Is there any forecast about a CUDA driver that can fully exploit the potential of the Apple MacBook M2 GPU?

mauro.zigliotto - 2024-05-28T18:12:11+00:00

Question: Is there any forecast about a CUDA driver that can fully exploit the potential of the Apple MacBook M2 GPU?

I have a MacBook Pro M2 Max with an Nvidia GeForce® RTX™ 4070 GPU running macOS Sonoma 14.5. Matlab 2024a states that 'GPU acceleration with Parallel Computing Toolbox is not supported on macOS.' When do you foresee a step beyond this limitation?

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Expert Answer

Prashant Kumar answered . 2025-11-20

As of now, there is no official CUDA driver specifically designed for the Apple MacBook M2 GPU. Let me provide some context:

1. Apple’s Custom GPU Architecture:

   • The M1 and M2 chips in Apple’s MacBook lineup use custom-designed GPUs based on Apple’s specific needs.
   • These GPUs are not directly compatible with NVIDIA’s CUDA framework, which traditionally powers GPU acceleration for machine learning workloads¹.

2. Metal Library for GPU Support:

   • Apple provides its own Metal library, which offers low-level APIs for enabling frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and JAX to utilize the built-in GPUs on M1 and M2 chips.
   • While older Apple computers with dedicated GPUs (such as AMD chips) are not directly compatible with NVIDIA’s CUDA, the Metal library allows developers to harness the GPU’s capabilities¹.

3. Recent Developments:

   • PyTorch recently announced plans to add GPU support for ARM-based Mac processors (including M1 and M2).
   • This means that in the near future, we may see better utilization of the M2 GPU for deep learning tasks using PyTorch².

4. Current Limitations:

   • As of now, if you’re specifically looking for CUDA compatibility, it’s important to note that macOS does not officially support CUDA.
   • For deep learning tasks, consider using Metal-accelerated libraries and frameworks like TensorFlow with Metal support¹.

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