New Intel chips suitable for an updated Mac Pro have now been spotted in the Xcode 13 beta. The discovery confirms previous reports about an update.
The chip data added to the Xcode 13 Beta (via MacRumors), are for Intel's third generation Xeon Scalable processor, Ice Lake SP, which Intel announced back in April. According to Intel, the chip offers "enhanced performance, security, efficiency, and built-in AI acceleration to handle IoT workloads and more powerful AI." Bloomberg reported in January that Apple is developing two versions of the new Mac Pro, one that is a direct successor to the 2019 Mac Pro and one that offers a smaller form factor that is about half the size. Apple is working to transition its entire Mac lineup to Apple silicon.
New Mac Pro could be the last Intel device
The smaller Mac Pro is said to be equipped with Apple Silicon chips. One model will, however, be updated with an Intel processor. According to reports, some of the Apple Silicon high-end chips developed by Cupertino will have 20 or 40 processing cores with 64- or 128-core GPUs. However, it remains unclear whether these versions are already able to compete with Intel's Xeon processors for professional workloads. This Intel-based Mac Pro could be one of the last Intel devices, as Apple has already started converting the iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac mini and MacBook Air series to Apple Silicon. (Photo by hadrian / Bigstockphoto)
