Why Apple and NVIDIA Don’t Work Together

Apple and NVIDIA represent two of the biggest tech firms in the world. While both companies have perhaps made landmark contributions to the history of computing, their relationship hasn’t been the smoothest over recent years. For many users, the question lingering in their minds would be: Why doesn’t Apple play ball with NVIDIA? The answer actually involves a history, strategy, and business goals for the long term. Let us go into the reasons behind their constant bickering and the implications for the consumers.

1. Problems with Compatibility

NVIDIA and Apple had a close and longstanding working relationship. Older Macs and MacBook computers had NVIDIA GPUs installed on them. In the late 2000s, issues began to arise. Apple accused NVIDIA of making defective GPUs. Some MacBook computers experienced hardware failures. Many of Apple’s key products were involved in this conflict. Nvidia did concede to having a defect or two over the years, but animosity really started to escalate after that.

By that time, Apple had adopted a much more controlling attitude toward its ecosystem, and NVIDIA’s decidedly independent and somewhat competitive stance simply did not mesh with what Apple was trying to accomplish. More so, Apple had begun courting AMD before going even further to develop graphics in-house.

2. Diverse Business Philosophies

Apple stands for fully controlled hardware-software integration, which translates into elegant, optimized machines functioning in perfect harmony. NVIDIA, however, builds extremely powerful yet flexible GPUs to work on the widest array of platforms. This would pit an open-ended support for drivers and frequent updates against Apple’s tightly closed gardens.

Apple wanted to ensure long-term cooperation with predictable updates, while NVIDIA wanted to innovate quickly. This is how Apple began to lean toward AMD, and eventually its Apple Silicon chips, which integrated GPU solutions.

3. Metal API vs. CUDA: A Technical Divide

The other divide is purely the software. Apple has its graphics API, Metal, while NVIDIA has long supported CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture). These two systems are cross-wise to each other. CUDA is basically closed source proprietary and is an essential tool for AI, ML, and 3D rendering, so Apple would need to rely on NVIDIA’s ecosystem, which is something that it clearly avoids.

Apple also would want developers to optimize applications for macOS and iOS using Metal. CUDA support would elevate NVIDIA’s position in the software stack. From a viewpoint of competitive entrepreneurship, it simply makes more sense for Apple to eliminate NVIDIA.

4. Apple’s Shift Toward Apple Hardware

With the addition of Apple Silicon beginning with the M1 chip, Apple has made a big leap away from third-party external GPU vendors. The M-series chips deliver integrated GPU and CPU functionality on one chip, producing better performance at the same power efficiency. As a result, none of Apple’s products have space for a discrete NVIDIA GPU.

These in-house chips also enable better performance optimizations for macOS along with better battery life, both of which Apple seems to prioritize as opposed to just GPU muscle. Thus, for Apple’s current and future hardware plans, NVIDIA’s role becomes increasingly irrelevant.

5. The Effect for Users and Programmers

This rivalry affects users the most, especially developers and creatives. Using any GPU-intensive application on a Mac often limits compatibility or reduces performance without an NVIDIA card for the users. AMD GPUs and Apple Silicon are promising but still pale in key aspects such as CUDA-based workflows (e.g. Blender, DaVinci Resolve, AI training).

In addition, professionals who demand NVIDIA’s best RTX are often said to be choosing Windows or building custom Linux setups. Solutions do exist (such as through external GPUs and server rendering), but they aren’t usually terribly straightforward.

Conclusion

The Apple-NVIDIA sabbatical is all about control, priorities and rival software visions. Apple wants a completely integrated, closed system; NVIDIA wants its business to thrive in open, cross-platform environments. This makes a true collaboration impossible at this point-in-time.

In other words, if you’re a Mac user who yearns for first class support of NVIDIA soon, don’t hold your breaths. In the meantime, on the other side, Apple continues to spend mega bucks on Apple Silicon as well as NVIDIA’s capture of the GPU territory on other platforms.