Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s tech reporter known for his accurate Apple predictions, has now shared a few more details about the upcoming Mac Pro, which could also be the most powerful computer that Apple has ever launched. According to Gurman, the next iteration of the Mac Pro will have several new changes when compared to its predecessor, which includes some chip-level changes.
Mac Pro desktop computers from Apple are known for their ability to upgrade components like graphics cards, RAM, and storage. However, the next Mac Pro with the Apple Silicon will cut down on user upgradability due to the limitations of the Apple Silicon. This update comes right after Apple scrapped the M2 Extreme chip due to price concerns and manufacturing difficulties.
The next Mac Pro may lack user upgradeable GPUs in addition to non-upgradeable RAM. Right now Apple Silicon Macs don’t support external GPUs and you have to use whatever configuration you buy on Apple’s website. But the Mac Pro GPU will be powerful with up to 76 cores.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 26, 2023
Gurman confirms that the next Mac Pro will not support GPU and memory upgrades. He suggests that the top-of-the-line Mac Pro will come with up to 76-core GPU, which will be the most powerful graphics card that Apple has ever made. On top of that, the Mac Pro will have unified memory like the recently launched 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors.
The only user-upgradable option on the Mac Pro is said to be the storage. Currently, there is no information on how many storage/SSD slots the Mac Pro will feature. In terms of design, the upcoming Mac Pro will look similar to the current Mac Pro with the icon cheese greater design.
The biggest difference between the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro will be the processor. While the Mac Studio comes with up to an M1 Ultra processor, the upcoming Mac Pro will make use of the M2 Ultra processor. With the improved cooling solution, the Mac Pro should be able to deliver peak performance for an extended period.
The Mac Pro is expected to go official by the end of 2023 and it is likely to launch along with the next-generation MacBook Air, possibly powered by the M3 Processor, again with improved performance and power efficiency.
