In a recent conversation with Apple’s top executives, including software engineering chief Craig Federighi, hardware engineering chief John Ternus, AR/VR chief Mike Rockwell, and marketing chief Greg Joswiak, some intriguing details about the Mac Pro 2023 were revealed. One significant aspect that caught attention was Apple’s decision not to include support for external GPUs or video cards. This move, aimed at optimizing their systems, has raised concerns among users who rely on GPUs for tasks like Machine Learning (ML) training. Let’s delve into the rationale behind Apple’s approach and its implications for the future of the Mac Pro.
Article: During an in-depth discussion at WWDC 2023, John Ternus, Apple’s hardware engineering chief, shed light on the absence of discrete GPUs in the Mac Pro 2023. Ternus explained that Apple’s architectural design revolves around a shared memory model that optimizes performance. Consequently, incorporating an external GPU in a manner that aligns with their system’s optimization is a challenge Apple has chosen not to pursue.
This announcement may disappoint users who had planned to leverage Nvidia cards and CUDA for ML training, as it indicates that GPU support on Apple Silicon is not on the horizon. Critics argue that this decision may signal Apple’s intention to gradually phase out the Mac Pro, echoing the path taken with the discontinued Xserve server range.
Apple’s strategic move to abandon its $2,000 accelerator card and replace it with the performance equivalent of seven Afterburner cards integrated into every Mac Pro is a testament to the company’s pursuit of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This begs the question: why invest $14,000 in additional hardware when a $3,999 workstation can deliver comparable results? It’s worth noting that the Mac Studio is expected to become one of the best workstations available.
Does that mean that 192GB is enough for any tasks?
— Désiré Athow (@desireathow) June 8, 2023
While the exclusion of discrete GPUs has garnered attention, another significant limitation faced by Mac Pro users is the maximum amount of shared, non-upgradable memory, capped at 192GB. This is a fraction of the 1.5TB offered by the previous generation of Mac Pro. However, when popular Mac software developer Affinity was asked about the impact of this limitation on their creative tools, they assured that it would not be an issue.
Apple’s business strategy focuses on catering to the needs of the majority, and only a vocal minority raises concerns about the limitations of their new offerings. By rapidly shifting towards integrated, mobile-first computing and discarding modularity, Apple is redefining the traditional desktop PC setup. This transition was made evident in a 2020 WWDC video, where Apple emphasized the advantages of building everything into a single chip, creating a unified memory architecture.
The combination of an integrated ecosystem and ownership of the software stack positions Apple with inherent advantages in deployment, performance, and value for money. This competitive edge may prove difficult for others to match in the long run.
Conclusion: Apple’s decision not to include support for discrete GPUs in the Mac Pro 2023 has sparked discussions among users and industry observers. While Apple aims to optimize system performance through a shared memory model, this move raises concerns for users relying on GPUs for specialized tasks. Additionally, the limitations on upgradable memory in the new Mac Pro have caught attention. However, Apple’s business strategy focuses on serving the majority of users, and their integrated approach, combined with full control over the software stack, provides distinct advantages. As the Mac Pro evolves, it remains to be seen how these decisions will shape the future of Apple’s professional-grade workstations.
