Mac Pro with faster M1 chip to complete Apple silicon transition in 2022

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Amazing Mac Pro concept shrinks the casing but keeps the cheese grater
Apple may not wait for next-generation "M2."
Concept: Róbert Hallon/svetapple.sk

Apple will introduce a new Mac Pro with an upgraded M1 chipset by the end of the year to complete its Apple silicon transition, according to a tipster.

Previous rumors indicated the high-end desktop would stick with Intel chips until Apple’s next-generation “M2 Pro” chipset became available. However, a new rumor suggests it will initially get an even more powerful M1 chip instead.

Mac Pro could get faster M1 chip this year

Almost all Mac models are now available with an Apple silicon chip. The only machines still using Intel processors are the 27-inch iMac and the Mac Pro. But that could change within the next 12 months, just as Apple promised.

Despite recent reports suggesting we may have to wait for a new M2 chipset in 2023 before the Mac Pro gets its Apple silicon upgrade, Twitter tipster @dylandkt claims Apple has a slightly different solution.

“The Mac Pro’s processor will not be an extension of the M2,” Dylan, who has proven reliable in the past, tweeted Monday. “The processor of the Mac Pro will instead be a further extension of the M1 beyond the cores of the M1 Max.”

It’s not yet clear exactly how many cores that new M1 chip could pack — or what it might be called. The existing M1 Max comes with up to 10 for processing, and up to 32 for graphics.

An M1 Max Duo?

There is evidence to suggest Apple could fuse two M1 Max chipsets together for an “M1 Max Duo” of sorts. This would result in a whopping 20 cores for processing, up to 64 for graphics and up to 128GB of RAM.

Multiple references to “multi-die” chips already showed up in macOS code. Those clues suggest Apple is actively working on such a setup. It seems like a pretty brilliant way to bridge the gap between the M1 and M2 generations.

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