Apple’s New Custom ‘Hidra’ Chipset for Mac Pro: Enhanced CPU & GPU Cores to Distinguish from M4 Ultra

Apple is poised to introduce the Mac Pro, anticipated to be its most powerful offering in the upcoming months. Initially, industry experts speculated that, similar to the Mac Studio, this new model would be powered by the forthcoming M4 Ultra chip. It’s notable that the current versions of Apple’s workstations run on the M2 Ultra, and the option for extensive Apple Silicon configuration is available for both models. However, new insights suggest that Apple might be veering off this expected path and consider a novel System on Chip (SoC) called ‘Hidra’ for the Mac Pro.

Introducing ‘Hidra’: A New Powerhouse Chip for Apple’s Mac Pro

As Apple readies to launch a range of Macs this year, many tech enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the debut of the M4 Ultra. This chip is forecasted to be the standout silicon designed for workstations, potentially overshadowing the performance of the M4 Max. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently hinted that the Mac Pro might be equipped with a sophisticated chipset known as ‘Hidra,’ which could bear distinctions from the M4 Ultra.

Currently, both the Mac Studio and Mac Pro can be outfitted with the M2 Ultra, yet the price tag for the Mac Pro is considerably steeper. A previous analysis highlighted that fully configuring the Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra results in a price increase of $3,000 compared to the Mac Studio, which raises questions about its value proposition. For many buyers, choosing the Mac Studio might be more sensible financially, allowing them to save a significant amount.

While detailed specifications of the Hidra chip remain largely unknown at this stage, there’s speculation that it may feature enhanced CPU and GPU cores aimed at incentivizing consumers to choose the Mac Pro over its cheaper counterpart. Partial leaks about the M4 Ultra indicate that it may showcase a formidable 32-core CPU, likely exceeding the multi-core performance of AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X.

Moreover, reports suggest that the upper tier of the M4 Ultra will be equipped with an 80-core GPU, effectively doubling the capabilities of the M4 Max. Should the Hidra chip indeed possess a slight edge in core count compared to the M4 Ultra, potential buyers are urged to approach this information cautiously, awaiting further announcements for confirmation.

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