Apple updates Mac Pro GPUs with new AMD Radeon options

Apple is updating to the Mac Pro with new graphics card modules on Tuesday, featuring options based on the AMD Radeon Pro W6000 series. The company claims the new Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module, Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module, and Radeon Pro W6900X MPX module should give a boost to performance for the graphics-heavy tasks Apple designed the Pro around. Continuing to support the Pro by bringing new GPU options to Apple’s custom Mac Pro Expansion Module (MPX) system is a pretty good sign that the company remains committed to its new, modular design.

AMD first announced the new graphics cards in June this year, with the promise that the W6800 would bring “up to 79 percent faster performance than the previous generation.” Now a little over two months later, Apple claims in some cases the GPUs in their MPX forms can get “up to 84 percent faster performance when running Octane X” and “up to 23 percent faster performance when using DaVinci Resolve.”

Image: Apple

The GPU modules range in price per the listings on Apple’s store shared below, and each adds an additional four Thunderbolt 3 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port, regardless of the version:

• Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module: an additional $2,400 “with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth…[and] up to 16.0 teraflops of single-precision or 32.0 teraflops of half-precision computing.”
• Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module: an additional $4,600 for two linked GPUs, “each with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth … [and] up to 30.2 teraflops of single-precision or 60.4 teraflops of half-precision computing” when two modules installed together.
• Radeon Pro W6900X MPX Module: an additional $5,600 “with 32GB of GDDR6 memory delivering up to 512GB/s memory bandwidth … [and] up to 22.2 teraflops of single-precision or 44.4 teraflops of half-precision computing.”

Apple says the new GPU modules will replace the previous AMD Radeon Pro Vega II MPX Modules in the configure-to-order options on Apple’s website, and as standalone kits. As part of this new module launch Apple is also specifically phasing out the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo MPX Module and AMD Radeon Pro Vega II MPX Module, but will still offer both in standalone kits for existing customers.