We’ve heard a lot of potentially bad news about the Mac Pro on Apple silicon over the last few weeks, but there’s always one looming open question. Well, that question may have an answer.
Bloomberg journalist Mark Garman wrote on Twitter: claimed The next Mac Pro may not have a user-upgradeable graphics option. In some ways, not surprisingly, the already precarious state of device modularity has significant implications.
Today’s Mac Pro allows users to configure it with one of ten different graphics cards. These cards can be swapped out and replaced at any time thanks to Apple’s MPX Modules system. There are various options that plug into ports on the Mac Pro’s motherboard.
However, Apple’s silicon poses a major problem for this system, as each of Apple’s chips is known as a system-on-a-chip. Simply put, it means that the CPU, memory and GPU are all integrated into the chip itself.
While this makes things simpler and greatly increases the memory speed of the entire chip (thanks to Apple’s unified memory system), upgrading these individual components after you’ve bought your computer isn’t possible. Impossible.
As Gurman points out, “Apple Silicon Macs don’t support external GPUs, so you’ll have to use configurations purchased on Apple’s website.” There is a nature.
Are professional users satisfied?
When Apple introduced the new Mac Pro in 2019, modularity was a key feature of the computer. In fact, the professional audience that the Mac Pro is intended for should be able to upgrade the device as workloads change and become more demanding. Apple has realized it in the form of the MPX module system, which offers everything from graphics cards to RAID storage. arrangement.
Without upgradeable graphics, the modularity of future Mac Pros could be severely hampered. If a machine can’t handle difficult tasks such as video rendering, where a powerful graphics card is essential, it becomes unattractive to the target user.
Gurman says the storage will still be user-upgradeable in the upcoming Mac Pro, so it doesn’t look like the MPX module is going away entirely. But a modular system without modifiable GPU options can lose some of its luster.
In the absence of upgradeable graphics options, it remains to be seen whether its improved cooling and performance will be enough to appease high-end users. With the announcement of the Pro, we’ll have to see what promises the company makes and whether the Mac Pro can deliver on those promises.
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