Yep, to create an AS version of the Intel Mac Pro, there has to be plug-in off-SoC RAM, and plug-in expandable graphics.
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Apple's Mac Pro Refresh: What We Know So Far
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I think people are over estimating how small the small one will be. If the rumor is that the smaller Mac Pro is 50% the volume... then each of its dimensions would be 80% the size of the current Mac Pro (the cube of 80% is 50%). So something more like 16.5"H x 14"D x 6.8"W. Smaller for sure but not tiny.
with apple only storage and ram $6K maybe the price of one with someing like 1TB disk and only 128-256 GB ram.
With 512 GB - 1TB ram systems going for $15K-$20K+
oh, I hope this is true. I’m limping along with my 2013 MacPro and can hardly stand using it anymore. Only 32 gigs of ram and I made a mistake only having a 500 gig hard drive for all my design applications and caches. End of June to buy a small MacPro would be a great birthday present and in time for my big Fall annual show I design for that requires me to take it to Europe (hence the travel size preference). Glad to hear it should be way better than the MacBook Pro Max I almost went with first so the wait will be worth it.
I thought it is "half the size". Half of each dimension.
That's not ever going to happen. The days of Hackintoshing are coming to a close. Once Apple finally kills off Intel, the Hackintosh hobby is only going to be viable for older hardware until eventually it just fizzles out entirely. I used to build Hackintoshes and it was fun, but Apple doesn't want anyone doing that anymore.
It appears Apple is following in Intels footsteps. Instead of releasing higher IPC processors they're adding cores.
M1 Max Ram is currently 64 GB in the MBP, a bank of 256 GB could be used by (4) M1 Max on some CCA.
Careful there - I wouldn't be so sure.
"Not ever" is a really strong choice..
The MacPro is the one product I could see them keeping an Intel version going (alongside an ASi version).
There are businesses with needs out there that buy MPs
Are you totally forgetting how SGI made RISC work in parallel with their workstations and racks? You don't need to sell higher clock rate SoC when multiple SoCs can work in parallel with UNIX.
It's not ever going to happen again. Apple is moving their entire line up to ARM. They're not going to release an Intel Mac Pro. They are investing everything into their new architecture. Those businesses are going to be using ARM processors. Period. It would literally make zero sense for them to do otherwise. It would make the transition to ARM take years longer than they would want. And literally everyone is anticipating what they are going to do with ARM for the Mac Pro. It's not happening. Apple wants to consolidate everything to where they have full control over the hardware and the software.
I have no clue how you could possibly be so certain they won't keep an Intel version of the MP going for a bit longer...
Again..alongside a new ASi option.
Lots of business uses buy and operate on much longer timelines.
Even if they did nothing but swap in new Intel chips but keep everything else essentially the same it could be of great use.
I'd keep a more open mind on this honestly.
A couple of years back The China Times mentioned that Apple was working on a GPU called "Lifuka" that was said to be for the iMac and would be on TSMC's 5nm process, but we have heard nothing since then so nobody is sure if it was meant to be a discrete GPU or was referring to the M1 Max (with the "Mt. Jade / A14T" being the M1 Pro).
Or this first ASi Mac Pro is meant to be a bridge between workloads that need a lot of CPU/GPU performance, but can function within 128-256GB of RAM with the updated Intel model designed for workloads that need all the RAM you can throw at it.
RAM densities are increasing, so Apple might have 512Gb to 1TB memory configurations for the Apple Silicon SoCs ready in a few years when it comes time to formally retire the Intel Mac Pro model.
Well, they already have one.
I'm not suggesting some "all new Intel Mac Pro" -- not at all
Let's see if they even do stick with it.
The pandemic clearly threw a wrench into plans (as one would expect)
Those business will keep using their Intel Mac Pros until they can upgrade to ARM. It's not happening. I have no clue how you could possibly be so certain that they're going to release another Intel Mac with all the information that has come out about Apple and all the people that have insider knowledge regarding Apple have said the next Mac Pro is going to be ARM. Apple themselves have said they are moving literally their entire lineup to ARM within a 2 year period. The last remaining Macs in the lineup are the Mac Pro and the iMac Pro. Apple themselves have said they're doing this. It's happening whether you want it to or not.
Cutting out the parts I had about LPDDR5X RAM takes the entire max RAM specs out of context...
Moving the line up to ARM doesn't mean "only making and selling ARM versions"
Important difference there.
Very rational to expect they might have some Intel versions still in the lineup for a while.
Yes, they already have one. That's not what you said. You said you hope the new Mac Pro has an Intel option. Those were your words.
No wrenches have been thrown into Apple's machine. They had record breaking sales during the pandemic. The pandemic had no effect on them whatsoever. The only issue is the worldwide chip shortage. But that shortage would apply to Intel chips just as much as it would ARM chips. Apple stated they're moving their entire line up to ARM within two years. And we're approaching two years.
Yes ... yes it does mean that. They are fizzling out Intel entirely. It would actually be quite irrational for them to keep making Intel Macs.
Two things:
- Multiple SoCs is no different than multiple cores.
- The operating system is irrelevant.
Correct - sorry for not being more specific.
I mean "keep an Intel version going"
No new design, none of that... just keeping an Intel version MP around
Thx for asking for more clarity
Cheers