Apple Introduces New High-End Graphics Options for Mac Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple today began offering new high-end graphics upgrade options for both the tower and rack versions of the Mac Pro desktop computer. This comes on the same day that Apple started selling the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID on a standalone basis.

As noted by CNN Underscored's Jake Krol, the Mac Pro can now be configured with new AMD Radeon Pro W6800X, W6800X Duo, or W6900X graphics when ordering the professional workstation through Apple's online store. The new options come at steep prices, ranging from $2,400 for a single W6800X module to $11,600 for two W6900X modules.

Apple's descriptions of the graphics modules:

AMD Radeon Pro W6800X
For workstation-class graphics and demanding pro applications, choose the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth. This graphics option features AMD’s RDNA2 architecture, delivering up to 16.0 teraflops of single-precision or 32.0 teraflops of half-precision computing. It supports up to six 4K displays, three 5K displays, or three Pro Display XDRs.

The full-height MPX Module fills an MPX bay and uses extra power and PCIe bandwidth to deliver four additional Thunderbolt 3 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port on the card. You can install two W6800X MPX Modules in your Mac Pro and connect them using Infinity Fabric Link for enhanced multi-GPU performance in applications like Final Cut Pro. When you select the option with two GPUs, the Infinity Fabric Link connector comes preinstalled.

AMD Radeon Pro W6900X
For the maximum workstation-class graphics and demanding pro applications, choose the AMD Radeon Pro W6900X with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth. This graphics option features AMD’s RDNA2 architecture, delivering up to 22.2 teraflops of single-precision or 44.4 teraflops of half-precision computing. It supports up to six 4K displays, three 5K displays, or three Pro Display XDRs.

The full-height MPX Module fills an MPX bay and uses extra power and PCIe bandwidth to deliver four additional Thunderbolt 3 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port on the card. You can install two W6900X MPX Modules in your Mac Pro and connect them using Infinity Fabric Link for enhanced multi-GPU performance in applications like Final Cut Pro. When you select the option with two GPUs, the Infinity Fabric Link connector comes preinstalled.

AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module
To push your graphics performance even further, choose the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module, which is ideal for even the most demanding multi-GPU pro applications. The module has two W6800X GPUs, each with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth. The two GPUs are connected onboard with Infinity Fabric Link, and two W6800X Duo modules can be bridged to allow four W6800X GPUs to communicate.

Install two modules in your Mac Pro for intensive tasks like GPU rendering or advanced color grading. Get up to 30.2 teraflops of single-precision or 60.4 teraflops of half-precision computing. The Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module supports up to eight 4K displays, four 5K displays, or six Pro Display XDRs. And the full-height MPX Module fills an MPX bay and uses extra power and PCIe bandwidth to deliver four additional Thunderbolt 3 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port on the card. When you select the option with two GPUs, the Infinity Fabric Link connector comes preinstalled.

For customers who already purchased a Mac Pro, Krol said the new graphics modules will also be available on a standalone basis through Apple's online store, but the product listings have yet to go live, so pricing remains to be seen.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1422562604657123330

The current Mac Pro was released in December 2019 and still uses Intel processors, with an Apple silicon model rumored to be in the works.

Article Link: Apple Introduces New High-End Graphics Options for Mac Pro

 

[5097842]

I’m glad I waited! Or are they going to update the processors in a month or so …

 

[cmaier]

Macrumors forum posters: "See! that proves M1 is a failure!"

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Nice! There is obviously demand then.

 

[bmunge]

Doesn't that card retail for like $700 or something? 2 of them is an 11.6k upgrade?

 

[satchmo]

Perhaps this confirms that new Mac Pros won't come until next year?

So this October will introduce the new M1X pro laptops.
And 2022 will usher in the pro desktops,M1X iMac and Mac Pro.

 

[cmaier]

Doesn't that card retail for like $700 or something? 2 of them is an 11.6k upgrade?

No, it's around $5000 or so

 

[bmunge]

No, it's around $5000 or so

Ah okay I must have been looking at the wrong one.

 

[MauiPa]

"The new graphics options come at steep prices, ranging from $2,400 for a single W6800X module to $11,600 for two W6900X modules". That is a bit misleading the lower price referenced is for a single unit with 32GB of GDDR6 memory, the higher price is for 2 units with 64 gB of GDDR6 memory each. Here I've re-written for you: ""The new graphics options come at steep prices, ranging from $2,400 for a single W6800X module with 32 GB of GDDR6 memory to $11,600 for two W6900X modules with 64GB of GDD6 memory each"


correction, the article quotes options that are a subset of those listed on Apple's Web site. the option is $11,600 for a dual W6900X with 64 GB each, and $9600 for dual W6800X

 

[BGPL]

And so reasonably priced!

Is there an decent graphics option if you're not a Saudi prince?

 

[cmaier]

And so reasonably priced!

Is there an decent graphics option if you're not a Saudi prince?

All the option are "decent." These cards are designed for people who need the very best, and the costs are largely dictated by the cost of the silicon and the crazy cooling/power distribution solutions necessary to get them to work.

 

[adamw]

Glad the Mac Pro is getting some much needed attention. Hopefully they have thoroughly tested the Mac video card drivers.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

And so reasonably priced!

Is there an decent graphics option if you're not a Saudi prince?

Actually, they are 'reasonably' price relative to the market.

A W6800 alone costs £2,000, U.K. The enhanced 'X' variant Apple is selling, which also features the MPX enclosure, is just £400 more. The kind of customer who is the the market for this class of card wouldn't think twice about the extra money.

 

[ksec]

It is based on RDNA 2, I wish this was listed in the news somewhere.

 

[Psychicbob]

Yes but what FPS do you get in Minecraft?

 

[dz5b609]

Doesn't that card retail for like $700 or something? 2 of them is an 11.6k upgrade?

No these are the pro workstation cards, with specific workstation capabilities and yes those are always this expensive weter it's Radeon Pro or Nvidia Quadros.

You're thinking about the consumer 6800XT cards, which is basically a whole different kind of graphic card, those are for gaming, these are for computing.

 

[dz5b609]

And so reasonably priced!

Is there an decent graphics option if you're not a Saudi prince?

These are workstation cards on a pro machine, and for that these are reasonably priced. Don't buy a Mac Pro if you don't need the pro capabilities and if you do you'd know these workstation cards are normally priced and will pay for themselves in efficiency, you can do more in less time.

 

[goodcow]

But can it run Doom?

 

[nicho]

"The new graphics options come at steep prices, ranging from $2,400 for a single W6800X module to $11,600 for two W6900X modules". That is a bit misleading the lower price referenced is for a single unit with 32GB of GDDR6 memory, the higher price is for 2 units with 64 gB of GDDR6 memory each. Here I've re-written for you: ""The new graphics options come at steep prices, ranging from $2,400 for a single W6800X module with 32 GB of GDDR6 memory to $11,600 for two W6900X modules with 64GB of GDD6 memory each"


correction, the article quotes options that are a subset of those listed on Apple's Web site. the option is $11,600 for a dual W6900X with 64 GB each, and $9600 for dual W6800X

View attachment 1814184

By your own screenshot you've got things the wrong way around.

 

[jamcgahey]

Anyone know why Apple doesn't use Nvidia?

 

[diamond.g]

These are workstation cards on a pro machine, and for that these are reasonably priced. Don't buy a Mac Pro if you don't need the pro capabilities and if you do you'd know these workstation cards are normally priced and will pay for themselves in efficiency, you can do more in less time.

Aside from more memory what makes these different than the consumer cards?

 

[diamond.g]

Anyone know why Apple doesn't use Nvidia?

Nvidia won't let Apple write drivers and won't make custom variants for Apple like AMD does.

 

[cmaier]

Anyone know why Apple doesn't use Nvidia?

Yep.

NVIDIA screwed apple in the past.

 

[brandon_macpro]

$5,600 for a 6900xt wrapped in an mpx module. I have been waiting for new cards to release for so long now for my mac pro. Those prices are just Dumb. I can build a beefy pc with 2 3090's inside for around 8k. Someone please help me out and explain the $5,600 price tag. When It will still get beat in Octane Render and Redshift by a 3090.

 

[diamond.g]

$5,600 for a 6900xt wrapped in an mpx module. I have been waiting for new cards to release for so long now for my mac pro. Those prices are just Dumb. I can build a beefy pc with 2 3090's inside for around 8k. Someone please help me out and explain the $5,600 price tag. When It will still get beat in Octane Render and Redshift by a 3090.

Along with the ram, these are probably the XTXH variants of NAVI 21. Looking at the TFLOP and TGP difference, it appears these are clocked higher than the reference boards (and have a default higher power limit). Not saying you cannot get the reference cards to run at these speeds (though with the stock cooler I wouldn't recommend it, lol). AIB cards run at these speeds, or greater already.