Mac Pro Inception: 2013 Trash Can Found Inside 2010 Tower at Garage Sale

A peculiar find at a garage sale has revealed what might be the most literal interpretation of "Mac Pro inception" - a 2013 Mac Pro chassis discovered nestled inside a 2010 Mac Pro enclosure. The unusual setup was shared by Reddit user u/blank_reg on the r/macpro subreddit, showcasing Apple's dramatic design evolution between these two iconic desktop computers.

According to the seller, something was rattling inside the 2010 Mac Pro tower when the buyer purchased it. Upon opening the case, they found the complete 2013 Mac Pro chassis sitting empty inside, with no internal components beyond a power supply and front-panel connectors. This configuration suggests the previous owner had repurposed the 2010 chassis as an enclosure for the 2013 model, likely to accommodate expansion cards that would be impossible to mount in the circular trash-can design.

The discovery highlights the stark contrast between these two Mac Pro generations. The 2010 Mac Pro represented the pinnacle of modularity in Apple's desktop lineup, offering users unprecedented upgradeability. Owners could swap out virtually every component - CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage - with relative ease. The tower even maintained compatibility with modern AMD graphics cards through some tweaking, making it a favorite among enthusiasts who valued flexibility over the closed-off approach typically associated with Apple products.

In contrast, the 2013 Mac Pro took a radically different approach. Apple prioritized aesthetics and compactness over upgradeability, resulting in the distinctive cylindrical design that earned it the "trash can" nickname. While the design was innovative - small, quiet, and delivering excellent graphical performance for its time - it came with significant compromises. Thermal management proved problematic, and the dual-GPU configuration that was central to its design philosophy fell out of favor as software support for such configurations dwindled on mainstream workstations.

Apple's six-year gap between Mac Pro updates reflected the challenges of this design. When the company finally released a new model in 2019, it essentially returned to the cheese-grater design philosophy of the 2010 model, acknowledging that the trash-can approach hadn't resonated with professional users who needed expandability and thermal headroom.

The garage sale find raises interesting questions about the previous owner's setup. The 2010 Mac Pro is completely gutted, suggesting they removed all original components to make space for the 2013 chassis. Meanwhile, the 2013 Mac Pro appears to be running without its case - a configuration that typically isn't possible due to chassis sensors that prevent operation when the case is removed. However, Mac Pro enthusiasts have discovered that placing a magnet near the power button can trick these sensors, allowing the machine to run case-free. This explains why the skinned 2013 Mac Pro was sitting inside the larger metal enclosure of its predecessor.

While the Reddit user didn't disclose the purchase price or confirm whether either machine is functional, the find represents a fascinating snapshot of Apple's design evolution and the creative solutions enthusiasts develop to work around hardware limitations. It also serves as a reminder that even discontinued professional hardware can find new life through unconventional means.

The discovery comes at an interesting time, as Apple recently confirmed it is discontinuing the Mac Pro line entirely. The company has determined that Apple Silicon processors are efficient enough to deliver similar performance in smaller form factors like the Mac Studio, which will likely become Apple's premier desktop solution going forward. However, for enthusiasts and professionals who still value the expandability and modularity of traditional desktop architectures, finding creative ways to repurpose older Mac Pro hardware - like nesting one generation inside another - may become an increasingly popular hobby.

This garage sale gem not only represents a unique piece of Apple history but also demonstrates the enduring appeal of the Mac Pro line, even as the company moves toward a more integrated, less upgradeable future. Whether this particular Franken-Mac Pro will ever be fully functional remains to be seen, but it certainly provides a tangible representation of Apple's dramatic shift in design philosophy between 2010 and 2013.