• 2 min read
Apple killed Mac Pro comeback and Extreme chips
Bloomberg reports Apple canceled M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips, plus two unreleased Mac Pro models, before discontinuing the desktop in March.
Image: TechRepublic
Apple reportedly got much closer to reviving the Mac Pro than previously known, then canceled the effort anyway. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company scrapped multiple high-end desktop projects, including two unreleased chips called M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme, along with two Mac Pro models that never shipped. The projects were reportedly dropped over cost concerns and weak demand before Apple discontinued the Mac Pro in March.
Bloomberg says Apple had planned an “Extreme” tier of Apple silicon above its Ultra chips. These processors were designed to offer roughly double the CPU and GPU core counts of Ultra models, giving the Mac Pro a more obvious edge over the Mac Studio. But Apple reportedly decided that developing and manufacturing those chips did not make sense given the expected demand for such an expensive workstation.
The report also points to two canceled Mac Pro systems:
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- J170, a model that reportedly used an Intel processor even as Apple was transitioning to its own chips
- J190, an M3 Ultra-powered Mac Pro that was expected to launch alongside the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in early 2025
The Mac Pro’s decline had been visible for a while. The last Apple silicon version shipped with the same M2 Ultra found in the Mac Studio, but at a much higher price. Beyond PCIe expansion slots and the tower chassis, the two machines delivered similar performance, making the premium harder to justify for many professional buyers.
Apple, meanwhile, kept updating the Mac Studio while the Mac Pro stayed on 2023 hardware until its discontinuation earlier this year. Bloomberg says Apple is now preparing new Mac Studio models with M5 Ultra chips as soon as this fall.
That points to a simpler desktop strategy: focus on the smaller, cheaper Mac Studio instead of maintaining two overlapping premium lines. For users who depended on the Mac Pro’s expandability, though, Apple’s ecosystem now offers fewer choices.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via TechRepublic
