The Miniature World of Mac Pro: A Deep Dive into the Latest Rumors and Insights

As we wait for Apple to officially announce its next-generation Mac Pro, rumors and speculation are running wild. In this article, we'll delve into the latest insights and explore what we can expect from Apple's upcoming ARM-based desktop powerhouse.

The Miniature World of Mac Pro: A New Era of Computing

The Mac Pro has always been a symbol of innovation and power in the world of computing. With its sleek design and impressive specs, it has long been a favorite among professionals and enthusiasts alike. However, with the rise of Apple Silicon, there's been much speculation about what this new era of computing holds for the beloved desktop.

The Rumors Are Flying: What Can We Expect?

One of the most pressing questions on everyone's mind is what kind of specs we can expect from the next-generation Mac Pro. Rumors suggest that Apple will be introducing a 20-core model or a 40-core model, with the latter being particularly exciting for those who require top-notch performance.

The Importance of PCIe Slots

For many professionals, having enough PCIe slots is crucial to accommodating full-size cards such as capture cards, audio interfaces, and storage devices. While there's been much debate about whether the next Mac Pro will have sufficient width and length to accommodate these cards, we can expect Apple to prioritize ease of access to the internals.

The Unification of RAM: A New Era of Computing

One of the most significant changes we can expect from the next-generation Mac Pro is the unification of RAM. Currently, the M1 Max comes in two possible configurations, 8 or 16 gigabytes. However, this isn't enough for many professionals, who require more memory to handle demanding workloads.

The Future of Graphics Processing: Can We Expect External GPUs?

Another area of speculation revolves around graphics processing. While we've seen Apple Silicon's capabilities in the current M1 line, there are concerns about whether external GPUs will be supported in the next Mac Pro. Rumors suggest that Apple may introduce integrated GPU accelerators with 64 or even 128 cores, which could potentially render external GPUs obsolete.

The Evolution of I/O: A Balance Between Form and Function

Apple has long been known for its attention to detail when it comes to integrating IO into its devices. With the latest rumors, we can expect a more comprehensive range of ports and interfaces from the next Mac Pro. Four USB-C, four USB-A, one 10 gig Ethernet port, and support for more than two monitors are all anticipated features.

The Future of Computing: A Balance Between Two Extremes

Apple's history with its Mac Pro has been marked by a tendency to veer between two extremes: sleek design and minimal ports, or robust specs and excessive bulk. While it's impossible to predict exactly what the next Mac Pro will look like, one thing is certain – Apple will have to strike a balance between form and function.

The Verdict: Spec Bumps and Transition Periods

A fresh rumor suggests that this Mac Pro might actually get a spec bump, which would be an interesting development. However, it's more likely that we'll see a transition period with some overlap between the new ARM-based Mac Pro and the existing Intel Mac Pro. While this may cause some confusion among users, it will undoubtedly pave the way for Apple to refine its product line and cater to even more demanding workloads.

Conclusion: The Future of Computing

As we eagerly await the official announcement of the next-generation Mac Pro, it's clear that Apple has a lot on its plate. With rumors and speculation swirling around every aspect of this device, one thing is certain – the future of computing holds much promise for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Whether you're looking to upgrade or simply explore new possibilities, stay tuned for more updates on the latest Mac Pro news and insights.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(click sound)(sliding sound)(upbeat music)- With Apple transitioningtheir Mac lineup to runin their own homegrown Silicon,what we've seen is asubstantial miniaturizationof their lineup.Just look at the new iMac.It demonstrates justhow far they are willingto slim things.It's a nice computer,but it calls into question the directionthe company will take withtheir professional lineup.Rumors have been swirlingand they indicatethat not even Apple's nexthyper powerful Mac Prowill be spared from the shrinking.And I think it's worthexploring what that could mean.(upbeat music)The story of the twocompact professional Macsfrom the company's history isrelevant to this discussionbecause they weren't well-received.And since the next Mac Prowill undoubtedly be smallerthan the present one, it'spossible that it could sufferthe same pitfalls as those from the past.The two machines I'mspeaking about are of course,the G4 Cube and the 2013 Mac Pro.Remember those? Oh, I do.They both had a lot in common,both introduce stunning visual designs,unlike anything we expectedfrom a computer before,and I'll never forget theretracting handle of the Cubeand just being mesmerizedat a cylindrical computer.- Hint, innovate any more, my ass.(crowd laughing)- These compact designs had to re-imaginehow a computer can be cooled.The G4 Cube was designedto be passively cooledby convection.This means the hot aircaptured by the heat sinkwould rise up and cold airwould rush in from the bottomto replace it,a clever design, butthe more expensive Cubestill didn't perform as wellas the large and loud Power Mac.2013 Trash Can Pro met a similar fate,with its unified triangularheat sink and single fan.It proved to not be enoughto cool a CPU and two GPU'sand eventually Apple put theMac Pro into a service program.The other thing that graded professionalswas that it offered littlein the way of expansion,unless you wanted to hang acable octopus off the back.In a round table discussionwith reporters in 2018,Apple explained that theyrecognize these past shortcomings,and a year later gave usthis, the 2019 Mac Pro.(bouncy upbeat music)Reverting back to thetraditional tower form,it is a thermal beast andallows for a degree of expansionand upgradability not seenin Apple since the 90s.There are 12 DDR4 slots forup to 1.5 terabytes of RAMand the optional to discard drive cage,easy to access Thunderbolt ports on topand eight PCIe slots that you can fillto your heart's content.One more MVMe storage, slap that in there,need HDX accelerator forPro Tools? Just slide it in.Need a capture card or playback card?Put that in, the sky's the limit.(upbeat music fading)Unfortunately, the skyhas also been the limitfor the power consumptionof Intel's high-performance processorsfor the last several years.It's almost certain that thenew desktop will use a larger,more powerful successor to the M1 SoCthat launched inside every new Macsince the end of last year.Rumors suggest theupcoming Mac Pro's new chipwill be called M1X andhave up to 40 CPU cores.And with their current focuson performance per wattand energy efficiency,there's little doubt that theARM Mac Pro will be smallerthan the current one.So what could that look like?Some unofficial renders show thatit might channel the nostalgicfeeling of the G4 Cube.Well, others imagine itas a triple high Mac Mini,which would be kind of boring.Or it might even maintain theappearance of this beauty.Though, I hope that it has asingle centrally placed handleat the top, like a suitcase.None of these would be as interestingas if Apple were to give acompletely new industrial designheralding their new eraof homegrown Silicon.Regardless, I worry that goingwith such a small form factorcould limit the expansionthat has earned themso much praise from professional users.But maybe it can be shrunkwithout upsetting the community.Let's take a crack at it.(click sound)But before we do, allow me to inform youthat this video is brought to youby Tunabelly Softwares, TG Pro.If you're wondering how weget censored informationfor thermals on the Mac, well, it's this.TG Pro is a robust temperature monitoring,fan control and diagnostics applicationthat supports all Macs built after 2008.A lightweight program,it runs unobtrusivelyin the background allowingyou to quickly viewand log CPU, GPU, logic board,and hard drive temperatures.Check out TG Pro at the linkin the description below.To integrate any computerinto the workflow,many pros need at leasta couple of PCIe slotsbe it for a capture card, audio interface,or to add more storage.So in my opinion, thenext Mac Pro still needsto have enough width and lengthto accommodate full-size cards.We'll get more in depthon that in a minute.I also hope there remainseasy access to the internals.Apple's Pro desktops havebeen always remarkablyand ingeniously accessible,say for the now discontinued iMac Pro,which was a bit more of a nightmare.So it should remain here.What about CPU upgradability though?Rumors point to a choicebetween a 20 core modelor 40 core model.That sounds impressive today,but what about it inanother six years time?Back in the days ofthe early 2009 Mac Pro,it was not only possible toeBay higher end chip later ondown the road,but users found they couldeven flash the Firmware,enabling support for thenext generation of processorson their older machines.So, could Apple possiblyoffer SoC upgradesin the years to come?No, probably not.On all M1 Max, not onlyis the SoC solderedonto logic board,but the system memory and even the storageare permanently installedin the same manner.So it's more likely we'llsee more of the same,making it a good strategy to purchasethe most powerful config you can afford,so that your machine can keep pacewith the ever evolvingdemands of your businessfor years to come.The issue of RAM brings up amore interesting question mark,the new unified RAM systemin the current M1 Maxcome in two possibleconfigurations, 8 or 16 gigabytes.That's obviously not enoughfor many professional users,so the question is,how will Apple offer more?Or even crazier,whether there's space for a hybrid designwith unified RAM on the SoCand extra slots for DDR4 dims?The integrated RAM is fasterthan anything you can plug in,but it's still nice tohave the option to extendthe lifespan of your machine.(click sound)The other big unknown iswhether adding graphics cardswill be supported, even ifthere is space to slot one in,because right now,Apple Silicon can't eventalk to external GPU'sand all the graphicsprocessing happens on coresintegrated in the SoC.Apple has supporteddual GPU setups before,either switching betweenthem or using them in tandemfor compatible workloads.But the latter has only been possiblewith two similar cards,like an onboard radio on GPUand a second one in a PCI slotor a Thunderbolt enclosure.And even if we assumeit's going to have supportfor an add in graphics card,I'll eat my hat if it uses MPX.Of course, we also don'tknow whether we'll even needa graphics card.The rumors claim Apple is workingon some huge integrated GPU'swith 64 or even 128 cores,that could be multiple times fasterthan the current AMDcards that are availablewith the 2019 Mac Pro.Still I'd love to havethe option to upgradeor supplement in the future,whether it's with a Radeonor some kind of Apple design accelerator.Could look like somethinglike the Afterburner card,which like, who is it for?It just does ProRes decoding.I work at LMG and I can'teven take advantage of itwithout really trying.Finally, let's talk aboutApple's approach to IO.The current M1 line,particularly the iMac,has fewer ports and supportsfewer external displayscompared to Apple'sIntel powered machines.I hope their new Mac Pro gets at leastthe same ports from the 2017 iMac Pro,four USB-C, four USB-A,one 10 gig ethernet,one SD card reader and supportfor more than two monitors.Apple has demonstrated with this big boythat they do care about integratinginto professionalsworkflows more flexibly,but by golly,this new ARM Silicon leavesso many questions openabout how they plan onscaling the technologyfor those workloads.We still haven't even seen what a larger,more powerful MacBookPro and iMac looks like,but those are prettystraightforward to imagine,with the Mac Pro though,Apple's history of veeringbetween two very opposite extremesmakes me very interestedto see if the companywill be able to balance them.(drum music)Thanks for tuning into this Mac Address.Now I am aware there is a very fresh rumorthat says that this Mac Prois actually gonna get a spec bump,which is interesting.I imagine what we're gonna actually seeis kind of a transition periodwith a bit of overlap between your Mac Proand the Intel Mac Pro.But I'm curious what you think,make sure to like,subscribe and comment below.\n"