The New Mac Pro and Its Implications: A Closer Look at Apple's Latest Creation

As I sat down to examine the new Mac Pro, it was clear that this machine is a significant departure from its predecessors. The chassis is largely the same as the previous generation, but with some notable internal changes. For instance, the RAM is now soldered into the chipset, making it impossible to upgrade or change in the future. Similarly, the GPU is baked into the Apple silicon at the heart of the machine, eliminating the need for additional graphics cards.

However, this doesn't mean that users are completely out of luck when it comes to upgrading their Mac Pro. Instead, Apple has repurposed the RAM slots from before and turned them into locations where customers can install custom SSD modules. This is a great feature for those who want to upgrade their storage or take advantage of faster data transfer rates. Additionally, Apple even sells its own SSD upgrade kits specifically designed for the new Mac Pro, ensuring that users have access to compatible components.

One of the most striking features of the new Mac Pro is its massive size. The M2 Ultra chip at its heart is enormous, making it clear that this machine is a powerhouse. The heatsink covering the top of the chip is also noteworthy, allowing for better airflow and heat dissipation. However, one design decision that may not sit well with some users is the placement of the Apple logo on the side of the machine. In its current form, the logo is positioned horizontally, which may be jarring for those accustomed to Apple's more vertical branding.

Despite this quibble, it's clear that Apple has outdone itself with the design of this machine. The chassis remains largely unchanged from previous generations, but with a number of subtle tweaks and improvements. This attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the Mac Pro, from its industrial-grade construction to its sleek and minimalist aesthetic.

One area where the new Mac Pro truly shines is in its I/O options. With eight Thunderbolt ports available on both the front and rear of the machine, users have a plethora of connections at their disposal. This makes it an ideal choice for professionals who need to connect multiple devices or transfer data between them quickly. Whether you're working with audio equipment, video, or networking gear, the Mac Pro has got you covered.

Of course, one of the biggest advantages of the new Mac Pro is its affordability compared to previous models. When maxed out with all available options, including the M2 Ultra chip and an 8TB SSD, the machine comes in at a significantly lower price point than its predecessor. In fact, when compared to other machines on the market, such as the Intel-based Mac Pro, the Apple silicon version is often half the cost or less.

This makes it an attractive option for professionals who need the power and flexibility of a high-end machine without breaking the bank. While not everyone will require the capabilities offered by the Mac Pro, its updated features and improved performance make it an excellent choice for those in demanding fields such as audio and video production, digital signal processing, or professional photography.

Ultimately, Apple's decision to create the Mac Pro has proven to be a savvy move. By catering to the needs of high-end professionals who require customized machines with advanced I/O options, they've created a product that is both powerful and practical. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out in your chosen field, the new Mac Pro is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a top-of-the-line machine that can keep up with even the most demanding workflows.

The New Mac Studio: A Compact Alternative to the Mac Pro

While the new Mac Pro is sure to appeal to those who require the power and flexibility offered by this machine, Apple has also created an alternative option in the form of the Mac Studio. This compact machine is designed for professionals who need a portable and powerful workstation that can handle demanding tasks without taking up too much space.

One of the most striking features of the Mac Studio is its affordability compared to the Mac Pro. When maxed out with all available options, including the M2 chip and an 8TB SSD, the machine comes in at a significantly lower price point than its larger counterpart. This makes it an excellent choice for professionals who want a high-end machine without breaking the bank.

In terms of performance, the Mac Studio is also no slouch. The M2 chip provides more than enough power to handle demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D modeling, and audio production. Additionally, the machine's compact size makes it easy to transport and set up in a variety of environments.

However, one area where the Mac Studio falls short is in its I/O options. While it does feature six Thunderbolt ports on the back, this is fewer than those found on the Mac Pro. Nevertheless, users can still connect multiple devices and transfer data between them quickly using these ports.

The Mac Studio is also an excellent choice for those who prioritize portability over raw power. Weighing in at just 6 pounds and measuring only 11 inches tall, this machine is easy to take with you on the go. Whether you're working from a coffee shop or traveling to meet clients, the Mac Studio has got you covered.

In conclusion, both the new Mac Pro and the Mac Studio offer excellent options for professionals who require powerful and practical machines. While the Mac Pro is designed for those who need raw power and flexibility, the Mac Studio provides an alternative option that prioritizes portability and affordability.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI'm going to take you Hands-On with Apple's new Pro Hardware the new Mac Studio and apple silicon Mac Pro we welcome everybody to Apple Insider it is Andrew here and during WWDC a traditionally software Focus event Apple came out with a ton of Hardware there's the Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headset there is the 15 inch MacBook Air and in this video I'm going to go hands on with the all new Mac Studio with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra as well as the new Apple silicon Mac Pro so let's go ahead and dive into it a couple things to initially know here despite having new silica on the inside not much has changed on the outside for either of these two machines if I showed you the new Mac Studio or Mac Pro which I am they'd be nearly indiscernible from the last generation though there are a couple things to look out for so the new Mac Studio Hardware on the outside all all the exact same the one thing that did change kind of Hardware wise is Apple didn't include a new higher bandwidth HDMI output if you Max this out with the M2 Ultra on the inside you'd be able to get up to eight 4K displays alternatively you could do six 6K displays or three 8K displays all at 60 hertz the biggest change on the Mac Studio is moving from the M1 series chipset to the M2 series you can choose between the M2 and pro M2 Max or the M2 Ultra on the inside Apple says the M2 Max can compile apps 25 faster than the M1 Max and can render effects in After Effects 50 faster than the M1 Max the M2 Ultra literally will double the power of an M2 machine because there are two M2 chipsets combined together to create the M2 Ultra it's got 24 core CPU and up to 20 faster than the M1 Ultra the 76 core G GPU is 30 faster than the one in the M1 Ultra and the neural engine is now 40 faster than the one found in the M1 Ultra those are some big jumps in terms of performance I was fairly Limited in what Apple let me try out with the M1 Ultra but right now this thing just flies they had Maya open which is used to create 3D movies and stuff like Pixar uses this thing and it's now Apple silicon native and it was just amazing working around these rendered and seeing how fast this machine was I mean the M2 Max and the M2 Ultra are some seriously crazy chipsets and it's also crazy that the Mac Studio is sticking around a lot of people assumed that Apple would kill off the Mac Studio when the Mac Pro was finally updated to Apple silicon but that wasn't the case we still have the Mac Studio in two great configurations speaking of the Mac Pro let's dig into this a little bit whoa hey I thought you just pop in for a second I need to thank our sponsor for this video VMware and vmware's Fusion Pro Fusion Pro easily allows you to run Windows applications on your Mac without having to reboot you can easily switch between your native Mac OS applications and your windows applications on the Fly for a near perfect user cross-platform experience Fusion Pro is also tailored to the professional crowd thinking developers it admins QA Engineers that need to run Linux and windows applications on their Mac things like Network simulation for testing latency Jitter or bandwidth restrictions full or linked clones for instantly duplicating virtual machines and remote connectivity for vmware's vsphere and esxi host to enable users to create and manage complex virtual environments if you would like to try out vmware's Fusion Pro for yourself and run your windows and Linux applications right there on your Mac there's a link for it down below in the description go ahead give it a shot and let me know what you think otherwise let's go ahead and get back to our other content so the chassis is the same that we saw as the prior generation right it's the same design that Apple used on the last Model that it redesigned there are a couple internal changes though so first off the ram is now soldered into the chipset so you can't change anymore same thing with the GPU the GPU is baked in to the Apple silicon at the heart of the machine so you can't really install additional graphics cards and there's no need to install any additional memory it's all just baked in so before you could replace the RAM on the outside of the machine no longer possible but Apple has repurposed that position which allows you to install a custom SSD modules that you can just slot right in there so those the ram slots from before are now used to house ssds Apple even sells its own SSD upgrade kits for the new Mac Pro and they're not compatible with a prior generation Mac Pro when I was using the Intel Mac Pro I love the design of it and I still love it here if the thing looks absolutely gorgeous and apple is nice enough to remove the heatsink on the new M2 Ultra so that we can actually see the chipset behind it you can actually see the Apple silicon behind the heatsink and it is massive it is such a large chip that is behind that heatsink it just looks insane I will say it's a very unlike Apple to have the Apple logo though on the side it would bother me the Apple logo should be vertical to match the machine I'm just saying Johnny Ive would never have let this happen but other than that the design of this guy the chassis is basically the same as it was before in total there are six pcie expansion slots one thing Apple did upgrade though is the Thunderbolt ports there are now eight Thunderbolt ports total so two on the top machine and six along the back that is a ton of i o that you can connect directly through Thunderbolt one of the things that I was actually surprised about was that the new Mac Pro is Affordable I mean it's not affordable but if you compare it to the Mac Studio sure the Mac Pro is a lot more expensive you can get the same specs and it's going to cost you like three thousand dollars less to choose a Mac Studio over the Mac Pro but the Mac Pro still caters those high-end professionals that need that expandable option so they're still a market for that Mac Pro connect Digital Signal processing cards for audio professionals uh digital interface SDI or i o carts or video professionals or connect additional cameras and monitors and additional networking and storage for those various users so there's a lot you can do with those PCI slots to customize the Mac Pro to your workflow and let's be real we're looking at you know Lucas Arch they're not going to Blink at the three thousand dollar or a few thousand dollar price difference between a Mac Pro and a Mac Studio but if we look at it compared to the Intel model it's so much cheaper so in 2019 if you maxed out a Mac Pro you're adding the graphics cards you're adding After Burner cars which are now included in the M2 Ultra and you don't need them in fact the M2 Ultra has the performance of seven afterburner cards that the Intel machine required so if you maxed out that Intel version it would run you like 52 53 000 in 2019 here in 2023 if you get the new Apple silicon version and you Max it out all the way Max it out brand new M2 Ultra 24 core CPU 76 core GPU 30 corn 2 32 core neural engine 100 92 gigs of unified memory and of course we're going to add that eight terabyte SSD all that together and you're only looking at twelve thousand two hundred dollars less than a quarter of what the maxed out Intel version would be so compared to the previous model Mac Pro the new one is a lot cheaper when you max everything out which is pretty incredible and of course the M2 Ultra offers so amazing performance over Intel machines Apple's done a great job here with these new ones and not everyone's going to need a Mac Pro by far but I'm glad it still exists for those workflows that need it the Mac studios are going to create create a lot of demand for those particular machines a lot of people have been using them now and kind of ditching the Mac Pro they're just such wonderful compact machines that professionals are loving let me know what you guys think of the new Mac Studio and the new Mac Pros I had a great time testing them out go ahead and check out links Down Below in the description if you're interested in each of these machines if you have any questions throw them up on Twitter or down below in the commentsI'm going to take you Hands-On with Apple's new Pro Hardware the new Mac Studio and apple silicon Mac Pro we welcome everybody to Apple Insider it is Andrew here and during WWDC a traditionally software Focus event Apple came out with a ton of Hardware there's the Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headset there is the 15 inch MacBook Air and in this video I'm going to go hands on with the all new Mac Studio with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra as well as the new Apple silicon Mac Pro so let's go ahead and dive into it a couple things to initially know here despite having new silica on the inside not much has changed on the outside for either of these two machines if I showed you the new Mac Studio or Mac Pro which I am they'd be nearly indiscernible from the last generation though there are a couple things to look out for so the new Mac Studio Hardware on the outside all all the exact same the one thing that did change kind of Hardware wise is Apple didn't include a new higher bandwidth HDMI output if you Max this out with the M2 Ultra on the inside you'd be able to get up to eight 4K displays alternatively you could do six 6K displays or three 8K displays all at 60 hertz the biggest change on the Mac Studio is moving from the M1 series chipset to the M2 series you can choose between the M2 and pro M2 Max or the M2 Ultra on the inside Apple says the M2 Max can compile apps 25 faster than the M1 Max and can render effects in After Effects 50 faster than the M1 Max the M2 Ultra literally will double the power of an M2 machine because there are two M2 chipsets combined together to create the M2 Ultra it's got 24 core CPU and up to 20 faster than the M1 Ultra the 76 core G GPU is 30 faster than the one in the M1 Ultra and the neural engine is now 40 faster than the one found in the M1 Ultra those are some big jumps in terms of performance I was fairly Limited in what Apple let me try out with the M1 Ultra but right now this thing just flies they had Maya open which is used to create 3D movies and stuff like Pixar uses this thing and it's now Apple silicon native and it was just amazing working around these rendered and seeing how fast this machine was I mean the M2 Max and the M2 Ultra are some seriously crazy chipsets and it's also crazy that the Mac Studio is sticking around a lot of people assumed that Apple would kill off the Mac Studio when the Mac Pro was finally updated to Apple silicon but that wasn't the case we still have the Mac Studio in two great configurations speaking of the Mac Pro let's dig into this a little bit whoa hey I thought you just pop in for a second I need to thank our sponsor for this video VMware and vmware's Fusion Pro Fusion Pro easily allows you to run Windows applications on your Mac without having to reboot you can easily switch between your native Mac OS applications and your windows applications on the Fly for a near perfect user cross-platform experience Fusion Pro is also tailored to the professional crowd thinking developers it admins QA Engineers that need to run Linux and windows applications on their Mac things like Network simulation for testing latency Jitter or bandwidth restrictions full or linked clones for instantly duplicating virtual machines and remote connectivity for vmware's vsphere and esxi host to enable users to create and manage complex virtual environments if you would like to try out vmware's Fusion Pro for yourself and run your windows and Linux applications right there on your Mac there's a link for it down below in the description go ahead give it a shot and let me know what you think otherwise let's go ahead and get back to our other content so the chassis is the same that we saw as the prior generation right it's the same design that Apple used on the last Model that it redesigned there are a couple internal changes though so first off the ram is now soldered into the chipset so you can't change anymore same thing with the GPU the GPU is baked in to the Apple silicon at the heart of the machine so you can't really install additional graphics cards and there's no need to install any additional memory it's all just baked in so before you could replace the RAM on the outside of the machine no longer possible but Apple has repurposed that position which allows you to install a custom SSD modules that you can just slot right in there so those the ram slots from before are now used to house ssds Apple even sells its own SSD upgrade kits for the new Mac Pro and they're not compatible with a prior generation Mac Pro when I was using the Intel Mac Pro I love the design of it and I still love it here if the thing looks absolutely gorgeous and apple is nice enough to remove the heatsink on the new M2 Ultra so that we can actually see the chipset behind it you can actually see the Apple silicon behind the heatsink and it is massive it is such a large chip that is behind that heatsink it just looks insane I will say it's a very unlike Apple to have the Apple logo though on the side it would bother me the Apple logo should be vertical to match the machine I'm just saying Johnny Ive would never have let this happen but other than that the design of this guy the chassis is basically the same as it was before in total there are six pcie expansion slots one thing Apple did upgrade though is the Thunderbolt ports there are now eight Thunderbolt ports total so two on the top machine and six along the back that is a ton of i o that you can connect directly through Thunderbolt one of the things that I was actually surprised about was that the new Mac Pro is Affordable I mean it's not affordable but if you compare it to the Mac Studio sure the Mac Pro is a lot more expensive you can get the same specs and it's going to cost you like three thousand dollars less to choose a Mac Studio over the Mac Pro but the Mac Pro still caters those high-end professionals that need that expandable option so they're still a market for that Mac Pro connect Digital Signal processing cards for audio professionals uh digital interface SDI or i o carts or video professionals or connect additional cameras and monitors and additional networking and storage for those various users so there's a lot you can do with those PCI slots to customize the Mac Pro to your workflow and let's be real we're looking at you know Lucas Arch they're not going to Blink at the three thousand dollar or a few thousand dollar price difference between a Mac Pro and a Mac Studio but if we look at it compared to the Intel model it's so much cheaper so in 2019 if you maxed out a Mac Pro you're adding the graphics cards you're adding After Burner cars which are now included in the M2 Ultra and you don't need them in fact the M2 Ultra has the performance of seven afterburner cards that the Intel machine required so if you maxed out that Intel version it would run you like 52 53 000 in 2019 here in 2023 if you get the new Apple silicon version and you Max it out all the way Max it out brand new M2 Ultra 24 core CPU 76 core GPU 30 corn 2 32 core neural engine 100 92 gigs of unified memory and of course we're going to add that eight terabyte SSD all that together and you're only looking at twelve thousand two hundred dollars less than a quarter of what the maxed out Intel version would be so compared to the previous model Mac Pro the new one is a lot cheaper when you max everything out which is pretty incredible and of course the M2 Ultra offers so amazing performance over Intel machines Apple's done a great job here with these new ones and not everyone's going to need a Mac Pro by far but I'm glad it still exists for those workflows that need it the Mac studios are going to create create a lot of demand for those particular machines a lot of people have been using them now and kind of ditching the Mac Pro they're just such wonderful compact machines that professionals are loving let me know what you guys think of the new Mac Studio and the new Mac Pros I had a great time testing them out go ahead and check out links Down Below in the description if you're interested in each of these machines if you have any questions throw them up on Twitter or down below in the comments\n"