Apple May Use AMD Hardware For Future Macs
It looks like Apple may soon be switching to AMD hardware. At least that's the result of the latest Beta version of macOS 10.15.4, which came to development this week. In its source code, several AMD APUs appear, suggesting that Apple would separate from Intel.
Apple and Intel have worked together since 2005 to replace the old PowerPC chips that the company has been using since 1987. The two companies have enjoyed tremendous success together, but in recent years there has been talk of a change. Rumors have it that Apple is preparing to switch to in-house ARM processors. However, it seems that they will only remain in portable products, while Intel processors from PCs would be replaced by AMD CPUs.
Apple could also use ARM chips for future Macs
A twitter user @_roagame has discovered a lot of references that indicate the transition to AMD processors in the latest beta version of macOS. These references also mention Navi, along with Picasso, Raven, Renoi and Van Gogh.
MacOS 10.15.4 Beta 1
— _rogame (@_rogame) February 6, 2020
NAVI12_A0
NAVI21_A0
PICASSO_A0
RAVEN2_A0
RAVEN_A0
RENOIR_A0
VANGOGH_A0 😳 pic.twitter.com/qFBHg5L0q0
Apple already uses AMD graphics cards in some products, including the new Mac Pro, so we shouldn't be too surprised to see references to Navi. The novelty is that the codes for AMD processors are present in the kernel. If they choose to use an APU, they won't be able to combine it with another processor, so Intel could be sidelined. This means that in the future, all Mac models will be equipped with hardware produced by AMD and that can only be a beneficial change for users.
Why would Apple want to give up Intel?
It's no secret to anyone that Apple has encountered difficulties with Intel products. They are expensive, require a lot of energy and tend to heat up (remember when Intel use to say that about AMD? ). This is also one of the reasons why Apple is forcing throttling on Intel processors in its notebooks.
In addition, AMD has begun to win on several fronts the battle with Intel. The new generation of Ryzen processors is already famous for the performance offered at a very competitive price. Given this, many people expected Apple to prefer AMD in the future. But it remains to be seen what this means for Macs that use ARM processors.
What benefits could AMD bring to Apple products?
The move from Intel to AMD will not be easy for Apple. Well, it wouldn't be as difficult as switching from PowerPC to Intel. This is because AMD and Intel use similar architectures, so all software will run smoothly. This was also seen in the Hackintosh sphere. More and more users are using AMD processors to create workstations that install macOS. The whole thing requires only a few adjustments, so the software and hardware parts work very well together.
Also, including AMD processors in some products does not mean that Apple will not use other chips. I'm pretty sure that the development of custom ARM processors for the desktop will continue. The only problem in these cases is the time required to make the crossing. Thus, AMD seems the only good solution for the moment.
Of course, we must also consider that everything could be just smoke and mirrors. The fact that these processors were included in a beta version of macOS can only mean that Apple is testing other options. Also, there is no guarantee that AMD could solve Apple's problems with Intel products. But this is good news for Mac users. This is further proof that their favorite devices have not been forgotten by the manufacturer.
