Apple Upgrading Mac Pro Line with Hexacore Core i7-980x - Report

New reports are emerging with information on Apple’s alleged plans to update its desktop range of computers, particularly the high-end Mac Pro line. ZDNet appears to be well informed on the move yet-to-be-confirmed by Cupertino, reporting that new Mac Pros are launching on March 16 with ‘hexacore’ Core i7-980x processors clocked at 3.33GHz, TurboBoosting at 3.6GHz.

ZDNet claims to have received this information “from sources who claim that Apple is set to revamp its high-end Mac Pro line, adding a ‘hexacore’ Core i7-980x model to the line up. All information points to this happening next Tuesday, March 16th,” perfectly falling in line with an older rumor report by HardMac.

The latter claimed in February that Apple was on the verge of introducing new, high-end configurations of its powerful Mac Pro systems, adding that a possible launch date was March 16th. “Apparently only the high-end Intel Xeon Core i7-980X will initially be available. Clocked at 3.33 GHz, its TurboBoost mode will allow it to reach 3.6 GH. The Core i7-970X will be clocked at 3.2 GHz, with a 3.46 GHz TurboBoost,” the report says. At the time, HardMac also noted that this would be the case only “if Intel [...] releases a single hexacore Xeon initially, then Apple will not have much choice and most likely only the high-end model of Mac Pro will evolve...”

Back to the ZDNet report, it acknowledges that the Core i7-980x is Intel’s first six-core part, providing a complete list of specs: “3.33GHz (TurboBoost to 3.6GHz); 6 cores / 12 threads; 32nm architecture; Socket LGA1366;130W TDP.” Undoubtedly something new is on the horizon with these two sources (and probably others) corroborating one another so well.

But while ZDNet has been able to obtain this valuable information about upcoming Mac Pro upgrades, the site has no new information whatsoever regarding MacBook Pro revisions. Apple’s high-end notebooks are also said to be on track for hardware upgrades, although reports on this subject are not as convincing.