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The Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro is finally official. The upcoming ultra-tier computer from the Cupertino-based tech giant is filled to the brim with the latest hardware and is fueled by the efficiency of ARM processors. The new pro-grade devices follow a similar design pattern as the last-gen Intel-powered equivalents. The main changes lie under the hood.
Alongside the Mac Pro, the company also introduced a new Mac Studio computer. It is powered by the improved M2 Max and Ultra chips and boasts better performance for professionals.
Let's go over these new launches one by one, including their specs, prices, and launch dates.
What are the specs of the Apple Mac Pro?
At the heart of the new Apple Mac Pro is the new M2 Ultra chip. It packs a 24-core CPU and a 76-core graphics processor, which promises thrice the performance of the last Intel-based Mac Pro. Apple claims that the new device is about seven times faster than the starting configuration of the last-gen equivalent.
The new Mac Pro packs up to 192 GB of unified memory, which feeds both the CPU and the GPU.
In terms of connectivity, the new pro-grade computer comes with a couple of HDMI ports and a total of eight Thunderbolt ports. Two of these ports are in the front of the case, with the remaining six placed in the back. Thus, users can pair a maximum of six Pro Display XDRs. However, good luck affording that setup.
The computer also comes with Dual 10 Gb Ethernet ports, support for WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.
To continue support for expansion cards, the new device packs a ton of PCIe Gen 4 slots. This is a step below the current norm, PCIe Gen 5. However, the Gen 4 packs enough bandwidth (64 GB/s) for most modern hardware like video cards, audio accelerators, and more.
The new M2 Ultra-powered Mac Pro starts from $6,999.
A closer look into the new Apple M2 Ultra chip
The new M2 Ultra chip is a big deal with all Mac products launched at today's WWDC keynote. Powered by a new UItraFusion architecture, the chip features an improved CPU and GPU. As mentioned earlier, the core counts have been boosted to 24 and 76, respectively. Thus, the total transistor count has increased to 134 billion transistors from 67 billion M2 Max.
The chip supports a maximum of 192 GB of unified memory, which pushes the total bandwidth to 800 GB/s.
The new M2 Ultra supports up to six display outputs. The chip also packs a 32-core Neural Engine with a total potential of 31.6 trillion operations per second. The device will be able to power AI and security features of the Mac Pro and Studio and future Apple devices (if any).
When is the Apple Mac Studio launching with M2?
Alongside the new Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro, the company also announced two new Mac Studios, which feature the more powerful M2 Max and Ultra chips. The device is targeted at professionals who want the maximum out of a compact workstation.
A closer look at the new Apple Mac Studio reveals a new dimension of computing capabilities. The new chips are much faster than the older equivalents. The M2 Max is about 25-50% faster than the last-gen M1 Max and four times faster than the Intel-based Apple iMac.
The M2 Ultra is even faster, with up to six times more power than the last Intel-based iMac. It boasts up to 192 GB of unified memory that is capable of up to 800 GB/s bandwidth and up to 8 TB storage.
The new Neural Engine under the hood of the Mac Studio is about 40% faster than the last-gen. In addition, it features support H.264, HEVC, and ProRes encode and decode, which makes it great for photo and video encoding.
The device also features a 10 Gb Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and an SD card slot. The computer also packs WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
The new Mac Studio starts from $1,999 for the M2 Max variant. Overall, the new Apple Macs are a solid step up from the last gen. The devices bring strong performance for professionals.
