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Mac Pro Rising
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Yeah, when he said that he quite literally meant the very machine you were looking at and they had launched would be the Mac Pro for the next ten years, I changes or update to be made to it, that computer was it for the next ten years..
Heard more privately that makes me believe PhD is still correct. MacWorld is also still saying new Mac Pro before end of November. I haven't heard a date, but I'm still inclined to trust PhD and MacWorld.
Dunno who PhD is but still pretty sure they know what they're talking about. It also seems like Apple is doing some controlled leaking.
Dunno who PhD is but still pretty sure they know what they're talking about. It also seems like Apple is doing some controlled leaking.
I find your faith in MacWorld and unknown internet commenters adorable.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-rising.1979012/page-24#post-23109269
This post.
Obviously the date is wrong but other than that it checks out.
They also made the same post Friday:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-mac-pro-said-to-arrive-next-month.2010360/#post-23816153
I should add that because what PhD is claiming dovetails with what I'm hearing, the OP in this thread is not accurate IMO. What I've heard describes a spec bump, not a new form factor or a huge redo. Apple isn't going to revisit the design choices they made for the Mac Pro. So don't hold your breath for a big redo or a return to the tower form factor.
It's been implied that the spec bump has been repeatedly delayed due to CPU and GPU supplier issues. I don't know anything more than that. Personally, my guess is still Vega as the source of delays.
What I am hearing about Vega is that the GPUs will be really available this year. The question is: In what quantity...
About the change of form factor, I am hoping they will not change it, apart from putting liquid cooling instead of thermal core. But this is only my personal preference with nobody has to agree.
So again... Totally guessing here... I have no Vega related inside information....
All the timelines around Vega have been totally weird. It was originally for next year, but then it got moved to late this year. AMD hasn't really had any formal announcements on it. It lines up with what Apple would want in a Mac Pro. And at the same time Nvidia stops adding new devices to their Mac drivers. And AMD and Apple are clearly working tightly together after the last MacBook Pro launch.
My guess is earlier this year Apple told AMD they'd give them exclusivity on the Mac Pro if AMD got them Vega early, AMD moved Vega up, Nvidia dropped further development on new devices on the Mac drivers, and now AMD is running behind trying to make a date early. PhD's original prediction mentions a 490 which recently was verified to be Vega.
Again, it's a giant series of guesses. But if I had to, I'd probably pin the delays on AMD. Nvidia has cards ready, but if Apple gave exclusivity to AMD which seems like something they'd do, there can't be a Mac Pro release until Vega.
Moving a GPU update ahead of schedule ~6 months is a huge undertaking that AMD is almost stupid for trying to do. And as you point out, that doesn't even take into account an ability to ramp up to any actual volume.
(I'd also guess Vega is probably going to arrive in iMacs as well.)
From what I have gathered in previous days, after MBP announcement, Apple and AMD was working together on Polaris architecture since... 2014. It was Apple who wanted to have a fab where they could get enough dies for computers, therefore IBM sold Fab, Technology, and engineers to GloFo. Then, because the process was complete and utter rubbish for GPUs(FD-SOI appears to be feasible for ultra mobile chips - ARM, etc), Samsung licensed to GloFo the process. What is even funnier, because of politics inside the Samsung, it was licensed in a manner that GloFo was not able to get the performance level the same as Samsung was able in their fabs, despite being the same process.
And the best thing is this. It was supposed to be this bad, because AMD then was able the renegotiate the rules of the WSA. That is how desperate is AMD to manufacture the hardware they make anywhere else.
AMD was working on GPU die side, and Apple helped with "thinning" the package for the GPUs. All of this has been "touted" by series of articles on SemiAccurate site, and they were dead right about this.
The rumors in the industry right now are that, AMD and Apple really have partnership. That is one of the reasons why AMD is so silent about their products.
Right now, I just want to see next generation, updated Mac Pro.
And the best thing is this. It was supposed to be this bad, because AMD then was able the renegotiate the rules of the WSA. That is how desperate is AMD to manufacture the hardware they make anywhere else.
AMD was working on GPU die side, and Apple helped with "thinning" the package for the GPUs. All of this has been "touted" by series of articles on SemiAccurate site, and they were dead right about this.
The rumors in the industry right now are that, AMD and Apple really have partnership. That is one of the reasons why AMD is so silent about their products.
Right now, I just want to see next generation, updated Mac Pro.
I think at least there should be agreement that if we take Nvidia out of the running, a Mac Pro update cannot happen without Vega. You just can't do the full range of Mac Pro GPUs with Polaris 10 and 11 alone. At least not the sort of Mac Pro anyone would buy for high end work.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if Vega is basically entirely designed around the Mac Pro (and high end iMac), especially given what you've posted.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if Vega is basically entirely designed around the Mac Pro (and high end iMac), especially given what you've posted.
I will give another word about Nvidia. Nvidia is not ruled out of Apple hardware. Apple just ditched them from Mac hardware to bend them to Apple will, not the other way around.
However, there will be no Nvidia Mac computer for at least some time. Nvidia is nowhere near Metal drivers, their hardware lacks some of features Apple would want to have in their API, which are apparent in both AMD and Intel GPUs. And its been historical that Nvidia GPUs have lower compute performance than AMD counterparts. And this is what Apple focuses most attention to...
However, there will be no Nvidia Mac computer for at least some time. Nvidia is nowhere near Metal drivers, their hardware lacks some of features Apple would want to have in their API, which are apparent in both AMD and Intel GPUs. And its been historical that Nvidia GPUs have lower compute performance than AMD counterparts. And this is what Apple focuses most attention to...
I don't think they're ruled out forever either. But... New Nvidia devices get added to the Mac drivers because Nvidia is pitching new GPUs to Apple. The 1000 series not getting added to the Nvidia drivers would seem to mean that Nvidia considers themselves out of the running for this generation.
PhD's post is the most reasonable prediction in my opinion, and it's also what I had expected.
But I don't understand delaying the reveal until November and then trying to undo it by controlled leaking. If the 7,1 is really coming so soon, why not do an official teaser at the October event? It would have added a lot more weight to the "Hello Again" event (which seemed underwhelming) and it would have prevented a lot of the customer hostility we are seeing now. Also they would have had a lot more eyeballs, reporting, and free advertising that would come from a press event, as compared to a quiet update in the Apple Store.
Perhaps this will all make sense when they actually do it, but it sure doesn't make sense to me right now.
The only reason why I'm still thinking it's possible is because Macworld (aka rumor sites info snatcher) stated they have a source close to Apple who stated that it would come between October to November.
The editor made a bold statement...and I tried to email her about it...but it was immediate denied.
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I remember the link that you showed about the CEO of AMD talking about working with Apple on MBP.
So, are you saying that IF the next mac pro comes out...it's gonna be more "handicapped?"
- Spec bump for Mac Pro
- September timeframe
- To be announced along side new MBP
MacWorld and PhD both seem to have their own sources. I believe my sourcing is independent as well from those two. So even if you don't chose to believe me you've got two others.