Photos of Claimed New 15-Inch MacBook Pro Logic Board Show NVIDIA GT 650M, Retained Layout

M.I.C. gadget points to a pair of posts from Chinese forum WeiPhone.com showing portions of what is claimed to be the logic board and graphic hardware from the next-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro set to be introduced tomorrow.

2012 mbp logic 650m
New MacBook Pro logic board with NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (left) and current MacBook Pro logic board (right)

The images show an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics chip and 1 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, which many have expected would make an appearance in the new MacBook Pro. Interestingly, the posters have also compared the leaked photos with the logic board of the current MacBook Pro, finding the layouts to be nearly identical all the way down to the screw holes on the board.

2012 mbp logic ddr
New MacBook Pro logic board with 1 GB GDDR5 graphic memory (left) and current MacBook Pro logic board (right)

One of the reports also claims that the new 15-inch MacBook Pro will arrive with 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz chip options on stock models, with a 2.7 GHz chip available as a high-end custom configuration. The exact chips to be offered are not detailed by the poster, but some attempts at matching up to Intel's Ivy Bridge offerings can be made.

At the 2.3 GHz level, Apple would have its choice of the Core i7-3610QM or Core i7-3615QM. For a 2.5 GHz chip, the only appropriate Ivy Bridge processor currently available is a dual-core Core i5-3210M, which would actually be the low-end chip. And at the high end, Apple would apparently be offering the Core i7-3820QM as had been seen in benchmarks that appeared last month.

Apple has been widely rumored to be introducing a redesign MacBook Pro with a Retina display and a thinner profile. But if the leaked photos are genuine they may indicate that no redesign of the body is forthcoming, as Apple would be expected to make significant changes to the logic board to accommodate rearranged internals in a thinner enclosure.

An alternative explanation relates to claims put forth late last week by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who indicated that a thinner, Retina-capable Mac notebook would appear as a third member of the MacBook family with Apple continuing to offer the existing MacBook Pro alongside the new model for the time being. In that case, these leaked photos could represent the updated version of the current MacBook Pro with the new notebook still remaining under wraps.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

macnchiefs Avatar
175 months ago
Apple has successfully confused the rumor mill to the point that no one really has any clue what is going to happen.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xscapes Avatar
175 months ago
We will find out in 12 hours.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tiki35 Avatar
175 months ago
Well, at least we can use the razor sharp front edge of our current Macbook Pro's to slit our wrists if there is no fricken' redesign.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dyspareunia Avatar
175 months ago
650M??

BOGUS !!

The 680M is like 800% better.

Give us an option for the love !!!!!!!!
As much as I would love a 680M, Apple has never equipped, to my knowledge, any of their notebooks with top of the line graphics cards. In create-to-order gaming notebooks, the 680M is a $400-500 upgrade by itself! Imagine the apple tax on that! Other issues would be power consumption and heat. You'd have to rename it the Meltbook Pro!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swb1192 Avatar
175 months ago
"Apple has been widely rumored to be introducing a redesign MacBook Pro with a Retina display and a thinner profile. But if the leaked photos are genuine they may indicate that no redesign of the body is forthcoming, as Apple would be expected to make significant changes to the logic board to accommodate rearranged internals in a thinner enclosure. "

No no no! Don't let it be true!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Comeagain? Avatar
175 months ago
It's so...logical...

;)
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)