More Reports of NVIDIA Graphics Chips in Next-Generation MacBook Pro

nvidia logoAs long ago as last November, SemiAccurate claimed that Apple would be switching back to NVIDIA from AMD for the graphics chips in the next-generation MacBook Pro. With MacBook Pro rumors flooding out today, that claim is gathering renewed momentum from several sources.

In its roundup of the latest MacBook Pro rumors, ABC News specifically claims that Apple will be using NVIDIA graphics chips in the new MacBook Pro reportedly set for introduction at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.

The new laptops are expected to be powered by Intel’s latest processors, called Ivy Bridge. Those processors will be faster than the current generation of Intel processors and improve graphics. However, the laptops will also get a graphics boost from Nvidia’s latest graphics, the GeForce GT 650M card. ABC News has heard the same from its sources, which say Apple will move from AMD to Nvidia graphics chips in this version of the MacBook Pro.

The Verge offers similar claims, with the growing reports suggesting that the switch from AMD to NVIDIA may indeed be taking place.

Apple's updated MacBook Pro rumored to arrive this summer will feature Nvidia graphics alongside Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, a switch from the AMD GPUs in the current models. The news comes to us directly from a trusted source, and it's further corroborated by Joanna Stern at ABC News, whose sources also tell her that the new machines will indeed feature high resolution Retina Displays.

Apple has moved back and forth between NVIDIA and AMD several times over the years, taking advantage of whichever graphics chip firm is offering the better product with the right pricing and timing. Consequently, a shift to NVIDIA should not be taken as an indication that it is a long-term decision, although Apple has been rumored to be making a similar move for the Mac Pro.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
176 months ago
Whoa! So many Mac-related rumors today. These are making me really excited.

I just went to my last-ever college final today and I graduate on Friday. Hope I can still pull a student discount!! Fingers crossed…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mackan Avatar
176 months ago
Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated

I guarantee you will not see 2 Gb. It's Apple we are talking about. They'll give you 512 Mb, custom version.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Gates Avatar
176 months ago
Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Beezzy Avatar
176 months ago
I love when MacRumors has Mac Rumors! I just hope this will get more people excited into Macs! Mine is a gaming beast and very happy! They need to do the same on the 13" to have a better built in graphics card since their prob isn't much room for a dedicated graphics card.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
commander.data Avatar
176 months ago
Wishful thinking here but maybe Apple will give us the choice... AMD as standard and Nvidia as BTO. It would serve them best to offer both if they can implement it on the motherboard design... Too many users require one or the other in terms of OpenCL or CUDA, apple stand to lose one type of customer or another so why not offer both and keep everyone happy!!

Although correct me if I am wrong but Nvidia GPUs do support OpenCL, apple just doesn't activate it in their drivers?
http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

Where do you get the idea that nVidia GPUs don't support OpenCL in OS X? nVidia and Apple collaborated quite heavily to develop OpenCL before submitting it to Khronos for standardization so OpenCL is actually closer to CUDA than CTM/Brook+ which was ATI's competing proprietary GPGPU technology at the time. As such even first gen nVidia DX10 GPUs (8000 series) support OpenCL in Snow Leopard and up, whereas OpenCL requires later 2nd gen DX10.1 GPUs (HD4000 series) for ATI. Post standardization, AMD's support for OpenCL has been stronger though, abandoning their own proprietary APIs, whereas nVidia has continued to support CUDA alongside OpenCL.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthonyris Avatar
176 months ago
This is a huge mistake. 600m chips are not Kepler, but simply re-branded Fermi, while 7000m chips are Southern Islands based. I hope this isn't true, as there's no reason why Apple would suddenly take a dive for the stupid.

Not all 600M chips are rebranded Fermi's. The 650M is actually Kepler.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)