![](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125791674/820724819.png)
Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Back in June, when Apple gave us a preview of the new Mac Pro, the company said it would ship “later this year.” Here we are, just a few days shy of 2014, and the new Mac Pro has arrived. Apple calls it the Mac Pro (Late 2013); a snarky reviewer might call it the Mac Pro (Almost 2014). Whatever you call it, it’s the company’s new flagship computer—its halo car, if you will—and we’ve been putting it through its paces. Does it live up to its name as a professional’s Mac?
The Mac Pro comes standard with five USB 2.0 ports, four Firewire 800 ports, and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. Enhance your Mac Pro with USB 3.0 (5GB/s), USB-C (10GB/s), and/or eSATA connections for external storage.
The short answer is, “It depends.” When the new Mac Pro was announced this past summer, the initial reactions were, to put it mildly, polarized. Some people thought the new computer was a brilliant design that embraced current trends in high-end computing. Others thought it was a slap in the face of “real” pro users. Both sides can make a good case: Depending on your particular uses and needs, the new Mac Pro may be exactly what you want (a state-of-the-art, multi-core-processor, workstation-GPU computer that doesn’t waste space and resources on expandability you may never use), or nothing like what you need (a workhorse tower with tons of bays and slots for expansion).
Thanks to its diminutive profile and attractive design, the Mac Pro is clearly meant to be a computer for your desk, rather than something you hide under your desk
I’m not here to tell you which view is right or wrong, because real people with real jobs and real needs hold each. The best I can do is tell you what the new Mac Pro is, what it does, and how well it does those things. You’ll have to decide if Apple’s new approach is right for you.
Small and Space Gray
If you’re reading this, chances are you know all about the new Mac Pro’s design, but here’s a refresher. Apple has done away with the massive enclosure of the 2012-and-earlier Mac Pro: The new Mac Pro is instead a small cylinder with a beautiful, unibody exterior made from a single block of aluminum. As we noted in our first impressions, while Apple’s PR videos and images make the new Mac Pro look like a dark, metallic gray—almost black—it’s really closer in color to the new Space Gray finish of Apple’s current iPhone and iPad models. It even looks somewhat silvery in bright light.
The cylinder is just 9.9 inches tall and just 6.6 inches in diameter. Apple says the new model is about 1/8 the size of the 2012 Mac Pro, but that number doesn’t really hit home until you see the new Mac Pro sitting next to one of its predecessors, or next to something else that gives you some size perspective.
It truly is a tiny computer given its capabilities. Apple achieved this size reduction in part by doing away with many things professional-level computers have traditionally reserved internal space for: multiple bays for hard drives, multiple slots for graphics and expansion cards, and space for an optical-drive (or two). Instead, the 2013 Mac Pro offers most of its expansion options on the outside: Turn the cylinder around, and you’ll find a compact panel that hosts a slew of ports and connectors: four USB 3.0 ports, six Thunderbolt 2 ports (two each on three independent controllers), two gigabit ethernet ports, an HDMI 1.4 (audio+video) port, a 1/8-inch analog/optical-digital line-out jack, and a 1/8-inch headphone/headset jack.
But Apple also reduced the Mac Pro’s size with some clever engineering. Traditionally, each heat-producing component in a desktop computer—CPU(s), graphics chips, memory, and so on—has had its own heat sink, and sometimes even its own fan. Fitting all these components into a case, and creating good airflows to make sure each can adequately cool, requires a relatively large enclosure. It’s also an inefficient use of materials, because each heat sink is only cooling its respective component(s) part of the time.
Of course, not having traditional hard drives, PCI expansion cards, honkin’-big PCI-card GPUs (graphics processing units—a.k.a., “video cards”), and the like inside does wonders for internal temperatures. But the new Mac Pro also incorporates what Apple calls a unified thermal core. This is essentially a large, triangular, extruded-aluminum frame in the middle of the new Mac Pro that acts as both the structure for the computer and a central heat sink. The inside of the triangle looks like a traditional heat sink, with thin slats to increase surface area. Coupled directly to each of the three sides of the triangle are, respectively, the Mac Pro’s CPU and each of its two GPUs. The result is a single heat sink that services the entire computer. Apple says the design allows the components to share the core’s thermal efficiency, as it pulls heat away from each of those components and distributes it evenly across the core. Even when working hard, the outside of the Mac Pro’s aluminum case feels only warm, not hot—it won’t heat your office like older models.
The new Mac Pro also contains only a single fan. Located just below the top of the cylinder, this fan sucks air up from vents at the bottom of the computer, and over the thermal core to cool it, and then pushes the now-warm air out the ring at the top of the enclosure. Instead of the wind-tunnel-like noise levels you’d sometimes hear with previous Mac Pro models, the 2013 Mac Pro’s fan is generally very quiet. In fact, in normal use, it’s nearly silent: If you put your ear next to the vent on the top, you hear only a quiet hum. (Apple told us the computer produces only about 12dB of noise at idle, and roughly 17dB under load.) In my quiet office, I couldn’t hear the Mac Pro’s fan over the noise of my 2010 iMac, even when live-rendering some effects on 4K video in Final Cut Pro X. That’s not to say you’ll never hear the fan, but you should expect a much quieter experience than with previous models.
Combine all that technology with the Mac Pro’s compact size, and you get a surprisingly dense computer: While it’s one-eighth the size of the 2012 Mac Pro, it’s over one-fourth the weight. Pick it up by its handle—the rim around the fan exhaust ring on top—and it feels heavy and solid. But thanks to its diminutive profile and attractive design, this is clearly meant to be a computer for your desk, rather than something you hide under your desk.
Pricing and configurations
Apple sells two stock configurations of the 2013 Mac Pro, each running OS X 10.9 Mavericks. One, the $2999 model, uses a 3.7GHz quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor with 10MB of level 3 cache and includes 12GB of 1866MHz DDR ECC memory (RAM), dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics processors (each with 2GB of GDDR5 video RAM), and 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. The other, the $3999 model, uses a 3.5GHz six-core Intel Xeon E5 processor with 12MB of level 3 cache, plus 16GB of RAM, dual AMD FirePro D500 graphics processors (each with 3GB of VRAM), and the same 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. Each model also includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi (compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, and a built-in speaker; you also get copies of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, along with the standard OS X apps.
Apple offers a slew of configure-to-order (CTO) options for each. For starters, you can upgrade the $2999 Mac Pro to match the $3999 model’s processor ($500), RAM ($100), or GPUs ($400)—do all three, and you’ve got the $3999 model. (The $3999 Mac Pro is simply the $2999 model with standard upgrades.) But you can keep going: Another $1500 gets you a 3.0GHz, 8-core CPU with 25MB of L3 cache, and another $1500 beyond that gets you a 2.7GHz, 12-core CPU with 30MB of L3 cache.
On either model, once you get to 16GB of RAM, another $400 bumps you up to 32GB, and an additional $800 takes you to 64GB. A $300 premium gets you 512GB of PCIe-based flash storage; tack on another $500 and you get 1TB. Finally, a $600 premium over the dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs gets you dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs (each with 6GB of VRAM). Neither model includes a display, keyboard, or any other input device.
If this all sounds a bit confusing, think of it this way: Apple essentially offers a base Mac Pro model for $2999, along with options for upgrading its processor, GPUs, RAM, and flash storage. (If you’re curious, a maxed-out 2013 Mac Pro, complete with a 12-core processor, 64GB of RAM, 1TB of flash storage, and dual FirePro D700 GPUs, will set you back a cool $9599.)
Of course, if you’ve got an older Mac Pro with lots of PCI cards, hard drives, and other upgrades, you’ll need to factor in the price of the various adapters, enclosures, and PCI chassis needed to integrate those components into your new Mac Pro system, or the cost to replace those products—if it’s actually necessary—with newer ones that are compatible with the Mac Pro.
The new Mac Pro was available for order in the wee hours of the morning of December 19. Apple told Macworld that the earliest orders were actually shipped out later that day, but by breakfast time here on the West Coast, shoppers were seeing shipping estimates of February 2014.
Multi-core is where it’s at
When we review a new Mac, we prefer to review the base model(s), and then we purchase one or more CTO models for benchmarking purposes. However, the Mac Pro Apple loaned us for review was a CTO model with a 3.0GHz, 8-core Xeon E5 processor; 32GB of RAM; dual D700 GPUs; and 512GB of flash storage. (The cost, if configured on Apple’s online store, would be $6799.) And because new orders aren’t shipping until February, and Apple retail stores don’t have Mac Pros in stock, we haven’t yet been able to purchase either of the base models. We’ll test those models as soon as we can get them.
We published our first benchmarks of our review model, and the results were in some ways surprising: The eight-core 2013 Mac Pro was only 8 percent faster in our Speedmark 9 benchmark suite than a CTO 2013 iMac maxed out with a quad-core 3.5GHz Core i7 processor, a 3TB Fusion Drive, 8GB of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M graphics (a $2699 configuration). In the individual tests that make up our Speedmark benchmark, the iMac actually beat the new Mac Pro in a Finder test, the iMovie test, the iTunes test, the Aperture test, the Parallels test, and the Cinebench OpenGL test. It also beat the Mac Pro in GeekBench 3’s single-core benchmark.
Speedmark 9 scores
Mac model | Speedmark 9 Score |
---|---|
Mac Pro 8-Core/3.0GHz (Late 2013) | 350 |
Mac Pro 12-core/2.4GHz (Mid 2012) | 196 |
Mac Pro quad-core/3.2GHz (Mid 2012) | 171 |
27-inch iMac quad-core/3.5GHz CTO (Late 2013) | 326 |
15-inch Retina MacBook Pro quad-core/2.3GHz (Late 2013) | 282 |
Results are scores. Higher results are better. Best score in bold. Reference models in italics.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith and Albert Filice
However, the new Mac Pro handily beat the iMac—and every other Mac we’ve ever tested—in our Final Cut Pro X test, the iPhoto test, the HandBrake test, the Photoshop tests, the Cinebench CPU test, the Mathematica test, and several graphics-engine tests. It also crushed most other Macs in GeekBench 3’s multi-core benchmark.
The Mac Pro’s Final Cut Pro X performance was especially impressive, as it finished our rendering test in half the time of the next-fastest Mac, and about a quarter of the time it took on two 2012 Mac Pros (a quad-core and a dual six-core). An Apple demonstration to Macworld staff was likewise striking, as it involved Final Cut Pro X displaying 16 different angles of 4K Multicam video simultaneously, while live-rendering 4K video with multiple, complex effects applied. This demo was, of course, designed to show the Mac Pro in the best light, but it’s a demo few computers could do at all. Similarly, the user-run Final Cut Pro X site fcp.com published its initial tests based on a Mac Pro similar to ours. In one test, the site put a Red Raw 4K clip in a 4K project and added 18 effects; the clip rendered and played in real time without dropping frames.
The disparate results of our individual tests reflect my real-world experiences with the new Mac Pro. When performing basic computing tasks, such as working in the Finder, surfing the Web, working with iTunes, and the like, the new Mac Pro of course felt a good deal faster than the heavily upgraded 2010 iMac in my office, but not necessarily $4000 and three years faster. But when I started playing with filters on high-res video in Final Cut Pro X, and transcoding video using HandBrake, the new Mac Pro showed just how much more powerful it really is. For example, it took just over 12 minutes for HandBrake to convert a two-hour movie from a ripped .dvdmedia package to an H.264 file, and this was while the computer was downloading and installing about 1.5GB worth of software updates and I was browsing the Web. On my 2.93HGz Core i7 iMac with Fusion Drive, the same conversion took roughly 40 minutes.
We also ran the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on the Mac Pro to see what kind of I/O performance the PCIe-based flash storage provides. The utility showed write speeds of 952.8 MBps and read speeds of 920.5 MBps—both impressive numbers, though similar to what we’ve seen on Apple’s latest Retina-display MacBook Pro, which also uses PCIe flash storage.
Performance explained
You might find our overall results confusing, but in many ways they confirm what we’ve found with other Macs in recent years: When it comes to apps and tasks that can take advantage of multiple processor cores, GHz matters, but multi-core matters just as much—or more. For apps and tasks that don’t benefit from multiple cores, the processor’s clock speed becomes more important. Thus, a 3.5GHz quad-core iMac beats a 3.0GHz eight-core Mac Pro at things like Finder and iTunes tasks; the Mac Pro, on the other hand, easily bests the iMac in Final Cut Pro X, HandBrake, Mathematica, and Photoshop.
Indeed, if you look at Apple’s webpage on performance, the company touts the new Mac Pro for video editing, 3-D modeling and animation, photography, design and layout, audio production, and science—all areas of computing where multi-core processors and/or high-end, high-resolution displays are key.
(It’s also worth noting that the non-Xeon processors in current and recent MacBook and iMac models incorporate Intel’s QuickSync technology, which is specifically designed to accelerate the transcoding of video; the Xeon processors in the Mac Pro lack this feature. iMovie takes advantage of QuickSync, which explains why a maxed-out 2013 iMac bested the Mac Pro in our benchmarks. The iMovie test in turn boosted the iMac’s overall Speedmark score relative to the Mac Pro: If the 2013 Mac Pro had scored even identically to the souped-up 2013 iMac in the iMovie test, the Mac Pro’s Speedmark score would have jumped from 312 to 342, besting the iMac overall by 54 points, rather than 24.)
Like previous Mac Pro models, the new Mac Pro should also offer performance advantages (compared to Apple’s other computers) in an area that our Speedmark scores don’t really show: sustained peak performance. Intel’s current processors, including the Xeon processors used in the Mac Pro and the i5 and i7 processors used in Apple’s other computers, have a feature called Turbo Boost. When more computing performance is needed, Turbo Boost can increase the processor’s clock frequency (up to a particular speed that’s determined by both the processor itself and its number of cores). However, Turbo Boost is limited: The processor can ramp up its performance only as long as the CPU stays below particular temperature, power-consumption, and current-consumption limits.
In desktop and laptop computers, it’s generally the TDP (thermal design power)—the highest amount of heat the processor is allowed to generate before performance is restricted—that’s the limiting factor for Turbo Boost. As noted by Marco Arment, the Xeon processors used in the 2013 Mac Pro have a TDP of 130W, while the TDP of the i5 and i7 processors used in Apple’s MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac lines have TDPs ranging from 15W to 84W. In addition, the Mac Pro’s unified thermal core provides much more cooling capacity than the tiny heat sinks and small fans found in Apple’s other computers. Combine these capabilities, and the Mac Pro can boost its processor cores for much longer periods. The result should be significantly better sustained maximum performance for the Mac Pro, even if, say, a 3.7GHz i7 iMac can best the Mac Pro in short, single-core tasks.
TDP also explains why, when choosing processor options for the Mac Pro, clock speeds go down as the number of cores go up: The 12-core Xeon processor used in the Mac Pro has the same TDP as the 4-core version, so the base clock speed must be lower for the 12-core CPU.
What does this mean for you? A couple of things. First, even if you’re shopping for performance, unless you regularly use software that either takes advantage of multiple cores or subjects your Mac’s processor to sustained heavy loads (or both), you’re probably better off with an iMac or a MacBook Pro. These computers offer competitive single-core performance, often at higher base clock speeds; they’re even competitive at particular nonsustained multi-core tasks. Second, even if you do need a high-end, multi-core processor, you’ll want to consider how frequently you need the full multi-core capability. Unless you will regularly be tasking all the cores of a 12-core processor, you’ll be better off with fewer cores running at a higher base clock speed.
In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be performing additional performance testing, both with this particular Mac Pro configuration and with other Mac Pro models as we get them.
Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Pros
- Impressive multi-core performance
- Dual workstation-class GPUs
- Fast internal storage
- Plenty of external-expansion options
- Compact, attractive design
- Quiet and relatively cool
- Many internal components upgradeable
Cons
- Single-core performance not substantially better (and sometimes worse) than that of other current Macs
- No internal expansion options
- Higher-end configurations quickly get expensive
Apple MacBook Pro 'Core i5' 2.4 13' Late 2013 Specs
Identifiers: Retina Late 2013 13' - ME864LL/A* - MacBookPro11,1 - A1502 - 2678
All MacBook Pro Models | All 2013 Models | Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others
Distribute This Page: Bookmark & Share | Download: PDF Manual
The MacBook Pro 'Core i5' 2.4 13-Inch (Late 2013 Retina Display) features a 22 nm 'Haswell' 2.4 GHz Intel 'Core i5' processor (4258U), with dual independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB or 8 GB of onboard 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (which could be upgraded to 16 GB at the time of purchase, but cannot be upgraded later), 128 GB or 256 GB of PCIe-based flash storage, and an integrated Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor that shares memory with the system. It also has an integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam, and a high-resolution LED-backlit 13.3' widescreen 2560x1600 (227 ppi) 'Retina' display in a case that weighs just less than 3.5 pounds (1.57 kg). It does not have an internal optical drive.
Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, two 'Thunderbolt 2' ports, an HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and an SDXC card slot.
In addition, this model has a backlit keyboard, a 'no button' glass 'inertial' multi-touch trackpad, a 'MagSafe 2' power adapter, and an internal, sealed battery that provides an Apple estimated 9 hours of battery life.
Compared to its predecessor, this model not only has an even slimmer housing, but also has a faster and more efficient 'Fourth Generation' processor and architecture (and correspondingly higher battery life), as well as faster graphics, storage, and Wi-Fi in addition to improved connectivity.
Also see:
Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, two 'Thunderbolt 2' ports, an HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and an SDXC card slot.
In addition, this model has a backlit keyboard, a 'no button' glass 'inertial' multi-touch trackpad, a 'MagSafe 2' power adapter, and an internal, sealed battery that provides an Apple estimated 9 hours of battery life.
Compared to its predecessor, this model not only has an even slimmer housing, but also has a faster and more efficient 'Fourth Generation' processor and architecture (and correspondingly higher battery life), as well as faster graphics, storage, and Wi-Fi in addition to improved connectivity.
Also see:
- What are all the differences between the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Late 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
- What are all the differences between the 'Late 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the 'Early 2013' models replaced?
Buy This Mac at site sponsor TechHeadQuarters. Click for today's offers.
Buy This Mac in Bulk at site sponsor Evertek. Wholesale prices and global shipping.
Sell This Mac for fast cash at site sponsor BuyBackWorld. Instant quote & more.
Upgrade This Mac or Buy one Used at site sponsor MacSales.com. SSDs & more.
- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
Introduction Date: | October 22, 2013 | Discontinued Date: | July 29, 2014 |
Details: | The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2013. |
Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
Details: | Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro11,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro11,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro11,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Details: | These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro11,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
Processor Speed: | 2.4 GHz | Processor Type: | Core i5 (I5-4258U) |
Details: | This model is powered by a 22 nm, 64-bit 'Fourth Generation' Intel Mobile Core i5 'Haswell' (I5-4258U) processor which includes two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 3 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel). This system also supports 'Turbo Boost 2.0' -- which 'automatically increases the speed of the active cores' to improve performance when needed (up to 2.9 GHz for this model) -- and 'Hyper Threading' -- which allows the system to recognize four total 'cores' or 'threads' (two real and two virtual). Also see: How fast are the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Late 2013' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced? How fast are they compared to the MacBook Air? |
Turbo Boost: | 2.9 GHz | Custom Speeds: | 2.6, 2.8 GHz (i7)* |
![Mac pro late 2013 specs Mac pro late 2013 specs](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125791674/281476451.jpg)
Details: | *This model also could be custom configured with a 2.6 GHz Core i5 (I5-4288U) for an extra US$100 (effectively making it the same as the MacBook Pro 'Core i5' 2.6 13' (Late 2013), just configured by default with less RAM (which could also be custom configured) and less storage (which could be changed at purchase). Or, this model could be custom configured with a 2.8 GHz Core i7 (I7-4558U) for an extra US$300. This Core i7 processor has a 4 MB level 3 cache and supports 'Turbo Boost 2.0' up to 3.3 GHz as well as 'Hyper Threading' with four virtual cores or 'threads.' Even though it does not have its own order number, EveryMac.com also has documented this custom Core i7 configuration as its own model. |
Details: | Also see: Can you upgrade the processor in the Retina Display MacBook Pro models? |
System Bus Speed: | 5 GT/s (DMI2)* | Cache Bus Speed: | 2.4 GHz (Built-in) |
Details: | *This system has a 'Direct Media Interface' -- specifically DMI2 -- that 'connects between the processor and chipset' in lieu of a traditional system bus. Intel reports that it runs at 5 GT/s. |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | *Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 3 MB of shared level 3 cache. |
Details: | Ships standard with 4 GB (ME864LL/A) or 8 GB (ME865LL/A) of 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM onboard. |
Details: | *4 GB or 8 GB of RAM is onboard by default, but it could be upgraded to 16 GB at the time of purchase at additional cost. RAM cannot be upgraded later. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
Details: | *There are no RAM slots. 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM is onboard. It could be upgraded to 16 GB only at the time of purchase. |
Details: | This model has an Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor that shares memory with the system. |
Details: | *Apple reports that this model uses 'Intel Iris Graphics' and allocates up to 1.5 GB of system memory for video function when running OS X 10.9.3 or higher. When running earlier versions of OS X, up to 1 GB of system memory is allocated for video function. Intel more specifically reports that this processor is packaged with a Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor. |
Built-in Display: | 13.3' Widescreen | Native Resolution: | 2560x1600 |
Details: | This model has a 13.3' color widescreen LED-backlit display with IPS technology with a 2560 by 1600 native resolution at 227 ppi (178-degree viewing angle). It also supports scaled resolutions of 1680 by 1050, 1440 by 900, and 1024 by 640. Also see: How can you 'force' or 'hack' the Retina Display MacBook Pro models to run at the native resolution or otherwise fit more on screen than by default? In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the display, battery, keyboard, motherboard, and more for this MacBook Pro. Worldwide, site sponsor Shenzhen Parts sells quality, brand new, factory-direct parts with global shipping and bulk discounts for repair shops. Replacement parts include displays, keyboards, trackpads, speakers, cameras, and more for this MacBook Pro. |
2nd Display Support: | Dual/Mirroring* | 2nd Max. Resolution: | 2560x1600 (x2*) |
Details: | *This model supports a simultaneous maximum resolution up to 2560x1600 on two external displays via Thunderbolt. Alternately, it can support a single display up to 2560x1600 via Thunderbolt and a single 1080p display at up to 60 Hz, 3840x2160 at 30 Hz, or 4096x2160 at 24 Hz via HDMI. Also see: How many external displays can the Retina Display MacBook Pro models support? What is the maximum supported resolution of each? Are adapters required? |
Standard Storage: | 128 GB, 256 GB SSD | Std. Storage Speed: | 673.5/731 MB/s* |
Details: | The ME864LL/A configuration has 128 GB of flash storage and the ME865LL/A configuration has 256 GB of flash storage. Neither can be configured with additional storage at the time of purchase. *Third-party tests using the Blackmagic benchmark report write speeds of 673.5 MB/s and read speeds of 731 MB/s. Apple does not intend for one to upgrade the storage after purchase, but it is quite possible. Also see: How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 13-Inch Retina Display 'Late 2013' MacBook Pro? Is it the same storage and process as other Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it possible? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor RamCity sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs. |
Storage Dimensions: | Proprietary | Storage Interface: | Proprietary* (PCIe 2.0 x2) |
Details: | *As first documented by site sponsor OWC, this model has a PCIe-based SSD (PCIe 2.0 x2 interface). |
Details: | *This MacBook Pro does not have an internal optical drive. Site sponsor Adorama offers the external Apple USB SuperDrive for US$79. It writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL at 4X, DVD-R and DVD+R at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X, reads DVD at 8X, writes CD-R at 24X, writes CD-RW at 16X, and reads CD at 24X. Site sponsor Other World Computing also has a variety of compact external optical drive options that may be of interest, including some with Blu-ray capability. Also see: What are the full capabilities of the external SuperDrive available for this MacBook Pro? Can it be used with other Macs? |
Details: | *This model does not have an internal Ethernet port. However, an Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter is available for US$29. |
Details: | 802.11ac Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n compatible) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. Also see: What is 802.11ac? How is it different from 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n? |
Details: | Two USB 3.0 ports (up to 5 Gbps). It does not have a Firewire port although an Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter is available. |
Details: | This model has an SDXC card slot. No expansion bays are provided. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and accessories, including docking stations, adapters, input devices, cases, and more for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, cases, security products, and more for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Which SD Card storage solution is best for the Retina Display MacBook Pro? Which models are compatible? Is this type of storage safe? |
Incl. Keyboard: | Full-size | Incl. Input: | Trackpad (Inertial) |
Details: | Apple reports that the integrated keyboard has '78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted 'T' arrangement) with ambient light sensor.' The multi-touch trackpad supports 'inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities.' |
Case Type: | Notebook | Form Factor: | 13' MacBook Pro (Late 2013) |
Details: | This MacBook Pro uses a thin black and silver 'unibody' case design milled from a single piece of aluminum with a 'catchless' magnetic latch. |
Apple Order No: | ME864LL/A* | Apple Subfamily: | Retina Late 2013 13' |
Details: | *There are two versions of this model. ME864LL/A is configured with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash storage and ME865LL/A is configured with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage. |
Apple Model No: | A1502 (EMC 2678) | Model ID: | MacBookPro11,1 |
Details: | Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. Also see: All Macs with the A1502 Model Number, the 2678 EMC Number, and the MacBookPro11,1 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
Details: | Apple reports that this model has a '71.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery' that provides 'up to 9 hours of wireless web' use. It cannot be upgraded by an end-user. Also see: How do you replace the battery in the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it possible? |
Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.9 (13A2093) | Maximum MacOS: | Current* |
Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.9 'Mavericks' and OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' as well as OS X 10.11 'El Capitan.' It is fully supported by the last version of macOS Sierra (10.12) and macOS High Sierra (10.13), also. Running macOS High Sierra (10.13), it supports HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), but it does not support hardware accelerated HEVC. This model is compatible with the current macOS Mojave (10.14) and forthcoming macOS Catalina (10.15), as well. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15)? What are the system requirements? What are the major new features? Has anything been removed from previous versions of the macOS? |
Minimum Windows: | 7 (64-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 10 (64-Bit)* |
Details: | *Apple's Boot Camp 5 supports the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Boot Camp 6 supports the 64-bit version of Window 10. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported. |
MacOS 9 Support: | None | Windows Support: | Boot/Virtualization |
Details: | Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
Dimensions: | 0.71 x 12.35 x 8.62 | Avg. Weight: | 3.46 lbs (1.57 kg) |
Details: | In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (1.8 cm, 31.4 cm, 21.9 cm). |
Original Price (US): | US$1299, US$1499* | Est. Current Retail: | US$750-US$900 |
Details: | *This MacBook Pro was offered with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash storage (ME864LL/A) for US$1299 and 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage for US$1499 (ME865LL/A). Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. |
Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.
Video (Monitor): | 2 (Thunderbolt 2), 1 (HDMI) | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
Details: | This model has two Thunderbolt 2 ports as well as an HDMI port. Also see: How many external displays can the Retina Display MacBook Pro models support? What is the maximum supported resolution of each? Are adapters required? |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | Two USB 3.0 ports (up to 5 Gbps). It does not have a Firewire port although an Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter is available. |
Details: | No internal modem or Ethernet, although an Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter is available. 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are standard. |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | Dual internal microphones on the left hand side of the notebook. Has a single headphone jack that also supports audio line out (digital/analog) and the Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone. |
Details: | Has a single headphone jack that also supports audio line out (digital/analog). |
Details: | N/A |
Details: | 100V-240V AC, 60W 'MagSafe 2' power adapter. |
Global original prices for the MacBook Pro 'Core i5' 2.4 13' Late 2013 in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
Mexico: | MXN $21,899, $24,999 | United States: | US$1299, US$1499* |
Original Prices - Europe
Denmark: | DKK 10,099, 11,599 | Finland: | €1349, €1549 |
Ireland: | €1349, €1549 | Italy: | €1329, €1529 |
Luxembourg: | €1263,10, 1453,19 | Netherlands: | €1329, €1529 |
Spain: | €1329, €1529 | Sweden: | SEK 11.995, 13.995 |
Switzerland: | CHF 1'499, 1'699 | United Kingdom: | £1099, £1249 |
Original Prices - Asia
China: | RMB 9,288, 10,788 | Hong Kong: | HK$9,988, HK$11,488 |
India: | Rs 99,900, 114,900 | Indonesia: | Rp 16,499,000, 18,999,000 |
Japan: | ¥134,800, ¥154,800 | Korea: | KRW 1,690,000, 1,990,000 |
Malaysia: | RM 4,199, 4,899 | The Philippines: | PHP 67,990, 77,990 |
Singapore: | S$1,788, S$2,088 | Taiwan: | NT$42,900, NT$49,900 |
Thailand: | THB 43,900, 49,900 | Vietnam: | VND 29,999,000, 34,999,000 |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
Australia: | A$1599, A$1849 | New Zealand: | NZ$1999, NZ$2299 |
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the MacBook Pro models follow.
Permalink | E-mail a Friend | Bookmark & Share | Report an Error/Typo
Suggest an Addition | Sign Up for Bimonthly Site Update Notices
<< MacBook Pro (Home) | Also see: MacBook Pro FAQ
EveryMac.com is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind whatsoever. EveryMac.com, and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright information please read and understand the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy before using EveryMac.com. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.
![](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125791674/820724819.png)