MP All Models New Intel Xeon 3rd gen Ice Lake chips in next Mac Pro?

[PharmlyDoc]

Intel announced today that they’ve started production of the new Xeon 3rd generation Ice Lake processors. Any chance Apple will put these in a Mac Pro?

3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors Brief

Product Brief: The latest Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors provide consistent performance for data-centric workloads.

www.intel.com

 

[MacUser2525]

Not a hope in hell, they go with their own chips from now on.

 

[jlocker]

You are talking about a Mac Pro, the Xeon is a workstation/server processor. Server farms don't use Qualcomm mobile chips for 24x7 processing they use Xeon processors. I would not count out the Xeon processor from a Mac Pro. The Apple processing development has a long way to go to get to a level of a Intel Xeon processor 24x7 reliability.

 

[goMac]

You are talking about a Mac Pro, the Xeon is a workstation/server processor. Server farms don't use Qualcomm mobile chips for 24x7 processing they use Xeon processors. I would not count out the Xeon processor from a Mac Pro. The Apple processing development has a long way to go to get to a level of a Intel Xeon processor 24x7 reliability.

Xeon's dead, Jim.

Apple said the _entire_ Mac lineup will be moved to Apple Silicon by 2022. They very much mean it.

We're also at the point where the MacBook Air is competitive with a Xeon. There isn't any point in continuing to use Xeon's. Xeon's are one of the worst CPUs, especially when you account for their price. Apple could literally just double the size of the MacBook Air CPU, and they'd be better off than they would be with the Xeon.

 

[fiatlux]

You are talking about a Mac Pro, the Xeon is a workstation/server processor. Server farms don't use Qualcomm mobile chips for 24x7 processing they use Xeon processors. I would not count out the Xeon processor from a Mac Pro. The Apple processing development has a long way to go to get to a level of a Intel Xeon processor 24x7 reliability.

Some server farms and supercomputers do use ARM CPUs, with plenty of cores, PCIe lines, multiples CPU sockets, support for a lot of ECC memory and so on.

It would take more that just a scaling up of the M1 but I am confident Apple could build an ARM Mac Pro if they wished.

The problem is more in terms of hardware/peripheral support that the target demographic would expect. Having enough PCIe slots is one thing, having ARM drivers for graphic cards, video and audio processing cards... is another thing.

 

[Menno87]

Intel will launch ice lake xeons on the 6th of april. If apple is going for a refresh it must be in Q2/Q3 or else is doesn't make a lot of sense with the transition to apple silicon 'deadline' being that close. It does need a new logic board design though. (PCIe4, no need of pcie switching chips, new socket etc) So chances are .. hmm not that high? All depends if they planned the current platform with that in mind.

 

[th0masp]

Sounds like chances are basically zero if it needs a new logic board. If there's only a tweak here or there that's required then who's to say - this shop is full of surprises after all.

Question is if the MP even sold according to expectations in the first place to make a refresh worthwhile to them. Judging by their apparent lack of enthusiasm in supporting the newer GPU generation I'd say the MP is already filed under legacy products internally.

 

[Menno87]

I think with the short supply of chips and the engineering and production of a MPX module will be +6 months anyway so it could still be in the cards as a stop gap. For the logic board well.. it's the definition of tweaks I guess. Most of the positioning can be the same but it does needs some change. ?‍♂️

 

[th0masp]

I think with the short supply of chips and the engineering and production of a MPX module will be +6 months anyway so it could still be in the cards as a stop gap. For the logic board well.. it's the definition of tweaks I guess. Most of the positioning can be the same but it does needs some change. ?‍♂️

I meant if the layout changes and with all the knock on effects that is bound to have I'd think they won't bother. If all they need to do is pop in some new chips here and there - I suppose they would consider it.

But they are quite bold and don't seem to think much like a computer manufacturer/design shop (anymore). My money is on an all new MP with their new chip. 400 times faster in that Photoshop filter benchmark. Reality to set in after purchase...

 

[chrissomos]

You are talking about a Mac Pro, the Xeon is a workstation/server processor. Server farms don't use Qualcomm mobile chips for 24x7 processing they use Xeon processors. I would not count out the Xeon processor from a Mac Pro. The Apple processing development has a long way to go to get to a level of a Intel Xeon processor 24x7 reliability.

I would like to point out that the apple chip in your phone runs 24X7 365 days a year without a cooler and while being dropped a few times a week. If that isn’t reliable I don’t know what is.

 

[edgerider]

they could probably do a very, very smart move « environmentaly friendly etc. » sale a upgrade kit with a motherboard and processor that can be installed in apple store....
make it a 3000€ upgrade.... get back as much used intel xeon w motherboard for free to do warranty... no matter what they do with apple silicon the will keep pcie slot as it is an industry standard for expension, there is absolutely no work around in professional environment...
I highly doubt they will go over such a massive overhaul of the true macpro that they couldn’t upgrade just the mobo... building new tools to produce the exact same form factor computer makes no sense... no matter what they choose either they will reuse that chassis the way it is, or go back to a stupid trashcan /cube special proprietary design...
there is absolutely no desire from professionals to move away from the actual design which is almost perfect, just with a lame cpu .
they could totally build a 32 core macmini M1X that would obliterate any high end intel macpro, so the only reason of building a 8.1 is to keep the form factor and just replace motherboard and hardware with the same form factor.... there is so much power, space and slot in this design that they can do whatever they want with those cases...

 

[arche3]

Yes need the pcie slots.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

I dont think Apple's Mac Pro level chips will be ready until late in 2022. In theory, they could bump up the 2019 machine with a 2021 model. It's a serious bump though because of the PCI4 update. The processors are cheaper than the current chips in the Mac Pro for more cores too.

My sense is if you dont see an update by WWDC, then it aint happening and the 2019 will be the last intel based Mac Pro.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Intel announced today that they’ve started production of the new Xeon 3rd generation Ice Lake processors. Any chance Apple will put these in a Mac Pro?

3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors Brief

Product Brief: The latest Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors provide consistent performance for data-centric workloads.

www.intel.com

NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!! And you think Apple would go back to them ? NO WAY... M1 will be in there or an M2 - either way, RISC is the way to go. Bye Bye Intel !

 

[th0masp]

I dont think Apple's Mac Pro level chips will be ready until late in 2022. In theory, they could bump up the 2019 machine with a 2021 model. It's a serious bump though because of the PCI4 update. The processors are cheaper than the current chips in the Mac Pro for more cores too.

My sense is if you dont see an update by WWDC, then it aint happening and the 2019 will be the last intel based Mac Pro.

They do have a lot of experience of skipping updates for the MP. Perhaps it's even a company tradition?

 

[penguinlust]

I dont think Apple's Mac Pro level chips will be ready until late in 2022. In theory, they could bump up the 2019 machine with a 2021 model. It's a serious bump though because of the PCI4 update. The processors are cheaper than the current chips in the Mac Pro for more cores too.

My sense is if you dont see an update by WWDC, then it aint happening and the 2019 will be the last intel based Mac Pro.

Yeah, I think if the rumors are correct about another Intel Mac Pro we'll find out at WWDC.