I would imagine that this would give the best of both worlds in the sense of being able to easily develop and test for both platforms without having Rosetta involved potentially slowing things down.
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MP All Models waiting for the Mac Pro 8,1
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Having ARM and x86 architecture chips in the same machine would be a huge benefit to developers who make apps for both ARM and x86 architectures. Not to mention many professionals rely on true Windows x86 virtualization, which the M1 doesn't really allow (at least not yet).
I would bet desktop M-whatever has detached RAM. There are some minor advantages to having memory on chip, but nothing huge. Nothing that would outweigh the desire for expand ability and high capacities. And putting large amounts of RAM on the same package will also lead to production and reliability problems. Some portion of your memory went bad? Throw out the chip or the whole machine.
Heat would also be a problem for high amounts of fast memory on the same package. Beyond just the size of those RAM DIMMs, remember the Mac Pro needs an entire channel in the case for cooling DIMMs. And Apple Silicon won’t change the temperature of those DIMMs.
RAM on chip is also tied to how the integrated GPU shares memory with the CPU. If you don’t have an integrated GPU, that’s one less big reason to put memory on the same package.
Your Xeons today have hybridized memory that’s on the chip. It’s called a cache.
How would this work? Which CPU would the kernel be running on? Or do you mean as 2 systems in one where you choose at boot?
I think larger/desktop versions of Apple Silicon will use a very different design. If they do unified memory, you're more likely to see it through something like Infinity Fabric, and not everything on the same chip.
The current M1 design does a lot of things to be extremely power efficient, and the cost of flexibility, capacity, and expandability. Those things are important on a Mac Pro, power efficiency on a battery far less so. So I'd expect that as Apple moves up the line and their needs change, the chip will change too.
I even expect that a 15" MacBook Pro might not even have unified memory. But that's right on the line.
Unified memory is good for power efficiency, but when you don't need power efficiency it may or may not be helpful. Remember the memory on M1 is quite slow compared to the memory on a GPU.
I'd love to see an M# Mac Pro that costs $3,000 less than the Intel version. Given how much Xeons and Intel chipsets cost, this doesn't seem impossible. Apple being Apple, I don't think that's what will happen, but it will be interesting to see. If they release a new Intel Mac Pro and a new Apple Silicon Mac Pro, expect the Apple Silicon version to be cheaper, as part of the statement they're making here. How much cheaper...we will see.
Regarding GPU, it will be interesting to see if Apple decides to make a powerful discrete GPU, or does the work to let existing AMD or Nvidia (but let's be honest, it'll just be AMD) GPUs run on an Apple Silicon Mac. If they can come even somewhat close to the current top-end AMD GPUs, or let us run the standard ones, that will be good enough to me.
I'd be happy with the current form factor or a smaller one, as long as we can cram them full of storage, RAM, and PCIe cards. Be interesting to see how Apple handles thunderbolt and PCIe lanes on the Apple Silicon Mac Pro. Unified memory would be okay with me if we could still get 64+ GB at a price that isn't extortionate. Detached memory would be even better.
If there's one mac product line which is more likely to have both new Apple Silicon and Intel versions existing concurrently for a longer period of time, it would be this one. It would seem that the current design gives them lots of flexibility and headroom to run either/or designs inside.
A design with both architectures inside would be pretty cool, but we'll never get a cheaper one that way. I think I'm already prepared to switch to Apple Silicon if they can maintain the performance advantage on the high end, given how well Rosetta 2 seems to run.
Regarding GPU, it will be interesting to see if Apple decides to make a powerful discrete GPU, or does the work to let existing AMD or Nvidia (but let's be honest, it'll just be AMD) GPUs run on an Apple Silicon Mac. If they can come even somewhat close to the current top-end AMD GPUs, or let us run the standard ones, that will be good enough to me.
I'd be happy with the current form factor or a smaller one, as long as we can cram them full of storage, RAM, and PCIe cards. Be interesting to see how Apple handles thunderbolt and PCIe lanes on the Apple Silicon Mac Pro. Unified memory would be okay with me if we could still get 64+ GB at a price that isn't extortionate. Detached memory would be even better.
If there's one mac product line which is more likely to have both new Apple Silicon and Intel versions existing concurrently for a longer period of time, it would be this one. It would seem that the current design gives them lots of flexibility and headroom to run either/or designs inside.
A design with both architectures inside would be pretty cool, but we'll never get a cheaper one that way. I think I'm already prepared to switch to Apple Silicon if they can maintain the performance advantage on the high end, given how well Rosetta 2 seems to run.
No chance in hell Apple will let Xeon be the main processor while Mx takes a back seat. More likely to see an MPX module with a full computer on it (Xeon, RAM, storage, video, network, USB 4).
There are some rumors that the 8,1 will be a Xeon, but Apple will introduce a smaller ARM Mac Pro in addition. If that has a lower price and better performance, it’s gonna make Intel Macs look stupid.
I’m just waiting for all my software to become AS native, and for AS Macs with more memory. Once those boxes are checked, I’m all in.
I’m just waiting for all my software to become AS native, and for AS Macs with more memory. Once those boxes are checked, I’m all in.
The M1 uses, from what I can see, 4266mhz RAM and currently DIMMs run to 3200, I believe. So presumably, any RAM on top of that on the SoC will need to run at the same speed. Cue another substantial Apple tax as they make custom chips to match?
If this is legit...
www.cpu-monkey.com
www.msn.com
However, looks like max. memory is capped at 32GB
CPU benchmark
Our processor / CPU comparison helps you to compare two CPUs. We use benchmark results from Cinebench R20, Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5 as well as the FP32 raw performance (GFLOPS) of the iGPU.
This might be our first look at Apple’s blazing-fast next-gen M1X chip
The M-series chip that might power some of Apple’s 2021 MacBook Pro and iMac versions has apparently just leaked. The M1X could be the successor of the M1, powering devices like the unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and 27-inch iMac. A leaked M1X benchmark indicates the chip...
However, looks like max. memory is capped at 32GB
They've been there for quite a while and it's already been discussed here
forums.macrumors.com
This is nothing but a placeholder for search engine ranking purposes.
Clickbait! M1X specs and first benchmarks
https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/cpu-apple_m1x-1898
forums.macrumors.com
This is nothing but a placeholder for search engine ranking purposes.
At this pace, I don't see any viable 8,1 before end of 2022 – sadly. I might have to replace my aging 6,1 with an M1X or M2-based Mini beforehand…
Probably (obvious) Mac Pro will be THE LAST for an upgrade to Apple Silicone.
I know that Tim said in "about" 2 years for a transition for everything....but....My gut feeling is Mac Pro will be longer than that. If Tim upgrades everything except Mac Pro, I doubt anyone will remember (or care after that) and hold him to "2 Years". What are people going to do if Apple doesn't upgrade Mac Pro in the 2 year time frame? Just complain and cry. When Tim said that statement, I REALLY don't think he was thinking about Mac Pro (or remembers what it is). To Tim, Macs are laptops and iMacs (and iPads....), so Mac Pro might not have been on his radar that day when he said it.
Pretty hard punch in the gut after buying Mac Pro 2019 at $30,000 plus $ in the Pro field and then come out with something in Silicone in about three years after. Probably a Mac Pro mini or something, but all of the advertising and marketing about adding modulars to the Mac Pro and upgradeable for the future, I doubt they will dump the current intel that soon and piss off Pros again. Doesn't seem probable.. but you never know with Apple now-a-days.
Yes, obviously in the "pro" segment, it's always a delicate balance between not-pissing-off the already-owners and attracting new ones. That said, I'm very happy with the 6,1 – if it would just be a tad bit faster. So a non-modular Mac Pro Mini would totally please me. But I need >= 64GB RAM.
Yes, I may be the one of the "few" who enjoy my 6,1. If they would just put a silicone M Series chip in the form factor, update the ports etc. It would be what 6,1 was originally meant to be....
But..probably will not happen sadly...
Highly unlikely. Fact is that Apple wants to get away from intel and that fast, they now have a powerful new architecture they have full control over and they have made it pretty clear that their aim is to shift the whole Mac platform to AS within two years - no exception.
Keeping an outdated product that heavily depends on expensive previous-gen 3rd party components (remember that when the MP7,1 came out the XEON platform in these machines wasn't exactly new, and by 2022 intel will already have moved on notably with the whole XEON platform) and is made in a country (USA) where manufacturing is expensive makes no sense whatsoever and isn't really something Apple has done on previous architecture shifts.
It also should be remembered that "Pro" users are generally of limited importance to Apple, which had no qualms to leave previous Pro models linger in an outdated state until they are replaced. The Mac Pro is probably more important as a token so Apple can say that they're also manufacturing in the US as well as a status raiser for the Mac platform than to keep "Pro" users happy (many which already weren't when the MP7,1 came out because of the excessive price tag which put it outside a lot of budgets).
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I have a 6.1 and really it should have been called the Mac Mini Pro.Yes, I may be the one of the "few" who enjoy my 6,1. If they would just put a silicone M Series chip in the form factor, update the ports etc. It would be what 6,1 was originally meant to be....
But..probably will not happen sadly...
With Apple Silicon M I would be happy with the regular Mac mini form factor. Nothing is user replaceable in these new machines is it doesn't matter anymore what they look like.
It's not that easy to replace the 2019 Mac Pro as you'd think - especially on the GPU side. They'd have to have something superior to the Vega ii duo and the upcoming W6800x workstation GPUS, which are indeed very powerful - and M1 is far from that so far. I don't think even the M1X will be at that GPU level for a while still, not to mention ram levels as well.
Having just bought an XBox Series X, that machine is at a pricepoint that's acceptable for a "sealed and nothing replaceable appliance".
It doesn't matter if it's Apple Silicon or Intel, the Mac Pro's pricerange for a device which has chronological obsolescence as a defining characteristic of the fastest-evolving components is never going to wash in a market full of proper slotboxes (and slotboxes that do small form factor, slotboxes with consumer processors etc etc).
It was a failure when it was the Powermac G4 Cube, it was a failure when it was the Mac Pro Cylinder, it will be a failure if it's the AS Mac Pro Levitating Sphere.
Apple doesn’t want to spend a lot more on R&D for the Mac Pro right now, especially since it’s not a very profitable product line. My prediction is that they will reuse the 7,1 design for the 8,1 Xeon based system and they will reuse the 6,1 design for the Apple Silicon system. They already have a patent for a 6,1 that has the 7,1 ‘cheese grater’ lattice casing. They could be coming sooner than later this year.