Apple’s new Mac Pro delivers on a years-old promise

By Jacob Roach June 5, 2023

Apple

This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Apple finally debuted an updated Mac Pro during WWDC 2023, giving the machine its first update since 2019. The new desktop is powered by the M2 Ultra processor, which Apple also announced during the event.

Sporting a 24-core CPU and 76-core GPU, Apple says the new Mac Pro is a massive upgrade over older Intel Mac Pro machines. In addition to a chip upgrade, the Mac Pro comes with six open PCIe Gen 4 slots for expansion, along with dual 10-Gigabit Ethernet. The machine has seven PCIe Gen 4 slots total, but one is occupied by the Mac Pro Afterburner card.

Mac Pro one pager. — Apple

The updated Mac Pro will be available to purchase today, and Apple says units will start shipping next week. This was the final Mac still using older Intel processors, and as Apple noted, the update completes the company’s transition to its own chips. Apple originally promised it would transition all Macs to its own chips within two years, and although the Mac Pro slightly falls behind that mark, it’s close.

Compared to the last Intel-based Mac, Apple says the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is three times faster at video transcoding and 3D simulations, and it’s capable of ingesting 24 4K camera feeds in real-time.

Apple Mac Pro presented at WWDC 2023. — Apple / Apple

In addition to upping the power, Apple also brought the connectivity of the Mac Pro into 2023. The machine supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and it comes with eight Thunderbolt 4 ports capable of driving up to six Pro Display XDRs. Although most aspects of the machine have been updated, Apple is keeping the same design as the previous model, including the rack-mountable option.

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Lead Reporter, PC Hardware

Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…

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The new iPad Pro would be perfect, if only it were a Mac

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A person holds a MacBook Air at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in 2023.

Apple has just released a new iPad Pro with a shocking surprise -- it includes the M4 chip rather than making the more standard upgrade to the M3. It's the first time we've seen an iPad debut the latest M-series Apple Silicon rather than a Mac, which may leave us Mac fans wondering what's going on.

So, what's the deal? Don't worry -- M4 Macs are surely on the way, but these new iPad Pros have thrown in a wrench into the conventional timeline.
The missing M4 Macs

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Apple introducing the new M4 chip.

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With the M4, Apple says the new iPad Pro can deliver the same performance as a thin-and-light PC while using only a quarter of the power. That's due in no small part to the 3nm architecture the chip uses. The power envelope, according to Apple's claims, is all the more impressive considering the iPad Pro doesn't have any active cooling.