Since 2020, Apple has been trying to remove Intel CPUs by converting the whole Mac series to Apple silicon chips, and the transition is projected to be completed in 2022. The Mac Pro is one of the few main Mac models that still uses Intel CPUs, however a new model is planned for 2022.
DESIGN
Apple is reported to be working on two Mac Pro improvements. With its sleek, lattice design and modular housing, the first machine is a direct successor to the 2019 Mac Pro, while the second is a new addition to the portfolio that is smaller in size.
The bigger Mac Pro is likely to retain the same stainless steel frame and aluminium shell, as well as a dual-sided logic board and simple access to the inside for adding and removing components. There has been no indication on whether the thermal design will alter, but it will continue to use three-dimensional interlocking hemispheres for heat dispersion.
The smaller Mac Pro is said to appear identical to the present Mac Pro but with a more compact casing that's half the size. It will be primarily made of metal, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes it will "evoke nostalgia" for the Power Mac G4 Cube.
A hit-or-miss leaker According to Jon Prosser, Apple's smaller Mac Pro may resemble "three to four Mac minis layered on top of one another," with a "compute unit on the bottom" and a "huge heat sink on top."APPLE SILLICON CHIPS
According to Gurman, the bigger Mac Pro will continue to use Intel processors, while the smaller variant will use Apple silicon.
Apple is building some incredibly high-powered Apple silicon chips for the Mac Pro, but the early versions may not be able to compete with Xeon processors for heavy-duty applications, and there may also be software compatibility difficulties. As a result, we may see an Intel Mac Pro and an Apple silicon Mac Pro introduced concurrently to fulfil the demands of professional users.
The larger Mac Pro will continue to utilise Intel CPUs, while the smaller model will employ Apple silicon, according to Gurman.
Apple is developing some extremely powerful Apple silicon chips for the Mac Pro, but early versions may be unable to compete with Xeon processors for heavy-duty tasks, and there may also be software compatibility issues. As a result, to meet the needs of professional users, an Intel Mac Pro and an Apple silicon Mac Pro may be offered concurrently.
The half-sized Mac Pro is projected to include the "equivalent of either two or four M1 Max processors," making it far more powerful than the M1 Max-equipped 2021 MacBook Pro versions. Apple's first silicon chip is likely to have 20 CPU cores and 64 graphics cores, while the second, more powerful chip might have 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores.
The Information reported in November that Apple will use a version of the M1 Max processor with at least two dies to handle a greater number of cores than the ordinary M1 Max in the MacBook Pro, and that future versions would have up to four dies.
Apple might employ Intel Lake SP CPUs for the Intel-based Mac Pro, which are Intel's third-generation Xeon Scalable processors. Prior to the release of macOS Monterey, signs of these chips were discovered in an Xcode 13 beta.
RELEASE DATE
The Mac Pro is scheduled to be released in 2022, maybe as early as June at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple might show off the machine during the event before releasing it later this fall, allowing developers time to write professional applications for the more powerful Apple silicon CPUs.
