At present, there’s hardly any justification for choosing a Mac Pro over a Mac Studio equipped with the M2 Ultra chip, as Apple has reportedly scrapped the plan for an M2 Extreme chip for its highest-end Mac model.
A recent report hints that we may be witnessing a recurring theme, with the potential cancellation of a proposed Extreme chip for an upcoming Mac Pro model. If this scenario unfolds, it might mean an extended wait for a new Mac Pro—potentially years.
The existing Mac Pro lacks an Extreme chip
It appears that Apple initially envisioned the current Mac Pro to feature an M2 Extreme chip, which would have essentially doubled the performance of the M2 Ultra. Bloomberg reported this intention back in 2022, but later conveyed that the chip was shelved due to issues with complexity and cost.
This left the current Mac Pro facing an awkward predicament as it utilizes the same M2 Ultra chip found in the more affordable Mac Studio:
Although the Mac Pro boasts a larger chassis with enhanced cooling that could ideally minimize thermal throttling, practical tests indicate that this isn’t necessarily the reality. Consequently, the extra PCIe slots are the primary advantage of this more expensive machine, primarily serving to accommodate Thunderbolt storage devices more conveniently.
Another Extreme chip has been scrapped
During The Information’s coverage of a collaboration between Apple and Broadcom concerning a new AI server chip, Daring Fireball highlighted an intriguing detail:
According to two sources, Apple’s chip design team in Israel is spearheading the AI chip’s development. This team was crucial in creating the processors Apple launched in 2020 to replace Intel chips in its Macs.
This past summer, Apple discontinued work on a high-performance chip for Macs that consisted of four smaller chips combined, enabling some of its engineers in Israel to concentrate on the AI chip, which signals the company’s evolving priorities.
This indicates that Apple has canceled yet another M-something Extreme chip. But which one are we discussing?
Some speculate that the report implies the cancellation of an M4 Extreme chip intended for a 2025 Mac Pro, but as Gruber points out, that reasoning seems flawed.
If Apple’s work on that quad-interposed M-series chip was halted “this past summer” and was designed for a generation of chips utilizing TSMC’s upcoming N3P process, then it was intended for the M5 or M6 generation, not the M4. Moreover, the M4 series is manufactured using TSMC’s N3E process, and any further versions beyond the M4 Max slated for updated Mac Studios and Mac Pros next year were likely conceived well before this past summer.
Thus, the latest report does not provide clarity on whether a 2025 Mac Pro will feature an M4 Extreme chip. It is possible that it has already been developed and will be included in the new model, or the reasons for Apple excluding the M2 Extreme chip continue to apply, also resulting in its absence. In any case, that decision is finalized.
What it does signal, however, is a potential future gap—the cancellation of an M5 Extreme.
Nonetheless, the halt in development of a future Extreme chip suggests that there may not be an M5 version, and potentially even no M6.
The most concerning scenario
If the M4 Extreme chip is indeed under development, then things look acceptable for prospective Mac Pro buyers. They could upgrade to a 2025 Mac Pro featuring the M4 Extreme, and afterward, there might be no significant updates in 2025 and possibly even 2026.
This situation would already be troublesome for high-profile clients—like film studios—who tend to upgrade annually without budget constraints. However, many users view a Mac Pro as a long-term investment kept for several years.
Conversely, if Apple has scrapped the M4 Extreme for the same reasons it abandoned the M2 Extreme, that could mean no substantial Mac Pro upgrades until 2026 or 2027. This would be an exceptionally long wait.
Image Credit: Apple
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