XPost: comp.sys.mac.system, comp.sys.mac.misc   
   From: user@nonsenseurl.com.invalid   
      
   In article <10dc1v4$12vmn$1@dont-email.me>, Alan    
   wrote:   
      
   > On 2025-10-17 13:25, Smithwicks wrote:   
   > >> Why do you say that?   
   > > Apple silicon uses system-on-a-chip ARM architecture, which weds the   
   > > CPU, GPU, and RAM into a single chip. This makes them very solid   
   > > machines but the downside is that you can't use any external GPUs or   
   > > upgrade RAM - you're limited by your decision on those aspects when you   
   > > buy the chip.   
   >   
   > >   
   > > The upside is that even my stock M3 can game very well and handle any   
   > > other applications I throw at it. I think LTT did a review trying to   
   > > play Cyberpunk on an M-series and it did shockingly well. BUT, even if   
   > > you have a Mac Pro you can't supplement that with a GPU card. The   
   > > architecture just can't utilize it.   
   > >   
   > > That means, as others have pointed out, it's relegated to being a   
   > > machine for specific uses - audio cards, server purposes, maybe   
   > > something else that hasn't even occured to me.   
   > Oh, no!   
   >   
   > You can only use the built-in GPU to support one screen...   
   >   
   > ...no...wait...   
   >   
   > ...it's two screens...   
   >   
   > ...nope, nope; three!   
   >   
   > Yes, a maximum of three screens at 8K resolution...   
   >   
   > ...or six at 6K...   
   >   
   > ...or eight at 4K.   
   >   
   > That's a HUGE limitation   
   >   
   > > Anything you could accomplish with a Mac Pro you should look at getting   
   > > the Mac Studio for. It's the same chip in a form factor just larger than   
   > > the Mini. Quite impressive, really.   
   > >   
   > > I suppose the real question is: why does Apple keep around the tower   
   > > design instead of just putting some sort of PCI slot(s) in the Mac   
   > > Studio body? Would easily cater to those specific use cases for people   
   > > needing audio cards or similar hardware.   
      
   As a minor consideration, I wonder if screen support increases linearly   
   with the core-count of the GPU? ie - would a stock M4 support fewer than   
   the M4 Pro, Max, or Ultra? Something I'm not sure about as it's a bit   
   out of my own needs, haha.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)