
Do you have any essential or favorite apps for OS X or iOS?
I love iPhoto and iMovie, both of which I use on a regular basis. Other essentials include Photoshop and Handbrake. One of favourite apps is Geektool, which is very fun the play around with and get your desktop looking funky. I also use Macs Fan Control which can run under OS X and Windows so I can monitor all temps and fans inside the Mac Pro, useful during a long Handbrake or gaming session.
Any advice or productivity tricks you’d like to share?
I would advise anyone with a older Mac Pro to simply upgrade it and extend its life, thats the beauty of this Mac that no other Mac has. Putting a PCIE SSD and a nice powerful GPU inside makes the world of difference, you can even change the CPU’s like i did if you feel you can tackle it.
I also believe backing up via Time machine is hugely important, I back up to my Time Capsule and to another 2tb HDD thats connected to the Time Capsule, so including the Mac Pro itself I have essentially 3 HDD’s that have my thousands of photos on, I would have to be extremely unlucky to ever lose them!
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Do you have an interesting Mac setup you want to share? We like to feature desks and workstations of all kinds, so go here to get started and send them in! Or, if you’re just looking to check out more setups, you can browse through previously featured Mac workstations too.
Now there is a true FanBoi. Steve Jobs would be proud of you!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/161148805417?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&chn=ps&device=c&rlsatarget=&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0
This is a pretty freaking awesome setup, very inspiring and creative!!
The coasters are from ebay, really easy to find and cost about £7, the pillows however i had specially made, there are people on ETSY that make them, i told this particular seller which icons i wanted and he made and shipped them from the Ukraine.
The upgrades for the MP where around £500 in total, for the graphics card, the PCI SSD, 2x CPUS and the RAM.
Ive always liked the man cave idea and thankfully for girlfriend doesnt really mind, the room would have any use otherwise. Although i really have run out of room now so im looking forward to moving house to get a bigger room in which i would like a projector and an actual desk and monitors for the MP. The TV works ok as a monitor, nice and big but not as good as a monitor for games and photo work.
Stop saying THE Ukraine. Your English is atrocious otherwise.
Man, give the man a break. Granted his English is not perfect, but to call it atrocious is kinda atrocious.
Please for your own sake find something better to do with your life than post comments online simply to criticize grammer and not contribute to the subject at all.
Prior to independence in the early 1990’s it was common to call Ukraine “the Ukraine”.
Awesome, found similar coasters of iOS icons for sale on Etsy!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/226603555/apple-ios-app-coasters-4-pack-phone-mail
https://www.etsy.com/listing/226604755/mac-os-x-yosemite-app-coasters-4-pack
And found an Etsy store with icon pillows of different apps
https://www.etsy.com/shop/giftpillows
SO cool, thanks for the lead Jordan!!
Ok, now you’re just about being cool, he…
Oh man, I am really thankful for your linking, awesome!!!
The giftpillws shop on ETSY was the shop i bought them from. Ive also just noticed from the link that the photo’s he’s using to advertise are the ones he made and sent me. There expensive for pillows but i suppose they are made to order, they’ll make any icon you want, i asked him for the calender icon to be the number 28 because thats my birthday. I would recommend them.
People also make pretty cool wall clocks, like the G5 clock. On ETSY ive seen macbook tops turned into clocks with a working apple mouse pendulum.
I’ve found a 1080p TV works quite well as a display if you’re sufficient distance from it. I bet this works really well. Good to have a dedicated room for play.
Why?
Why not?
Where did you get the coasters and how much did the Mac Pro and upgraded cost?
+1 on the coasters. Would love to know where to get them.
What kind of webcam is that? I’m looking for one. It’s the only thing missing in my mac mini setup.
Looks like a fun room, love the iOS icon coasters and pillows, where did you find those?
Also really like the idea of using the wireless keyboard and mouse in a true wireless fashion like that, from the couch! That’s genius, I’d do that in my living room but I think my wife would kill me. I guess I need a mancave too, I think once upon a time a mancave was just called a den, right? LOL. Anyway, this gives me an idea for the spare bedroom, just gotta sell the wife on it. Thanks.
I find the whole concept “man cave” to be completely cringeworthy!!! if not outright misogynistic!
The idea of using a wireless keyboard from the couch is not genius – rather, it is obvious…..