In a nutshell: The next version of Apple's high-end Mac Pro is expected to be the first to feature Apple Silicon. Apple insider Mark Gurman believes the Mac Pro could be offered with multiple chip options that are at least two to four times as powerful as the M2 Max and has affectionately dubbed them the M2 Ultra and M2 Extreme. These chips are said to feature 24 and 48 CPU cores, respectively, alongside 76 and 152 graphics cores, and up to 256 gigabytes of system memory.
Gurman claims the 24 CPU core variant with 192GB of RAM is being actively tested within Apple's walls. Sources say the system is running macOS Ventura 13.3.
In related Mac news, Gurman has been told that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros will arrive with M2 Pro and M2 Max configuration options. The latter will feature 12 CPU cores (eight performance cores and four efficiency cores) alongside 38 GPU cores and can be paired with up to 64GB of RAM.
An updated Mac mini will have access to the same M2 chip used in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. That chip is comprised of eight CPU cores (four performance cores and four efficiency cores) and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple has also reportedly tested a variant with an M2 Pro that would increase core counts.
The first Apple Silicon Mac Pro isn't expected to launch until 2023. Potential pricing wasn't mentioned but the line historically hasn't been cheap. The existing Mac Pro tower starts from $5,999 and jumps to $6,499 if you want a rack version.
For reference, the current-gen 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 while the 16-inch model starts at $2,499. The Mac mini, meanwhile, starts at $699 which includes a M1 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. For an additional $200, Apple will double the storage capacity to 512GB.
Apple has historically launched new Macs in November, January and in the spring. If that holds true, we could see the first wave of new hardware debut real soon.
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