Is Apple ready for a complete change of CPU? Well, they have been using AMD Radeon graphics cards the past few years now, why not switch to AMD CPUs as well, to complete the package?
How We Know
There are a lot of curious people out there. Some of these love to dig deep into Apple’s macOS code in search of new possibilities. One of these people is @_rogame on Twitter.
This curious user dug deep into macOS 10.15.4 Beta 1 and discovered references to codenames that AMD uses for their APUs. AMD uses the term APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) for a single chip that contains a CPU and a GPU. These codenames include Raven, Van Gogh, Picasso, Renoir, and more
MacOS 10.15.4 Beta 1
— _rogame (@_rogame) February 6, 2020
NAVI12_A0
NAVI21_A0
PICASSO_A0
RAVEN2_A0
RAVEN_A0
RENOIR_A0
VANGOGH_A0 ? pic.twitter.com/qFBHg5L0q0
Renoir, for instance, relates to the Ryzen 4000-series from AMD, designed for laptops.
Gaming on Mac
Yes, you read correctly. Rumours of Apple switching to AMD again sparked the rumours of whether Apple will release a gaming machine. The rumours suggest a machine with a heavy price tag that could be released soon. This is of course just guesswork, but there is always a chance of it happening. Read my article on this.
As previously mentioned, Apple already uses AMD graphics cards, so moving to AMD’s APUs sounds sensible. Having a CPU and GPU made from the same company, built into one chip, using the same methods and calibrating the two specifically for each other, is a recipe for excellence.
Is Intel’s Time Up?
Intel has been struggling with security difficulties and delivery of enough chips to Apple in the past. If AMD can guarantee this not happening, Apple may be inclined to make the switch.
This being said, who’s not to say that AMD will walk the same path as Intel when they suddenly have to cater to a new client and suddenly push out more CPUs, GPUs and APUs? Will they have a plan in place to cope with the workload?
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Closing
They say a change is as good as a holiday, but holidays end. If Apple choose to use AMD, will it be a holiday or a change for good?
