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Topic: Processors

Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

Summary: We just heard about a potential redesign of the MacBook Pro laptop, and now the latest rumors have Apple gearing up to refresh its Mac Pro desktop as well.In particular, M.

Sean Portnoy

By for Laptops & Desktops |

We just heard about a potential redesign of the MacBook Pro laptop, and now the latest rumors have Apple gearing up to refresh its Mac Pro desktop as well.

In particular, M.I.C. Gadget is reporting that the workstation will be graduating to Intel's new eight-core Ivy Bridge-E (for "Extreme") CPUs when they launch in a couple of months. Since you can currently get a pair of six-core processors for the Mac Pro, this update will presumably give you the option of a 16-core pairing, albeit one that will set you back about $5,000. Ivy Bridge should not only bring performance improvements, but also power savings as well thanks to the greater efficiency of its 22nm manufacturing process.

In addition, the same site reports that Apple will dump ATI graphics for this refresh, opting instead to throw its hat in with Nvidia's forthcoming Kepler lineup. AMD reportedly had difficulties with the drivers for the previous Mac Pro graphics, so Apple is jumping to its competitor, whose CUDA GPGPU cores should be useful to the workstation crowd.

How this will all shake out in terms of pricing and released is still TBD. Are you excited for a Mac Pro refresh? Will you be in the market for a new version? Let us know in the Talkback section.

[Via Fudzilla]

Topics: Processors, Apple, Hardware, Laptops, Mobility

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Talkback

29 comments
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  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    About time. Hope they keep the current case; it's ergonomically perfect; where else can you slip in a new HDD in a few seconds? And at least two Thunderbolt ports, please!
    gnozicka@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    The real question I want to know is while apple continues to build off of PC hardware, why are PC users with the right hardware not allowed to run OSX. As of the end of last year, all newer chipsets are made with UEFI. With apple supporting more intel chipsets and our hardware. why must I have to pay the Apple tax to run OSX if i wanted to? Once apple starts building machines with AMD then where will the difference be? They will have both Intel and Amd chipset like all windows users. Never mind that OSX can't fully support virtualization which is one of the biggest key benefits of any intel processor made in the last 5 years or more. I mean 10.7 installed just fine on my i5-2500k and z68 chipset with a little tool and a retail OSX disc.
    Now, explain to us again why we have to pay $2,500 for the same thing I built for $434? The only difference now is thunderbolt and that wont be for long. Where are all the devices for thunderbolt? Has apple not okay'd anything but monitors yet? Once the windows market gets it there will be everything available for it.
    Nate_K
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @Nate_K

      Seems like pretty simple economics - since Apple controls the decision, they would rather you put $2500 in their pocket than have you put $434 in someone else's.
      Biotechguy
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @Nate_K

      Different day, same old stuff. Apple is not is in software business, they are in the hardware business.
      gribittmep
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @Nate_K<br><br>Once again you post this crap, but are too cowardly to back it up. ALL Apple hardware is cost-competitive with WINPCs.<br>You have been REPEATEDLY called to task to post specific machines for comparison, but each time, you slink back under your rock. Because you can't, you coward.<br><br>So once again, let's see it. Post this mythical $434 PC and the $2500 Mac you claim it is equivalent to.<br><br>Hello?<br><br>Coward.

      Or do you prefer liar?
      .DeusExMachina.
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

        @deusexmachina????

        I'm not sure how to interpret "cost-competitive", but a quick look in the macstore show a 15" MBP with 8gbRam, 128gb SSD, nicer screen for $2900. I can configure a comparable piece of hardware (even from a boutique builder like iBP) for $2000. More savvy shoppers could probably do even better. The TB port doesn't cover the difference and will be a moot point when Ivy Bridge is mainstream in a couple of months.
        Jdznet2012
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

        @ Jdznet2012<br>And again, no you can't.<br>Comparable? You mean it has a glass, high res trackpad? I doubt it. PC laptop track pads all but invariably suck which is why you almost always see people buying mice for their laptops, but almost never see Mac users with one. Not surprising, since they can get away with it, since Windows is close to brain dead re: actual efficient use of UI paradigms such as drag and drop. How about high range gamut LCD panels? Slot loading optical drive? I could go on and on, but how about you post some specifics? How funny that no one who makes this claim seems ready to post specific hardware, just vague generalities about what they could theoretically do.<br>Not that even that matters, as the topic here was desktops.<br><br>Of course, none of this even bothers to touch on included software, or, of course the resale value, where the Mac, any Mac, will blow your high end PC out of the water, thus reducing overall actual cost.

        And how on earth is Ivy Bridge making TB a moot point? Do you even know what either is?!?
        .DeusExMachina.
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

        @deusexmachina<br>You would have everyone believe that Apple sells all Macs at cost thus there is no way anyone can build comparable spec machines cheaper than Apple.<br>Considering that lots of OEM wholesalers buy in larger volume than Apple, the "but Apple buys components in volume" doesn't wash.<br>Apple doesn't use special components, they don't get special issue CPU's from Intel, they don't get special issue GPUs, they don't get special issue RAM. Apple uses the same grade components anyone can buy. There is no spectacular exclusive hardware used in a Mac. Indeed, if you really want the very best components, you won't get it in a Mac.<br>Fact of the matter is Apple's hardware markup is huge. Huge enough that ANYONE can buy the same components at retail for less than what Apple will sell it for. Apple is the highest markup retailer in IT. Nothing you can put forth will diminish that fact.<br>The only argument left is that of resale value. You may have a point if you sell the Mac and then NEVER buy another Mac. The point is, you are paying a premium for the new Mac to replace the old Mac. The little advantage you may have recouped in resale is more than wiped out by the new high margin purchase from Apple. It is a perpetual premium you are paying to keep buying Apple.<br>So some people claim the Macs have longer life cycles?<br>That is of course false economy as you can do the same with any hardware. The user dictates how long they keep their machines. Advance in technology doesn't slow down for them. Apple or not.<br>Macs last longer?<br>Moot point if you are indeed buying premium components that will far outlast the life cycle you intended. And no, I'm not suggesting compare el cheapo with Apple, but components comparable to Apple.<br>Apple didn't get rich giving the customer hardware at competitive prices. They got rich by charging a huge premium for everything they sell. Fanboys can justify all they want to make themselves feel better about being raped for hardware, they cannot hide from the fact they funded Apple's huge profits.
        warboat
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

        @warboat
        "You would have everyone believe that Apple sells all Macs at cost thus there is no way anyone can build comparable spec machines cheaper than Apple."

        Where on earth do you get any of that? Or are you claiming that the vendors that are selling parts to builders are selling at cost? Here is a clue for you, Apple, purchasing millions of units, gets a FAR better price per unit that you do.

        The fact is, this argument DOES wash, because the vendors are NOT selling to you at cost, they are introducing their own markup. Duh.

        "Apple doesn't use special components, they don't get special issue CPU's from Intel"

        Actually, they get a number of special components from Intel, including, often, CPUs. These are farmed out to Apple far in advance of when the components are available to other vendors.

        http://www.tgdaily.com/trendwatch/41612-apple-gets-another-secret-intel-processor

        "Indeed, if you really want the very best components, you won't get it in a Mac."

        You are just wrong. First, ibid. Second, again, the specced components FoxConn uses to build to spec Logic for Apple IS different than what they sue for other fabs. Period.

        "The point is, you are paying a premium for the new Mac to replace the old Mac."

        Math fail.

        "So some people claim the Macs have longer life cycles?"

        First, as I did not say this, this is a pure straw man argument, second, this comment is NOT about component life, it is about usefulness of the machine for the task at hand. Any number of studies have shown Macs have a longer useful service life.

        You simply don't know what you are talking about.
        .DeusExMachina.
        Reply Vote

  • Hope it will be upgraded soon.

    Well, I can't wait for too long time because I have to equip a powerful Mac Pro for myself before June this year, June is the only period for me to make some HQ videos because I will be having a holiday, and I have to get back to work in July. But the videos need to be released by the end of June. I am disappointed with the Mac Pro's current configuration, especially its graphic card. Now I am dying for seeing its upgrade. Really hope that the Mac Pro will be refreshed before June this year, otherwise it will be a great pity of my life...
    Damerick
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    And Thunderbolt?
    wright_is
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    Pfaugh. After waiting nearly two years, the Adobe CS5 upgrade forced me to buy a new Mac Pro in Nov. It's a beast and I do rather like it. But Apples' neglect of their Pro market does grind my grits a bit. Not likely to hit it up again in June... or whenever the hell the update comes.

    That said, I wonder how they're going to integrate Thunderbolt? I can't imagine Apple NOT including TB on the next MP update, since they are so actively promoting the tech across their lines. Up until this rumor, that was the rationale for the wait, for Intel to release the E-Series Sandy bridge chips. But if true, Apple may be considering skipping right ahead to Ivy Bridge Processors. But MP users do actually have to have standard graphics ports to access a range of third party displays. But TB is rolled out on the Air as the "everything" port and the MB Pro as the "almost everything " port. TB is a motherboard level interface, will the graphics cards be a separate data path, or will TB be on a daughtercard on the MP? Does Firewire live or die? And I kind of expect that optical drives will be an add-on option and no longer standard. They are clearly doomed on the next MB Pro re-design and very likely vanishing from the next iMacs.

    If nothing else, it won't be boring. Apple does have a track record of doing it's own thing and waiting for the rest for us to get with the program and catch up! Sometimes kicking and screaming.
    Samuraiartguy
    Reply Vote

  • Macs vs PC Hardware: Macs last, and PCs self-destruct time and time again

    @Nate K;

    Twin Ivy Bridge E's, or even a single such CPU, do not equal a paltry little i5 2500K, with its small cache and very limited processing power, weak memory controller, et al. You cannot compare your OEM build to the sophistication and utility built into all Mac Pro's, from the bargain basement $2499 single 6-Core CPU model up to the twin Xeon 6-Core top of the line machine that is made right now.

    These are incredibly *reliable* CPU's, chassis's, cooling systems, DDR3 ECC RAM systems, hot-swap hard-drives, twin optical drives, etc all in arguably the best case ever conceived for any tower, PC or Mac or Linux, so poof to your whole line of reasoning.

    In 6-12 months your $450 OEM PC will have issues, of one kind or another, they all do as PC parts are mostly cheaply and poorly built compared to the choice pieces that are assembled into any Mac Pro you can buy today (even used Pro's are treasured and sold at very high resale prices). I am not spouting fanboi-isms, as I have owned many Mac desktops since the 1990's, and they to a one lasted as long as I cared to keep them around without *any* serious repairs occurring to any of them, including my present PowerMac G5 Dual Core 2.3Ghz PCI-Express (M9591LL/A if anyone cares to look it up) that I have had online in my studio commanding a huge media library, my photo library in Aperture and PS3-4 Extended, for some 6 years and counting. It runs twin RAID volumes (hardware via FirmTek 2SE-2E PCI-Express bus masters to eSATA external FirmTek hardware Hot Swap RAID Enclosures, the 2eEN4) that either of which can boot the system, or boot off the internal HD's, ie it's a very flexible, powerful machine even today and it's never been serviced for anything at all, being on 24/7-365 since February 2006.

    At the same time I've built a fleet of PC OEM desktops for my PC oriented business also, and to a one no matter how much I've spent getting top of the line CPU's, video cards, fans, motherboards, etc I've ended up *replacing* many major and minor components time and time again in all those OEM PC's, come Hell or High Water! Even EVGA's Lifetime Warranty on all my video cards and motherboards don't help for the hassle, and down time, and diagnostics and IT work I have to do each and every time something fails in these impeccably constructed OEM PC's, so there's the difference right there: Apple machines last, and PC's self-destruct quickly under heavy loads, end of story, game, match over.

    I will opt for one of these new generation Mac Pro's coming up, if in fact they do go to the SB-E CPU's and upgrades in various other components, especially the nVidia video cards vs the ATI cards/drivers in the last batch of Pro's, as it's time for me to Mac-Up again, and retire my G5 to lesser duties here...but rest assured it will plug along and function at 100% CPU and video card load if I want to run it hard like I do today, even then.

    That's my perspective on Mac and PC desktops, garnered from decades worth of experience with each version of both platforms, just simply the hard, and true facts about PC hardware vs. Mac hardware, and how the machines are engineered and built so differently, like night and day difference.

    I wish there was more equality in the two systems, but it's been this way for as long as I go back in computing, some 35 years or more (starting at IBM Compu-Scan systems for editing copy at the newspaper where I worked as a reporter in the 1970's).

    After the 1st Macs were sold in the retail market, they tended to have this same reputation for longevity and quality components and that has held through today, while PC parts and pieces--no matter which high-end things you invest in for an OEM PC--just suffer failures and significant failures at that rather quickly, consistently, when pushed to their maximum potential and run 24/7 and handling a varied task load, from WP, scientific (Folding@Home), engineering and Cad-Cam uses... you name it and they break doing it...sorry to report!

    I'll take a new Mac Pro Dual 8-Core SB-E system and gladly pay Apple the $5K or so it takes to get started with such a machine (*and it doesn't stop there if you want to run premium ECC RAM maxxed out*, fiber-optic or hardware RAID sub-systems, and the like*), because I know I'll get maximum return on my investment and it will last as long as I care to keep it in service...without major hardware failures either.
    rexrzer1238477@...
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @rexrzer1238477@...
      I understand where you and others are coming from- i.e. you can't really compare budget PCs to an Apple Mac Pro. What you SHOULD consider instead though are Workstations. Professional workstations from the likes of HP are buit for reliability and perfomance for professionals in engineering, video editing, finance and other applications. They include the same Xeon multi-core processors, dual processor options on higher models, ECC Memory etc. In addition, HP Workstations have cool design features inside and out, you may revise your views on "arguably the best case ever conceived for any tower". What's more- they are priced competitively. The latest addition to the line- new Z1 all-in-one workstation announced this week is totally awesome. is check out various product details and links to pricing http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/workstations/index.html.
      wksfan
      Reply Vote

  • Apple does not know what to do with it's Mac Pro line ...

    For the price, you can buy a lot more horsepower from a Windows OEM and so few people outside of the enterprise need that kind of power - oh, and Apple has neglected enterprise customers for decades and still give pitifully small discounts to large volume customers.
    M Wagner
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @mwagner@...
      No, you can't.
      .DeusExMachina.
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    Writing about rumors is like going to Las Vegas...fun to write about, but nothing to take to the bank.
    Bob Forsberg
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

    I have a 16 year old hp windows 95 computer, 2 GB hard drive, I think? Still runs, I played Diablo1 and starcraft on it when my parents gave it to me in highschool. :)
    PC'S don't last, huh???? 16 years and still going! I have apple products they're nice, oh and I've killed 3 Mac book pros running 3D imaging software for college. But I have had good and bad luck with both. You can build a PC with the exact same parts for cheaper, but apple is a really good company so I don't mind buying some of their products.
    R. N. T.
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Latest Apple rumor: Mac Pro desktop to be updated with Ivy Bridge-E processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics

      @R. N. T.

      Um, no, you can't. Go ahead, post your specs, so you can be shown you don'y know what you are talking about.
      .DeusExMachina.
      Reply Vote

      • I'll take the challenge

        @deusexmachina??
        ok, I'll take the challenge.
        You pick a specific Mac Model and I will list the specific component prices to build a comparable spec machine.
        There will be no excuses.
        warboat
        Reply Vote
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