Will Apple do it or chicken out cause their Mac Pro Apple Sillicon GPU is too weak in compute and render and will avoid making the 7,1 have better graphics?
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MP 7,1 7000 series RDNA 3 support on macOS for 7,1.
- Thread starter exoticSpice
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That's the big question really. Because if Apple don't come out with the drivers, the 7,1 ceases to be be upgradable (processing-power-wise).
With the 6000 series, we didn't get the drivers until Apple released their own MPX GPU modules. So my concern would be, if they decide not to develop new 7000 series MPX modules - that we won't get any drivers at all.
My hope, is that we'll see the driver support continue for at least another generation or two of GPUs - if for no other reason, than Apple don't won't to piss off the pro users who dropped big dollars on the 7,1.
But trusting Apple to support their pro users is an excersise fraut with danger (if history has taught us anything).
With the 6000 series, we didn't get the drivers until Apple released their own MPX GPU modules. So my concern would be, if they decide not to develop new 7000 series MPX modules - that we won't get any drivers at all.
My hope, is that we'll see the driver support continue for at least another generation or two of GPUs - if for no other reason, than Apple don't won't to piss off the pro users who dropped big dollars on the 7,1.
But trusting Apple to support their pro users is an excersise fraut with danger (if history has taught us anything).
If Apple fails to support the 7,1 over the long run, then more than likely most will just end up converting them to Wintel towers. Then just put whatever the top team green GPU is.
I wish Metal was better optimized for dual GPUs. Maybe the next major version of OS X it will be better. Seems like only specialized apps utilize both the W6800x on the duo I have.
I wish Metal was better optimized for dual GPUs. Maybe the next major version of OS X it will be better. Seems like only specialized apps utilize both the W6800x on the duo I have.
I think Apple will only write drivers if they make an Apple version of that GPU. I don't know if Apple will continue to come out with new MPX GPUs for the 7,1. I think it all depends if the 8,1 will have an AMD GPU option. I suppose there's also the possibility that the first AS Mac Pro may not be a replacement for the 7,1 and will be sold alongside it as a lower cost option, like they currently do with the Mac mini. I suppose it's still possible there will be a new Intel version, but it's hard to say.
I am in the camp that Apple won't because the new mac pro won't likely support AMD.
If this happens I will choose to move my desktops to Windows workstations too but for my laptop I am sticking with my MacBook Pro now and the future. Love what Apple is doing with their laptops.
I hope they support it. If nothing else it would lend some credibility to the idea that it's an upgradable machine. It would be quite a leap over the Vega II that the 7.1 originally came with.
Perhaps the fact that crypto has tanked might influence the decision. If they AMD are looking for customers they might be keen to ship Apple some units... or perhaps it has all been decided long ago on the roadmap.
Perhaps the fact that crypto has tanked might influence the decision. If they AMD are looking for customers they might be keen to ship Apple some units... or perhaps it has all been decided long ago on the roadmap.
What would be the reason for that…
Would be excellent if it does happen and we could use top spec AMD GPUs now in our Intel 7,1 Mac Pros (as opposed to the “fake” ones)…
W6800X 32GB MPX plus a 48GB W7900 would go well assuming the W7900 physically fits.
I think they will. Their delays are annoying, as usual.
There's (most likely) 2 more years left of macOS support for the 7,1.
Also I am VERY POSITIVE that they will allow dGPU support in 9,1 Mac Pro (2024 or 2025). Which means more consistent release of AMD drivers.
Now that Apple has gotten rid of MPX modules, they can just add AMD drivers without worrying about releasing a custom MPX module. I know for a fact that Apple has (or used to have) AMD graphic drivers team internally on the macOS team, I've spoken to some of their senior people a long time ago. I am just not sure they have that anymore...
There's (most likely) 2 more years left of macOS support for the 7,1.
Also I am VERY POSITIVE that they will allow dGPU support in 9,1 Mac Pro (2024 or 2025). Which means more consistent release of AMD drivers.
Now that Apple has gotten rid of MPX modules, they can just add AMD drivers without worrying about releasing a custom MPX module. I know for a fact that Apple has (or used to have) AMD graphic drivers team internally on the macOS team, I've spoken to some of their senior people a long time ago. I am just not sure they have that anymore...
They have AMD engineers that sometimes work on Apple campus. They don't have Apple engineers working on it. You can find the job postings on AMD's site.
I don't think we'll see Radeon drivers for Apple Silicon any time soon.
They'll do it if there's a card coming out for it. They still sell MPX modules for the 2019 Mac Pro. Not saying that means that they'll make newer cards for it, but it doesn't sound like it's necessarily off the table.
As for Apple Silicon GPUs being too weak in compute and render, the M2 Ultra's GPU seems to outperform any single GPU configuration that is currently out for the 2019 Mac Pro.
There was also support supposedly baked into early macOS Monterey builds for a Xeon to succeed the one in the 2019 Mac Pro. Never materialized. I'd take it with a grain of salt.
Considering they only just stopped selling it less than a month ago, I find that number to be highly unlikely. Not saying we have that much more Intel Mac support left in macOS. But Xeons got a lot of support, that machine cost a lot of money, and Apple clearly doesn't want to piss off Mac Pro customers any more than they already have.
I will bet you the cost of a 2023 model Mac Pro that they won't. Seriously. And mind you, the job market hasn't exactly been kind to those in my line of work, as of late.
Apple was very clear from the get go that the only GPUs to be supported on Apple Silicon Macs are Apple GPUs that are part of the SoC. They can't change course from that without it being a massive concern for developers (and they're not going to do that for just one machine that very few people buy).
You do realize that the primary purpose of MPX modules was to provide the additional bandwidth required for Thunderbolt 3 passthrough, right? Also to support those crazy Duo cards with multiple GPUs on one card.
You can remove MPX and still release a normal graphics card, but you're not going to get any of those added benefits; it'll just be a normal graphics card. But, even that is a moot point. Apple is not supporting any graphics other than their own and they're not going to do so outside of their own SoCs.
It makes sense for them to have people writing AMD graphics drivers WHILE THERE ARE MACS THAT THEY'RE STILL SUPPORTING THAT HAVE AMD GPUs. Right now, they have exactly eight Mac models with AMD GPUs that can run the next major release of macOS. When that eight becomes zero, that team will likely disband.