Apple Afterburner Accelerator Card, PCIe x16

The Apple Afterburner accelerator card for the 2019 Mac Pro is a hardware expansion for professional video editing. It offloads ProRes and ProRes RAW decoding from the CPU to improve system responsiveness. The card handles multiple high-resolution video streams simultaneously, preventing dropped frames. By processing these codecs, the hardware frees up CPU capacity, allowing editors to dedicate more power to real-time effects and complex colour grading.

Installation requires an available full-length expansion slot on the workstation’s logic board. The card is compatible only with the 2019 Mac Pro. Weighing 2930 g, it is a significant internal component. Using the card removes the need for proxy files, allowing post-production teams to work with native assets in supported applications. The hardware handles decoding alongside the system’s existing graphics processors.

• Playback of up to 6 simultaneous 8K ProRes RAW streams.
• Playback of up to 23 simultaneous 4K ProRes RAW streams.
• High-bandwidth PCI Express x16 host interface for internal installation.
• Hardware acceleration for ProRes and ProRes RAW formats.
• Internal expansion card format for professional workstation environments.