Last Updated on May 28, 2022 by srinivas
Apple’s Mac Pro was introduced in 2019, and updates usually come in increments — new graphics options here, SSD module upgrades, there, and so on. But the Mac Pro will soon receive a major update as Apple adds its own System on a Chip (SoC) to the workstation. This article keeps track of everything we hear about the new Mac Pro, so return to this page to stay in the loop on what could be coming.
2022 Mac Pro: Release Date
- WWDC Reveal, But Launch Late 2022 – Predicted
WWDC is where the 2019 and 2013 models launched, with shipping later in the year, so we expect a WWDC preview of the new Mac Pro.
Will we see a new Mac Pro at WWDC in June? While we don’t expect Apple to be ready to release a new Mac Pro by June 2022, we do expect the company to take the opportunity to showcase its plans for the machine at that developer event. So expect news of an even more powerful version of the M1 – reportedly the M1 Ultra – or perhaps an all-new chip.
Apple said in June 2020 that it plans to transition all of its Macs to its own chips within two years. This can be interpreted as two years from June 2020, or two years from when Apple introduced the first M1 Mac: November 2022. So we can assume that the Mac Pro will get a powerful Apple chip sometime before the end of 2022. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in an August 2021 Power On newsletter that Apple is on track to meet the November 2022 deadline for the Apple-powered Mac Pro. Read: Gurman: Apple iMac and Mac Pro arriving in November 2022.
However, there may be even longer waits for the Mac Pro update. According to a tweet from analyst Ming Chi Kuo, the Mac Pro and iMac Pro will not arrive until 2023:
It’s no real surprise that it would take so long for Macs like the Mac Pro to adopt Apple Silicon: Apple’s high-end desktops involve some pretty complex development, with Apple facing more challenges. It wouldn’t be surprising if Apple doesn’t meet the deadline with the Mac Pro, especially as the industry faces component shortages and other delays.
2022 Mac Pro: price
The current Mac Pro starts at $5,999 / £5,499 and we assume the silicone-based Apple Mac Pro will stay at that general price. Apple’s M1 Mac prices haven’t changed much from their Intel predecessors, so the new Mac Pro will almost certainly be a super-high-end machine for professionals.
2022 Mac Pro: Design
Gurman also reports that Apple is not discontinuing the current Mac Pro design. This seems likely given the problems Apple encountered the last time it made the Mac Pro smaller. We hope the company doesn’t make the same mistake twice and that the new Mac Pro retains the tried-and-true design.
2022 Mac Pro: Specifications
Those Mac users for whom the Mac Pro is intended will be interested in the capabilities of the machine. Will Apple be able to make a processor to rival Intel’s workstation processors?
Rumors suggest that Apple will combine two M1 Ultra to create an M1 Extreme, which will offer:
- 40-core CPU (32 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores)
- Up to 128-core GPU
- Neural Engine up to 64 cores
- Up to 256GB RAM
- 1,6000 GBps memory bandwidth
We’ll look at those specs in more detail below.
Processor: CPU
Right now, the maximum number of CPU cores you can get in a Mac Pro is 28 thanks to the Intel Xeon processor. The best Mac Studio can offer a 20-core CPU.
In comparison, AMD offers up to 64 CPU cores for some of its high-end chips for gaming PCs.
If we assumed that Apple could combine two M1 Ultra, we could see a 40-core CPU. This ties in with a 2020 Bloomberg report that claimed the new processor Apple is working on for the Mac Pro will offer 32 high-performance cores.
The M1 Ultra has 20 cores – 16 high performance cores and 4 high efficiency cores. So combining two of these M1 Ultra could yield 32 high-performance and 8 high-efficiency cores, just as suggested in the Bloomberg report.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman echoes these predictions in a May 2021 report suggesting the Apple Silicon Mac Pro could be available with 20 or 40 compute cores, with 16 performance cores and four efficiency cores in the former — which is very similar to the M1 Ultra ( Apple’s codename for this SoC is Jade 2C-Die), and 32 performance cores and eight efficiency cores in the latter (codename Jade 4C-Die).
To learn more about the M1 series processors, read How the M1 Pro, Max and Ultra compare.
Processor: Intel option
Another suggestion from gurman is that, at least in the near term, Apple will have both Intel processors and Apple silicon available in the Mac Pro. Gurman has suggested that “Apple has indeed been working on an update for the Intel Mac Pro.” We assume that would be a model with the existing design but a faster processor and possible graphics updates.
According to yuuki_ans on TwitterApple could release a Mac Pro in 2022 that uses Intel Ice Lake Xeon W-3300 workstation processors. Yuuki_ans has tweeted accurate leaks in the past, but provides no information on how this Mac Pro fits into Apple’s silicon strategy. Brendan Shanks on Twitter has also seen references to Intel’s Ice Lake processors in the Xcode 13 beta.
IDG
graphics processor
The Apple Silicon Mac Pro will use the graphics on the SoC instead of AMD graphics cards, according to Gurman. The graphics card could have 64 or 128 processing cores.
Since Apple has already launched the 64-core M1 Ultra, it certainly seems likely, and if Apple is able to combine two M1 Ultras, we could see a 128-core GPU in the new Mac Pro.
If Apple continues to sell Intel-based Mac Pro models, we can assume it will continue to use AMD graphics, but no reports have surfaced indicating any upgrades ahead. We also don’t know how long Apple will continue to sell non-Apple silicone Macs.
RAM and storage
RAM is an important consideration for creative professionals. The M1 Max supports 64GB of RAM (or unified memory as Apple calls it) and the M1 Ultra supports 128GB of Unified Memory. If Apple can combine two M1 Ultra, we can see support for 256 GB of RAM.
However, the current Intel Mac Pro offers up to 1.5 TB of DDR4 ECC memory in 12 user-accessible DIMM slots, giving it an edge over where the new Mac Pro could theoretically be. But there’s another problem that could lead professionals to reject this machine: Apple doesn’t use standard user-upgradable RAM in M1-powered Macs. Instead, it uses unified memory, which is quite different. This RAM isn’t just soldered to the motherboard of the M1 MacBook and iMac, it’s built right into the chip, making it faster and more efficient. There are certainly benefits to be had, but for users who demand customization options, it may be necessary to provide slots so that the RAM can be upgraded like the old Macs. However, we don’t know if Apple will take such an approach with the Mac Pro.
But more likely is a dramatic rethink of what a Pro desktop is. The unified memory is a big part of what makes the M1 Macs so fast, but linking the memory to the chip would drive up the purchase price significantly. The Mac Pro starts at $5,999, but buying RAM through Apple can add as much as $14,000 to the price. So if Apple doesn’t allow aftermarket memory, it will likely limit build-to-order options at checkout as well.
Apple currently offers up to 8 TB of storage in the Mac Pro, and we expect the storage options to remain the same. Ports aren’t likely to change either, as Apple already offers four USB ports (two Thunderbolt 3 and two USB 3) and a couple of Ethernet ports. However, the Mac Pro has eight PCIe x16 slots that support many different types of PCIe cards, so you can easily add more ports. We assume Apple will allow expansion slots on an M1 Mac Pro, but compatibility is an issue.
2022 Mac Pro: Pro Screen
When Apple launched the Mac Pro in 2019, it had an expensive companion: a $5,000 Pro Display XDR with an optional $1,000 stand. Apple may be working on an upgrade – which could turn out to be even more expensive. Learn more about the new XDR display in our separate rumor round.
On the other hand, the rumors of a new screen may only relate to the Studio Display launched in June.