AMD Radeon Pro W6900X With Navi 21 Appears in Apple Mac Pro

[AleksandarK]

Recently, Apple has updated its macOS operating system to support the next generation of GPUs for Mac devices, coming from AMD. The upcoming RDNA 2 GPU lineup in Macs will bring all the enhancements AMD made to the architecture, and pack it inside Apple's signature designs. Today, we have received information that Apple could refresh its Mac Pro lineup with AMD's Radeon Pro GPU based on RDNA 2 architecture. On Geekbench 5, there was a test run that was conducted on Apple Mac Pro "7.1" revision, that features not only Intel Cascade Lake-X processor but AMD's unreleased Radeon Pro W6900X graphics card designed for professional users.

While we don't know much about the exact specifications, we know that it features a Navi 21 GPU SKU. Judging by the naming scheme, the Radeon Pro W6900X is representing an Apple-exclusive GPU variant designed only for Mac Pro devices. A Chiphell leak has given us a sneak peek at the alleged card look, which you can see below. When it comes to performance, the Geekbench result measures Metal API performance and the Radeon Pro W6900X has managed to score 171448 points, which is even higher than the Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU, which tops out at 164294 points. Of course, this is representing a professional SKU, so there could be some tuning present as well.


View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Yttersta]

AMD could've landed the new Threadrippers and also market them in accordance with this release instead of such a terrible CPU choice. I wonder if Apple had ever considered them as an option in the Pro.

I mean a Mac Pro user is actually likely to utilise PCI-e bandwidth, and whilst the 10920x has got 48 of them in plenty; they are half the speed of what the new Threadrippers will offer or even the current Ryzen offers. Not to mention the lack of ECC and slower JEDEC spec both in favor of Threadrippers, and even 4 channel IMC rather than 8 in favor of Threadripper Pro. Both scientific compute and media content processing - the actual target uses of a Mac Pro - will be heavily impacted by the slower storage and memory.

Meh of a configuration that is, really, and I'm not even going to mention the power consumption/performance ratio in comparison with the Threadripper Pro.

 

[TheLostSwede]

AMD could've landed the new Threadrippers and also market them in accordance with this release instead of such a terrible CPU choice. I wonder if Apple had ever considered them as an option in the Pro.

I mean a Mac Pro user is actually likely to utilise PCI-e bandwidth, and whilst the 10920x has got 48 of them in plenty; they are half the speed of what the new Threadrippers will offer or even the current Ryzen offers. Not to mention the lack of ECC and slower JEDEC spec both in favor of Threadrippers, and even 4 channel IMC rather than 8 in favor of Threadripper Pro. Both scientific compute and media content processing - the actual target uses of a Mac Pro - will be heavily impacted by the slower storage and memory.

Meh of a configuration that is, really, and I'm not even going to mention the power consumption/performance ratio in comparison with the Threadripper Pro.

Or, maybe Apple wanted a sort of ok Pro so they could make their own chip that would outperform it and no-one would complain that it wasn't as good as their AMD based Pro?

 

[claes]

This leak doesn't really make any sense... Both the iMac Pro and Mac Pro already use Xeon-W's with ECC... Cascade Lake-X would not only be a significant downgrade (no ECC, fewer features, fewer PCIE lanes, less RAM) but would also require changing sockets/redesigning the mainboards on products that are (allegedly) going to be replaced by ARM in a few months.

 

[owen10578]

Mac Pro uses socket LGA 3647 for cascade lake-W not LGA 2066 which cascade lake-X uses. That GPU picture with a fan is also unlikely as the Mac Pro uses passive GPUs with massive fans at the front pushing air through the system, much like a server chassis. This seems more like a refreshed iMac Pro which does use the LGA 2066 socket and the 10920X is a direct upgrade path for it. But I find that odd for them to release a new iMac Pro when they're transitioning to ARM and downgrading to Extreme Edition CPUs instead of the Xeon W they were using, this might just be some kind of hackintosh build being benchmarked.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Or, maybe Apple wanted a sort of ok Pro so they could make their own chip that would outperform it and no-one would complain that it wasn't as good as their AMD based Pro?

I wouldn't disagree there. Not to slight the M1, but if you look at the early-2020 MBA, the cooler on the Tiger Lake CPUs was not very spectacular and hamstrung sustained performance. On the MBP line, the cooling was better, but probably still not as good as it could have been to get more performance, but that was Ive thinness for you.

 

[Atnevon]

For someone like me:

I prefer the MacOS system. I like having software available but not living in terminal that a Linix/Unix system would make me; enjoying the MacOS ecosystem and the benefits items like the Airpods, Airtags, and Airplay offer; but also enjoying that with at least the Intel systems I could, if I wanted, boot into Windows for games that don't work in Catalina+. To top it off; yes, there is an Apple tax but when I can't get a 3080 or 3070, dealing with boot issues on new hardware, and having to babysit driver issues when major updates occur.

Yes money comes into play as the Apple-tax is a high one. However too: I've come to a point where for as much as I hold and touch something, like my Macbook; I've yet to find a great feel (and/or trackpad) that is close to the Apple feel.

All this said: Hey, considering I can't get a 3070/80, and having to go a pre-built route more than likely: I may as well throw a little more down and get this in a lesser configured Mac Pro for the efforts, trouble, and longer term use I would have for it.

TL;DR: Hey, new card! Thats can actually game! Yes!!!

 

[claes]

Mac Pro uses socket LGA 3647 for cascade lake-W not LGA 2066 which cascade lake-X uses. That GPU picture with a fan is also unlikely as the Mac Pro uses passive GPUs with massive fans at the front pushing air through the system, much like a server chassis. This seems more like a refreshed iMac Pro which does use the LGA 2066 socket and the 10920X is a direct upgrade path for it. But I find that odd for them to release a new iMac Pro when they're transitioning to ARM and downgrading to Extreme Edition CPUs instead of the Xeon W they were using, this might just be some kind of hackintosh build being benchmarked.

+ likely a hackintosh, but the new GPU gives me pause. The iMac Pro has been discontinued, so this leak really doesn’t make any sense. Why would they throw a lesser chip into their final Intel hurrah with the Mac Pro?

iMac Pro Officially Discontinued, Removed From Apple's Site and No Longer Available for Purchase

The iMac Pro has been officially discontinued as of this afternoon, with the machine no longer available for purchase from the online Apple Store. ...

www.macrumors.com

I wouldn’t even call it an upgrade, despite the socket being the same. Same gen, fewer cores, no ECC (iMac Pro only shipped with ECC), fewer “pro” features —

I wouldn't disagree there. Not to slight the M1, but if you look at the early-2020 MBA, the cooler on the Tiger Lake CPUs was not very spectacular and hamstrung sustained performance. On the MBP line, the cooling was better, but probably still not as good as it could have been to get more performance, but that was Ive thinness for you.

Well I mean Apple laptops have always had garbage cooling, especially the air line. Most of the marketing for the air the first few years was competing with Sony and the like for thinnest and lightest.