Apple Could Develop New ‘Hidra’ Chipset for Mac Pro

Apple may differentiate its upcoming Mac Pro by introducing a new chipset called Hidra, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

This SoC could feature more CPU and GPU cores than the anticipated M4 Ultra, positioning the Mac Pro as Apple’s most powerful workstation.

Key Details:

Hidra vs. M4 Ultra: Both chipsets may share the same lithography, but Hidra could offer higher performance to justify the premium price of the Mac Pro over the Mac Studio.

Expected Specs: While exact details of Hidra remain unknown, the M4 Ultra is rumored to feature a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU, which already surpass AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X in multi-core performance. Hidra may exceed these numbers.

Mac Pro’s Premium Appeal: The current M2 Ultra Mac Pro costs $3,000 more than the Mac Studio with similar configurations. Hidra’s enhanced performance could make the new Mac Pro a more compelling upgrade.

Launch Timeline:

The Mac Pro is expected to debut later in 2025, following the release of the M4 Ultra in the Mac Studio during the first half of the year.

Takeaway:

Hidra may represent Apple’s strategy to better distinguish the Mac Pro in its product lineup, catering to professionals seeking unmatched power.

However, the specifics of Hidra’s capabilities remain speculative until more details emerge.