Apple Reveals AMD Pro 5600M GPU Option for the MacBook Pro

Apple has unveiled a couple of upgrade options for its high-end desktop and laptop, which will certainly improve video and image editing, animation, and visual effects work.

The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch can now have a much more powerful GPU option. Image: Apple.

For the Mac Pro, it has a new internal SSD upgrade kit, up to 8TB, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro has a new graphics card option, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M.

Mac Pro's New Internal SSD Upgrade Kit

Apple's premiere Mac Pro tower starts at $5,999 USD, but can quickly reach over $50,000 with maximum upgrades. However, the average user may end up spending around $10,000 to $12,000 to get a very fast system for content creation.

Previously, Apple introduced a powerful and affordable GPU option with the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, and now offers an internal SSD upgrade kit, which users can install themselves. You'll be able to add 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB to the Mac Pro, sold in pairs (e.g., 2 x 4TB), giving the space needed for tackling uncompressed 8K HDR footage, such as from the RED MONSTRO VV.

Upgrade your Mac Pro's internal SSD storage. Image: Apple.

New GPU Option for the 16-Inch MacBook Pro

Apple also announced a new graphics card option for their top-of-the-line MacBook Pro, an AMD Radeon Pro 5600M. This powerful card really boosts speeds - up to 75% over the next level down GPU, which is necessary when editing any type of footage, including the aforementioned uncompressed 8K HDR clips.

In fact, if your system has a good CPU and plenty of RAM, but a weak graphics card, it'll slow to a crawl when working with any kind of high-end content.

The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M GPU option comes in two configurations, including one with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, which will cost just $100 USD over the base model card (AMD Radeon Pro 5500M). The other one has 8G of HBM2 memory, and will cost $700 over the base GPU.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,799, and it's well worth upgrading to at least the AMD Radeon Pro 5600 8G GDDR6 memory. If you were to upgrade the laptop to all the maximum options, it'll set you back $6,699 USD. 

Conclusion

As mentioned above, the upgrade options will only help as you work on any sort of high-end content. A powerful GPU is necessary to not only handle today's demanding footage, but will also future-proof your MacBook Pro as new technology is unveiled and adopted. And having enough internal SSD storage is required, since that footage takes up plenty of space. Plus, keeping it internal keeps your workspace clean and organized.