Apple has been working to eliminate Intel chips by transitioning the entire Mac lineup to Apple silicon chips since 2020, and the transition is expected to be completed in 2022. The Mac Pro is one of the few major Mac lines that still uses Intel chips, but a new model is planned for 2022.
This article will go over everything we know about Apple's plans for the new Mac Pro.
Design
Apple is rumoured to be working on two new Mac Pro updates. With its modern, lattice design and modular casing, the first machine is a direct successor to the 2019 Mac Pro, while the second is a new addition to the lineup that is smaller in size.
The larger Mac Pro is expected to keep the same stainless steel frame and aluminium housing as the smaller Mac Pro, with a dual-sided logic board and easy access to the interior for adding and removing components. There's no word on whether the thermal architecture will change, but the three-dimensional interlocking hemispheres for heat dissipation will remain the same.
The smaller Mac Pro is said to look similar to the current Mac Pro but with a smaller enclosure that's half the size. It will be primarily made of aluminium, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes it will "evoke nostalgia" for the Power Mac G4 Cube.
Leaker who is hit-or-miss Apple's smaller Mac Pro could resemble "three to four Mac minis stacked on top of one another," with a "compute unit on the bottom" and a "big heat sink on top," according to Jon Prosser.
Apple Silicon Chips
The larger Mac Pro will continue to use Intel chips, while the smaller model will use Apple chips, according to Gurman.
Apple is working on some super high-powered Apple silicon chips for the Mac Pro, but the first versions may not be able to compete with Xeon processors for heavy-duty workloads, and software compatibility may be an issue. As a result, an Intel Mac Pro and an Apple silicon Mac Pro could be released alongside one another to meet the needs of professional users.
The half-sized Mac Pro is expected to have the "equivalent of either two or four M1 Max chips," making it significantly more powerful than the M1 Max-equipped MacBook Pro models due out in 2021. Apple's first silicon chip is expected to have 20 CPU cores and 64 graphics cores, with a second, more powerful chip having 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores.
The Information reported in November that Apple would use a version of the M1 Max chip with at least two dies to support a greater number of cores than the standard M1 Max in the MacBook Pro, with future versions having up to four dies.
Apple could use Intel Lake SP chips 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 expected to be released in 2022, and it could debut as early as June, possibly at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple may show off the machine at the event before releasing it later this fall, giving developers time to prepare professional software for Apple's more powerful silicon chips.
