Apple has refreshed its Mac Pro desktop system after four years; finally saying goodbye to Intel chips by featuring its own first-party ARM-powered silicon. To be more specific, the hardware in question is the M2 Ultra processor, which is also equipped on one of the newly unveiled Mac Studio variants during the WWDC 2023 keynote that was held earlier today.
The new Mac Pro looks exactly the same as its Intel-powered predecessor; complete with the iconic “cheese grater” grilled front, and is offered in either a tower or rack configuration. Also built-in are six open PCIe Gen 4 slots for expansion, eight Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, three USB-As, two high-bandwidth HDMI ports (with up to 8K resolution and up to 240Hz refresh rate support), two 10Gb ethernet ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple says the six PCIe expansion slots are twice faster than before, therefore enabling users to further customise the machine with essential third-party add-ons such as digital signal processing (DSP) cards or serial digital interface (SDI) I/O cards.
Running the show from the inside is the aforementioned Apple M2 Ultra silicon, which comes with a 24-core CPU, up to 76-core GPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. This is paired together with up to a massive 192GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of storage via SSD. In terms of wireless connectivity, the new Mac Pro comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support. In addition, Apple says it can also support up to six Pro Display XDRs, much like the M2 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio variant.
It is claimed that the all-new Mac Pro offers a significant leap in performance when compared to its Intel-powered predecessor, allowing for 3x faster execution in handling demanding workflows such as video transcoding and 3D simulations. This is hardly surprising, as the last model was launched back in 2019 after all. Additionally, Apple notes that the M2 Ultra is also 30% more powerful than its now-dated M1 Ultra processor.
Like the new Mac Studio, the brand’s high-end desktop system is expected to ship out in the US startin 13 June 2023, though it is still listed as “coming soon” for the Malaysian market. As for pricing, the tower model of the M2 Ultra Mac Pro starts from RM32,999, while the rack version starts off from RM34,999. In their maximum configurations, both options tops at RM52,199 and RM54,199 respectively.
Interestingly, even when fully maxed out by including a wheeled stainless steel frame, a Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, as well as Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro pre-installed, the former lands a maximum cost of RM56,647. Despite this, it is still surprisingly more affordable than its Intel-based predecessor, which maxes out at a jaw-dropping price tag of over RM230,000. For that, you have Apple’s own silicon to thank, as its inclusion apparently eliminated the need for costly third-party processors and even graphic cards.
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