Apple is testing new high-performance Macs on M2 Max and M2 Ultra (24 CPU cores, 60 GPU cores, up to 192 GB of memory)
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is testing several new high-performance Macs and related processors. The company is expected to launch desktop computers aimed at professional users.
Inside the company, these devices are codenamed Mac 14.13 and Mac 14.14. They use M2 Max (introduced at the beginning of the year) and M2 Ultra (not yet announced) processors. The M2 Ultra will replace the M1 Ultra, which is currently used in Mac Studio.
The first desktop computer is powered by an M2 Max processor. The chip includes 8 performance cores, 4 energy-efficient cores, and 30 graphics cores. Specifications correspond to MacBook Pro with M2 Max. This particular system also includes 96 GB of storage and runs macOS 13.4.
The second computer is equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. It contains 24 computing cores (16 high-performance and 8 energy-efficient) and 60 graphics cores. The company is testing it in configurations with 64, 128, and 192 GB of storage. The M2 Ultra chip will also receive a more productive modification with 76 graphics cores.
The M2 Ultra chip is designed for the upcoming version of the high-performance Mac Pro desktop computer, which still uses Intel processors. Apple has not specified when the new Mac Pro will be available. Inside Apple, the upcoming Mac Pro with its own chips was designated Mac 14.8. This suggests that the desktop computers currently being tested are not the new Mac Pro.
The new productivity computers are part of the company’s efforts to refresh its Mac lineup and attract consumers at a time of stagnant PC market. Powerful desktop models remain the key to Apple’s popularity among professional users, such as video editors and graphic designers. The WWDC event will soon take place, an annual conference of developers who also prefer productive systems for creating programs.
