We've been expecting a Mac Pro update sometime in 2010. We've even asked About: Mac readers what features they would like to see in a new Mac Pro.
Courtesy of Apple
One of the early rumors predicted a 6-core processor. Rumors are now focusing on the Intel Core i9 and a possible Mac Pro update. The Intel Core i9 processor, which contains 6 CPU cores, is expected to be released in early 2010.
PC Labs has already performed benchmark tests on the i9 and is reporting a nearly 50% increase in some tests over the Core i7 that is currently in production, and available as an option for the 27-inch iMac. That increase may well indicate a near linear performance boost going from the Core i7, which has 4 processors, to the Core i9, which has 6.
If history is any guide, we may see Apple offer the Core i9 in a new Mac Pro sometime in the first half of 2010. And with two of these processor beasts inside, the professional desktop Mac may need a new, more powerful name to go along with its new processor cores.