Apple’s upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh could be getting a substantial bump in graphics performance courtesy of AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. According to smartphone leaker TheGalox_ (via Notebookcheck), the lineup will be one of the first to boast AMD’s Radeon RX 6700 XT and Radeon RX 6700 mobile GPUs.
“Apple will be the first company to use AMD RX 6700 & 6700XT on their upcoming mac’s,” he tweeted. “Of course, the ARM 16 inch MBP is expected to have these configurations. It will be a very great ‘gaming’ laptop.”
AMD’s Radeon RX 6700 Series mobile GPUs debuting in Apple hardware is still strictly in rumor territory, but the possibility isn’t too outrageous, as the current 16-inch MacBook Pro already utilizes Radeon graphics (i.e., Radeon Pro 5300M and AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory).
“It is common for Apple to source exclusive chips from its partners, whether that be AMD or Intel,” Notebookcheck explained. “The current 16-inch MacBook Pro is the only laptop with the Radeon Pro 5600M, for example, so this may also be the case with the Radeon RX 6700 and RX 6700 XT.”
AMD’s Radeon RX 6700 Series graphics card leverage the Navi 22 GPU. Rumors suggest that the standard desktop models, which reportedly sport 12 GB of VRAM, will be unveiled early next year.
Apple will be the first company to use AMD RX 6700 & 6700XT on their upcoming mac's.
— Anthony (@TheGalox_) November 25, 2020
Of course, the ARM 16 inch MBP is expected to have these configurations. It will be a very great "gaming" laptop. pic.twitter.com/Ew8LbNfzM0