Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Westmere Xeons bring a 12-core Mac Pro.
Overview
The Mid 2010 update focused on core count. Intel's Westmere Xeons arrived in quad-core and six-core forms, so a pair of 2.66 GHz six-core chips gave twelve cores and a quad-core base model stayed at $2,499 with a 2.8 GHz W3530 chip.
Graphics moved to the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1 GB of memory, with the HD 5870 as an upgrade, and storage started at 1 TB, with SSD choices of 256 or 512 GB. DDR3 ECC memory could reach 64 GB in the dual-processor models.
The same chassis and four PCI Express slots persisted, and a Mac Pro Server configuration was added after the Xserve was retired. It could run macOS up to Mojave with a compatible graphics card.
Why it mattered
It was the Mac Pro that stayed useful the longest, thanks to upgradable CPUs and GPUs.
At a glance
- Announced
- July 27, 2010
- Released
- July 27, 2010
- Discontinued
- June 11, 2012
- Launch price
- $2,499
- Chip / processor
- Intel Xeon quad-core, 2.8 GHz
- Storage
- 1 TB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Up to 12 cores with dual six-core Westmere Xeons
- Radeon HD 5770 graphics standard
- Optional SSD choices
- Runs macOS Mojave with a Metal-capable GPU
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- Quad-core Intel Xeon W3530, 2.8 GHz (options to dual six-core 2.93 GHz)
- CPU cores
- 4 to 12
Memory
- RAM
- 3 GB DDR3 ECC (6 GB on dual-processor models), up to 64 GB
- Storage options
- 1 TB standard; 2 TB or 256/512 GB SSD options
Graphics
- GPU
- ATI Radeon HD 5770, 1 GB GDDR5
Expansion
- Slots
- Four PCI Express 2.0 slots
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
- Latest supported OS
- macOS 10.14 Mojave (with a Metal-capable GPU)
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
- July 27, 2010
- Released
- July 27, 2010
- Discontinued
- June 11, 2012
- 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 2012)
A modest update that was the end of the aluminum cheese-grater tower.
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.