More Reports of NVIDIA Graphics Chips in Next-Generation MacBook Pro

nvidia logoAs long ago as last November, SemiAccurate claimed that Apple would be switching back to NVIDIA from AMD for the graphics chips in the next-generation MacBook Pro. With MacBook Pro rumors flooding out today, that claim is gathering renewed momentum from several sources.

In its roundup of the latest MacBook Pro rumors, ABC News specifically claims that Apple will be using NVIDIA graphics chips in the new MacBook Pro reportedly set for introduction at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.

The new laptops are expected to be powered by Intel’s latest processors, called Ivy Bridge. Those processors will be faster than the current generation of Intel processors and improve graphics. However, the laptops will also get a graphics boost from Nvidia’s latest graphics, the GeForce GT 650M card. ABC News has heard the same from its sources, which say Apple will move from AMD to Nvidia graphics chips in this version of the MacBook Pro.

The Verge offers similar claims, with the growing reports suggesting that the switch from AMD to NVIDIA may indeed be taking place.

Apple's updated MacBook Pro rumored to arrive this summer will feature Nvidia graphics alongside Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, a switch from the AMD GPUs in the current models. The news comes to us directly from a trusted source, and it's further corroborated by Joanna Stern at ABC News, whose sources also tell her that the new machines will indeed feature high resolution Retina Displays.

Apple has moved back and forth between NVIDIA and AMD several times over the years, taking advantage of whichever graphics chip firm is offering the better product with the right pricing and timing. Consequently, a shift to NVIDIA should not be taken as an indication that it is a long-term decision, although Apple has been rumored to be making a similar move for the Mac Pro.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
179 months ago
Whoa! So many Mac-related rumors today. These are making me really excited.

I just went to my last-ever college final today and I graduate on Friday. Hope I can still pull a student discount!! Fingers crossed…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mackan Avatar
179 months ago
Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated

I guarantee you will not see 2 Gb. It's Apple we are talking about. They'll give you 512 Mb, custom version.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Gates Avatar
179 months ago
Nice.

Better be 2 Gig's dedicated
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Beezzy Avatar
179 months ago
I love when MacRumors has GeekWebGuides! I just hope this will get more people excited into Macs! Mine is a gaming beast and very happy! They need to do the same on the 13" to have a better built in graphics card since their prob isn't much room for a dedicated graphics card.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
commander.data Avatar
179 months ago
Wishful thinking here but maybe Apple will give us the choice... AMD as standard and Nvidia as BTO. It would serve them best to offer both if they can implement it on the motherboard design... Too many users require one or the other in terms of OpenCL or CUDA, apple stand to lose one type of customer or another so why not offer both and keep everyone happy!!

Although correct me if I am wrong but Nvidia GPUs do support OpenCL, apple just doesn't activate it in their drivers?
http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

Where do you get the idea that nVidia GPUs don't support OpenCL in OS X? nVidia and Apple collaborated quite heavily to develop OpenCL before submitting it to Khronos for standardization so OpenCL is actually closer to CUDA than CTM/Brook+ which was ATI's competing proprietary GPGPU technology at the time. As such even first gen nVidia DX10 GPUs (8000 series) support OpenCL in Snow Leopard and up, whereas OpenCL requires later 2nd gen DX10.1 GPUs (HD4000 series) for ATI. Post standardization, AMD's support for OpenCL has been stronger though, abandoning their own proprietary APIs, whereas nVidia has continued to support CUDA alongside OpenCL.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthonyris Avatar
179 months ago
This is a huge mistake. 600m chips are not Kepler, but simply re-branded Fermi, while 7000m chips are Southern Islands based. I hope this isn't true, as there's no reason why Apple would suddenly take a dive for the stupid.

Not all 600M chips are rebranded Fermi's. The 650M is actually Kepler.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)