Source @hsuchingpo posted on X yesterday (August 24), sharing 4 images that show the internal layout of Apple's self-developed Apple Silicon AI server. It uses a custom 2U chassis with 4 hardware columns inside, each containing 8 compute units, suggesting the entire system may house 32 processors.
In the image caption, the source called it an “Apple M5 server.” When users asked whether it was hardware for Apple's Private Cloud Compute, the source said it was “highly likely.” The source also said that the server needs to be used with a Mac Studio, which provides software control.
Viewed from above, the server uses a custom 2U rack-mount chassis, a common server size with a height of approximately 8.89 centimeters. Inside are 4 identical hardware columns, each containing 8 smaller compute units, for a total of 32 processors or processor units. Each circuit board is positioned on the outer side of its corresponding column, while the heatsinks are located in the middle. Brackets are also installed on both sides of the circuit boards for quick removal and replacement. The relevant images from the post are shown below:
Some of the circuit boards in the photos have had their heatsinks removed. In one photo, thermal paste was cleared from the chip surface, revealing an Apple logo on top of the chip. The report could not confirm the chip model, but speculated that its specifications may be close to those of the M5 Ultra.
A connector is installed in the center of the chassis, linking the hardware columns to the main control board that runs through the entire array. Cables extending from the center of the baseplate lead to one end of the chassis, but it is currently impossible to determine whether they are used for power, data transmission, or both.
The server's internal structure is designed around airflow efficiency. One fan is installed at the end of each hardware column, directing air from the front of the chassis to the rear and straight through the fins of the central heatsinks. Transparent plastic covers connect the sides of the columns and the area above the baseplate, forming enclosed air channels that guide airflow through the cooling areas.