The new Mac Pro 2023 has been announced at Apple’s WWDC 2023 event, and it’s one of the two most powerful Macs the company has ever made.
The existing Pro hasn’t received a refresh since 2019, and was the last computer from Apple yet to receive the Apple silicon treatment. That’s all changed with the announcement of the new Mac Pro 2023.
The latest Mac Pro is now available to order, and will start shipping June 12. Apple’s ludicrously powerful computer is focused on professionals, so it’s not a huge shock to see the ‘cheapest’ version retailing for an eye-watering $6,999 / £7,699.
Thankfully, the Mac Pro 2023’s specs are mightily impressive, regardless of what config you opt for.
Mac Pro 2023 latest news (June 5)
- Mac Pro starts at $6,999 / £7,699, coming next week.
- New M2 Ultra chip is 3x faster than the most powerful Intel-based Mac.
- Built-in AfterBurner performance — can decode 6 streams of 8K ProRes RAW, 16 streams of 4K ProRes or 23 streams of 4K ProRes RAW
- Multiple graphics options, including Radeon Pro W5500X and Radeo Pro W5700X.
- Tower and Rack Enclosures available.
Mac Pro 2023 Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Mac Pro 2023 |
| Price | $6,999 / £7,699 (starting) |
| Chipset | M2 Ultra with 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine |
| Memory | Up to 1.5TB of DDR4 ECC, up to 192GB unified memory |
| Ports | 2x 10Gb Ethernet, 12x Thunderbolt 3, 2x HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Storage | 1TB-8TB |
| Expansion slots | 8x PCI Express |
| Case options | Tower and Rack |
| Weight | 37.2 pounds (Tower), 37.9 pounds (Rack) |
The headline news is undoubtedly the new M2 Ultra silicon. Apple describes this as a “monster of a chip”, which seems apt considering it’s 20% faster than the previous Mac Pro’s M1 Ultra. Boasting 24 CPU cores, up to 76 GPU cores and supporting up to 192 GB of unified memory (the base config starts at 64GB), this really is a beast of a processor.
The Mac Pro 2023’s new M2 Pro Ultra chip boasts a 32-core Neural Engine that is capable of handling 31.6 trillion operations per second. The latest Mac Pro also supports up to six Pro Display XDRs, has eight Thunderbolt 4 ports (double that of the 2019 model), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and an upgradeable GPU – the highest config lets you combine a duo of W6000 Series GPUs to create the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module.
While the cheapest Mac Pro config ships with a 1TB SSD, storage can be increased to either 2TB, 4TB or 8TB.
When it comes to display support, the stats will make your knees shake. The Pro can support up to eight displays across multiple resolutions. This breaks down as either eight 4K displays at 60Hz, six 6K screens at 60Hz or three 8K displays at 60Hz. And yes, our knees still feel wobbly.
After years without a refresh, the Mac Pro 2023 is one hell of an upgrade over the existing 2019 model.
Mac Pro 2023 release date
The Mac Pro 2023 starts shipping the week beginning June 12, and was announced alongside the latest version of the Mac Studio at Apple WWDC 2023. That’s over four years since the last Mac Pro model, which was released in May 2019.
After close to half a decade of waiting, we’re glad Apple is making the Mac Pro 2023 available to customers so quickly after its WWDC 2023 reveal.
Mac Pro 2023 price
While it will be available in various configurations, the most basic version of the new Mac Pro retails for $6,999 / £7,699. For those who work in education, the cheapest Pro config is available at a slight discount, selling for $6,599 / £7,189. The Mac Pro 2023 is available in both tower and rack-mounted enclosures.
The latest Pro was never going to be cheap. After all, the previous model started at $5,999 / £5,499 / AU$9,99. Considering the upgrades the new Mac Pro 2023 Pro provides, the price bump over its predecessor is hardly a monocle-dropping shocker.
Mac Pro 2023 design
As previous rumors from Apple tipster Mark Gurman suggested, the Mac Pro 2023 sticks with the ‘cheese grater’ design of its predecessor.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Both the 2023 and 2019 version of the Mac Pro look rather striking, even elegant when placed next to non-Apple pro-grade PCs. We’re also pleased to see that the new Pro retains the modular design of the previous iteration, which should ensure replacing and upgrading components should be hassle-free.
The new Mac Pro comes in two designs: either Tower or Rack. The former weighs in at 37.2 pounds and can be configured to come with feet or wheels. The slightly heavier Rack tips the scales at 37.9 pounds and includes mount rails.
Mac Pro 2023 outlook
Like its 2019 predecessor, the new Mac Pro 2023 remains a hugely powerful yet ultimately niche device. Unless you've recently come into huge swathes of disposable income, it's unlikely this mega computer will ever find its way into your home.
That's not to say the latest Mac Pro it isn't a hugely impressive piece of tech wizardy. Its M2 Ultra chip boasts some utterly ludicrous specs, trebling performance in certain areas compared to the previous model.
Whether that's worth $7,000 is a rarified debate only the most filthy rich of professionals and video editors can have between themselves.
More from Tom's Guide
