Apple and AMD have confirmed the 16-inch MacBook Pro is getting a new configuration option, with the Radeon Pro 5600M now the most powerful GPU available at checkout.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro was already a powerful laptop, but launch of the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M configuration will no doubt please those who want a machine for intensive creative work such as video editing and game creation.
Related: WWDC 2020
The same RDNA architecture found in the other GPU options is used here, so the Radeon Pro 5600M is essentially just an amped up alternative.
The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M features 40 compute units, which is a significant step up from the other MacBook GPU options. The new graphics card also features 8GB high-speed computer memory (HBM2) which is a step up from the usual DDR4 memory.
| AMD Radeon Pro 5600M |
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M |
AMD Radeon Pro 5300M |
|
| Compute Units | 40 | 24 | 20 |
| Stream Processors | 2560 | 1536 | 1280 |
| FP32 TFLOPS | Up to 5.3 | Up to 4.0 | Up to 3.2 |
| Memory | Up to 8GB HBM2 | Up to 8GB GDDR6 | Up to 4GB GDDR6 |
Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit at AMD said (via GlobeNewswire), “With AMD RDNA architecture, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M GPU offers the optimal combination of compute horsepower and power efficiency, providing an outstanding mobile graphics solution to power a wide range of demanding workloads on-the-go.”
Fitting the MacBook Pro with the Radeon Pro 5600M isn’t cheap though, with prices starting at £3199 when paired with the 9th Generation Intel Core i7 processor. If you fancy the more powerful i9 chip instead, the cost will spiral up to £3499 which can increase further yet if you upgrade the 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage capacity.
Related: iMac 2020
The new configuration option isn’t immediately obvious on the online Apple store. Select another model though, and Apple will give you the option to upgrade the GPU, along with all the other components.
Apple has several more announcements planned with WWDC 2020 set to take place on Monday. It’s expected that we’ll see the iMac 2020, MacBook ARM and potentially also a HomePod 2. Stick to Trusted Reviews for all the latest Apple developments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
