Apple Ends Mac Pro Line and Shelves “Extreme” Chip Plans

In March 2026 Apple announced the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, removing the product from its website and directing customers to the Mac Studio. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the decision coincided with the cancellation of two high-performance “Extreme” silicon chips—M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme—that had been under development for a new Mac Pro generation.

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Apple’s original roadmap envisioned an “Extreme” tier above the existing “Ultra” line. Early work produced both M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme processors, but the projects were halted over cost and demand concerns. In addition to the silicon efforts, Apple reportedly built two unreleased Mac Pro models, codenamed J170 and J190. J170 was an Intel-based Mac Pro intended to serve niche professional use cases, while J190 would have housed an M3 Ultra chip alongside the 2025 Mac Studio launch.

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The M2 Extreme was rumored to feature up to 48 CPU cores and 152 GPU cores—double the 24-core CPU and 76-core GPU configuration of the M2 Ultra. Gurman estimated that an M2 Extreme Mac Pro would cost at least $10,000 before upgrades, positioning it as an “extraordinarily niche product.” The M3 Ultra, the current top of Apple’s silicon line, tops out at 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores; the cancelled M3 Extreme would have offered twice that core count.

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Apple’s official messaging framed the Mac Pro’s removal as a shift toward the Mac Studio, with new Mac Studio models featuring M5 Ultra chips slated for release as early as fall 2026. Industry observers noted that the Mac Pro’s PCIe expansion and premium pricing had limited its market appeal. Fans expressed disappointment, describing the move as “a sad end to an era for fans of the Mac Pro hardware.”

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• “I’m told Apple had developed both M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips before winding down those projects due to cost and demand concerns,” — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

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• “The idea was to offer twice as many graphics and main processing cores as that chip,” — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

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• “According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple developed an M3 Extreme chip that could have offered twice as many CPU and GPU cores as the M3 Ultra.” — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

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• “Gurman estimated that an M2 Extreme Mac Pro could have cost at least $10,000 before upgrades, turning it into an extraordinarily niche product.” — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

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