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Apple Reveals New Mac Pro GPU Options
The changes could bring a massive performance increase
By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 3, 2021 04:39PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Computers Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Apple has updated the GPU options for its Intel-based Mac Pro computers. Apple unveiled the changes to the Mac Pro GPU selection in early August, noting that users will be able to purchase updated Mac Pro desktop computers with an option of AMD Radeon Pro W6800X, W6800X Duo, or W6900X graphics processing cards. According to Engadget, the graphics card changes are the only big changes set to happen to Apple’s workstations with this update, which could be the last time that Apple offers any modifications to the Intel-based Mac Pro lineup this year. Apple Apple claims the new GPUs will offer a 50% performance improvement per watt over the Vega II cards that it previously offered in the workstations. This, Apple says, should lead to apps running faster and smoother when using the new cards. Apple notes an increase of 84% for performance in the Octane X rendering app and a 26% increase in how Cinema 4D performs on the updated workstations. Each card includes four Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI 2 connector, and support for an Infinity Fabric Link, which allows up to four GPUs to talk to others much faster than they could via PCIe connectors alone. The W6800X and W6900X will include 32GB of GDDR6 memory, while the W6800X Duo offers a doubled 64GB. These performance gains will cost you, though. Apple revealed an additional $2,400 to configure a new Mac Pro with the W6800X, while the W6800X Duo and W6900X will run $4,600 and $5,600, respectively. Apple With the M1 chip, it’s unclear what plans Apple has for its Intel-based Pro models at this point. However, Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a 40-core Apple Silicon model set for 2022. Unfortunately, official information this reported model has yet to be released. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Can I Upgrade or Downgrade to Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6)? How to Reinstall macOS Monterey How to Restart a Mac in Recovery Mode AMD Radeon Video Card Drivers v22.20 (October 21, 2022) New iPad Pro 2022: Price, Release Date, Specs, and News How to Set up Your New Mac New MacBook Air: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs How to Restore a Mac to an Earlier Date Is a Used Mac Mini Worth Buying? Introduction to the Virtualization Benchmark Test The 5 Best macOS Monterey Features The 4 Best $400 to $1,000 Desktop PCs in 2022 How to Move Your Apple Mail to a New Mac What You Should Know Before You Buy an iMac The 8 Best Thunderbolt 3 and 2 Docks of 2022 MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: What's the Difference? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies