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Can I upgrade my Intel Mac Pro to M2 processor?

Can I upgrade my Mac Pro to an M2 chip? How do I go about that? What else would I need to update hardware wise?

Posted on Jun 6, 2023 6:31 AM

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Posted on Jun 6, 2023 9:26 AM

I paid $30k for a computer a year ago… with the promise of it being upgradeable.

23 replies

Sep 5, 2023 1:39 PM in response to jjjohnstone

At this writing, Apple has not announced any plans to provide Apple-silicon upgrades for ANY Intel Macs. Since Apple is the ONLY supplier of Apple-silicon system-on-a-chip, I do not expect any upgrade cards will be available.


Your only options are to buy a new Apple-silicon Mac Pro, PROVIDED you can obtain the features you desire. As Servant of Cats points out, memory size may be an issue for you.

Jun 7, 2023 2:51 PM in response to hooded claw

well, all I could add is that my iMac is also a 2019 model, very much upgraded specs. I spent a lot on it too. (although nowhere near $30K) AFAICT, Sonoma will likely be the end of the line for it. and if apple continues their policy of updating the three recent versions, support for my iMac will end in the fall of 2026. by then I'm sure I'll be craving an M.x iMac myself.


and two things for you to consider:


  1. a Mac Pro can typically get at least one version newer than the last version for the same model year iMac.
  2. if the Mac Pro still works for you after support ends, there is no reason that you have to stop using it.


I know that even if I do get the M.x iMac in 2026, I'll definitely keep using my "old workhorse" as I do things with it that I'm sure won't work on any future macOS.

Jun 7, 2023 7:31 PM in response to hooded claw

<< Drop in upgrade >>


In my opinion, that statement is so egregiously misleading it is FALSE.


Brendan Nystedt of DPReview does NOT speak for Apple.


They are responsible for his own sloppy language, and you should be complaining to them if you feel that description of this new machine as a "Drop in Upgrade" is less that accurate.


Sep 5, 2023 1:53 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

If Apple ever did offer such an upgrade (which would require a full motherboard replacement, at the very least), you’d also lose the ability to use PCIe graphics cards and MPX graphics modules, neither of which are supported on the new Mac Pro.


Around the time that the 2019 Mac Pro came out, Apple was saying that a bug factor behind the redesign was that customers wanted the ability to install one very high-end GPU. (The 2013 Mac Pro “trash can” had twin GPUs, but was limited as to ability to accept others. And applications did not always take advantage of both of the GPUs.)


With the 2023 Mac Pro, you can have any GPU you want as long as it is the one in the M2 Ultra.

Jun 7, 2023 1:14 PM in response to hooded claw


as in, you can upgrade to the new Mac Pro tower with the new M2 processor, while still using your current pereferals. (keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.)


an intel Mac (of any flavour) uses many different chips on a "logic board".


the M1 / M2 Macs are what is called "system on a chip". the CPU, GPU, memory are all on a single chip. there is no compatibility between ANY intel Macs with M1 / M2 Macs.

Can I upgrade my Intel Mac Pro to M2 processor?

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