Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
A modest update that was the end of the aluminum cheese-grater tower.
Overview
The Mid 2012 Mac Pro was a light refresh of the 2010 machine. A 3.2 GHz quad-core Xeon W3565 powered the base model, while a dual 2.4 GHz six-core configuration offered twelve cores. Memory went up to 64 GB and a Radeon HD 5770 was standard.
Criticism centered on the missing modern ports: no Thunderbolt, USB 3 or SATA III, and no new generation of Xeon. Apple publicly told its pro users that a major new Mac Pro was in development.
The case, with its four PCI Express slots and four drive bays, remained the big upgradeable tower the professional market valued. The line paused until the December 2013 cylinder.
Why it mattered
It was the last of the upgradeable aluminum towers until the 2019 Mac Pro.
At a glance
- Announced
- June 11, 2012
- Released
- June 11, 2012
- Discontinued
- October 22, 2013
- Launch price
- $2,499
- Chip / processor
- Intel Xeon quad-core, 3.2 GHz
- Storage
- 1 TB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- 3.2 GHz quad-core or dual six-core Xeon
- Up to 64 GB of memory
- Four drive bays, four PCIe slots
- Last of the classic aluminum towers
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- Quad-core Intel Xeon W3565, 3.2 GHz (options to dual six-core 2.4 GHz)
- CPU cores
- 4 to 12
Memory
- RAM
- 6 GB DDR3 ECC (12 GB on dual-processor models)
- Storage options
- 1 TB standard; SSD options
Graphics
- GPU
- ATI Radeon HD 5770, 1 GB GDDR5
Expansion
- Slots
- Four PCI Express 2.0 slots
- Drive bays
- Four internal drive bays, two optical bays
Software
- Launch OS
- OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
Design
- Dimensions
- 51.1 x 20.6 x 47.5 cm (20.1 x 8.1 x 18.7 in), same chassis as 2006 to 2012 models
Availability
- Announced
- June 11, 2012
- Released
- June 11, 2012
- Discontinued
- October 22, 2013
- Launch price
- $2,499
Colors
- Finishes
- Aluminum
How it compares
More in the Mac Pro family
Mac Pro (2006)
The Power Mac G5 case with two dual-core Xeons: the Mac Pro is born.
Mac Pro (Early 2008)
Eight Harpertown Xeon cores as standard.
Mac Pro (Early 2009)
Nehalem Xeons and DDR3 memory arrive in the Mac Pro.
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Westmere Xeons bring a 12-core Mac Pro.
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
A black cylinder with two workstation GPUs and a single fan.
Mac Pro (2019)
The tower returns, modular and with a 1.4 kW power supply.
Mac Pro (2023)
The last Mac Pro: an M2 Ultra tower with PCIe slots but no GPU upgrades.