Still Waiting for Mac Pro Updates, Suitable Intel Processors Due in Q4

macproAfter a flurry of new releases this past month, the one Mac that Apple has continued to neglect is the Mac Pro. The last credible date we received was for early August, though CNet's Brian Tong now acknowledges that the information didn't pan out.

For many, an August release would actually have been the surprise, as Intel has yet to ship Mac Pro-suitable Sandy Bridge processors. There had been some hope that Apple would receive these processors early from Intel, but clearly not quite this early.

Still, Apple's Mac Pro is presently the only Mac without the new Thunderbolt port that Apple and Intel introduced earlier this year. Apple's Mac Pro has had relatively infrequent updates over the past few years with the last update taking place over a year ago.

Apple has certainly placed an emphasis on their notebook line, reflecting the ongoing trends towards mobile computing. Apple's notebook sales have steadily become a larger percentage of their total Mac sales.

20110811 tqj5jpa24n1sr7g84y6kqdd535Our last check with resellers reported no change in Mac Pro stock availability that might have suggested an imminent update.

As for Intel, the Sandy Bridge-E processor that is expected to be used in the Mac Pro had been rumored to be released even as late as 2012, but the latest leaks have pinpointed a Q4 2011 release. Donanimhaber posts the following release timetable from Intel:

corei73960xfstr 1a dh fx57
The yellow box denotes the Sandy Bridge-E class of processors that we are waiting for with Xeon versions likely shipping at the same time. According to this slide, the Mac Pro suitable processors will first launch in Q4 2011. Apple's new Mac Pro is likely to follow.

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

189 months ago
I managed to convince my company to buy me an 8-core mac last year. It's been fantastic. I've tried to transfer Pro Tools and After Effects projects from it to my white Macbook and it just freezes up trying to run them.

I hope Apple doesn't abandon their Pro desktops. I'm still pissed about what they did to FCP.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
189 months ago
I used to want a Mac Pro.

Now I just want an external Thunderbolt expansion chassis for my Air!


Apple makes consumer products now.
Yes. And pro products.

Apple’s “pro demise” has been predicted constantly for as long as I’ve been using Macs. It’s a side effect of making things easy to use I guess: it makes people expect that Apple doesn’t care about the people who like things difficult :p But in fact they do care about pros (like myself) and offer us a quite a lot.

The Mac Pro is overdue for a change—not a removal.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
189 months ago
I'm actually a bit surprised at how much people complain about Mac Pros being refreshed infrequently.

The Mac Pro is Apple's machine with the LONGEST useful life of them all! I'm still using my 2006 Mac Pro, and it STILL feels fast even today! Anyone with the 2010 Mac Pro should still be cruising with a blisteringly fast system and not need to upgrade anytime soon.

Meanwhile, my former 2006 Macbook Pro (I sold it) was quite slow and very limited, especially by its maximum RAM capacity.

Mac Pros are investments, meant to be used for several years. Unless you're absurdly rich and must always have the latest gear, this should be common sense.

I'll probably be buying a new Mac Pro at the next refresh (five years into the ownership of my current one). How many other computers can you get five productive years out of before they start feeling slow? I'm a bit annoyed that I'll be forced to move to OS X Lion, but I'm sure they'll get some of its issues resolved by then.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dae Avatar
189 months ago
Pros may be a silent minority but it'd be outrageously stupid for Apple to underestimate their actual worth for its ecosystem and marketing.

Pros make software for iOS and OS X. You can make yet another twitter client on your Mac Mini, but it won't do if you're developing a huge 3D action game for future hardware.

Pros push the technology, which can be later adapted for regular users. There wouldn't be iMovie without Final Cut. There wouldn't be so many Final Cut users if the best hardware Apple could offer, was iMac.

In the end of the day pros are extremely influential opinion-makers. Being a satisfied and experienced Mac user and a "geek friend" of my friends, intentionally or not I introduced at the very least five new users to the Mac platform, and helped them learn it and tackle the difficulties. I'm sure this is not an uncommon situation, but you won't find statistics anywhere on how it impacts the sales.

Instead people count the amount of pro users and multiply it by the price of hardware they often use. Think wider!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
189 months ago
Dropping XServe had a lot of backlash. Dropping the Mac Pro will be the worst thing to date. If you follow the pattern, then Apple moving to ARM across the entire Mac product line with slower performance and integrated graphics. Then after that the Mac line will be dropped leaving only iPads and mobile phones. What a nightmare!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
189 months ago
My son it's a graph, not a map.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)