Mac Pro M2 (2023): Everything you need to know

M2 Ultra Mac Pro
(Image credit: Apple)

The Mac Pro used to be one of the only machines in the Mac lineup that didn't use Apple silicon chips - but WWDC 2023 put that to rest, with a brand new model being announced with M2 Ultra inside.

Massive RAM configurations and bonkers amounts of storage are all here, ready to go for a cool $7199, and it doesn't come with wheels anymore.

The Mac Pro (2023) makes the move to M2 Ultra

the new Mac Pro with Apple silicon

Apple's M2 processor (Image credit: Apple)

The move to Apple silicon is one that had long been expected and the Mac Pro was the last Mac to move away from Intel and into something a little more speedy.

The newest Mac Studio now comes with an M2 Ultra chip, so you can essentially see this as a low-end Mac Pro before you decide that it's time to upgrade to something even more powerful.

For this Mac Pro, the chip has a 24-core CPU, with a 60-core GPU to boot alongside a 32-core Neural Engine, and for an extra $1000, you can upgrade to another M2 Ultra that has a 76-core GPU.

This is going to be one of the best Macs that Apple has ever made in sheer horsepower. From editing videos to coding apps for visionOS, you'll have a Mac that will last years and years.

This new model has been long awaited. Back at WWDC 2022, Apple mentioned that there was 'one last Mac to make the switch, but that will be another time.'

Well, that time was WWDC 2023, but it's been a long-standing rumor of what it would include.

In December 2022, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman started to cast doubt on the idea of the M2 Extreme, saying that "the high-end machine has been held up for a number of reasons, including multiple changes to its features, a significant shift in the company’s plans for high-end processors and a potential relocation of its manufacturing."

By January, 2023, however, Gurman said that the new Mac Pro is only expected to feature the M2 Ultra chip and that Apple has abandoned the idea of a chip even more powerful like the rumored "M2 Extreme."

With this new Mac Pro having the M2 Ultra, it looks as though Apple decided on what it would include, and seemingly unveiling the last chip in the M2 series.

The Mac Pro (2023) loses interchangeable RAM

According January 2023 report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new Mac Pro will "lack one key feature from the Intel version: user-upgradeable RAM. That's because the memory is tied directly to the M2 Ultra's motherboard. Still, there are two SSD storage slots for graphics, media, and networking cards."

That was confirmed, with the only way to choose the RAM is at checkout on the Apple Online Store.

Same design, different internals for Mac Pro (2023)

M2 Ultra Mac Pro

Mac Pro mini concept (Image credit: Apple)

We were expecting Apple's new Mac Pro to look largely the same as the one that's currently on sale, and that's how it turned out. There's a lot of space in this model too, thanks to the M2 Ultra chip taking up most of what the previous Mac Pro had to contain.

Instead, much of the empty space may be used for a GPU in time, but Apple haven't released details about this just yet.

How much will the Mac Pro (2023) cost?

Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR

Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR (Image credit: Apple)

While the Intel Mac Pro began at $5,999, the M2 Ultra model now costs $6,999 - but with this being almost eight times faster, the $1000 increase could be justified here.

There's also a 'rack' model, which makes it easier for businesses to use these as a server if they choose to, which starts at $7,499.

When will the Mac Pro (2023) be released?

The M2 Ultra Mac Pro can be pre-ordered now, with a release date of June 16, 2023.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

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