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With the new Mac Pro recently released I can't help but be intrigued. The thing that stands out the most for me is the hardware options the Mac Pro has.

I have a few questions about running Windows on the new Mac Pro.

  1. Would it be possible to just install Windows 10 onto the hardware, by completely removing OSX? I.E. would windows be compatible with the motherboard, CPU, RAM, etc? I would think the answer is yes, but maybe there are BIOS settings or limitations.
  2. Would running Windows with Bootcamp allow the computer to take advantage of the hardware on the Mac Pro? Eg, to play games, edit videos, etc.
  3. Is there any benefit in getting a Mac Pro if one is simply going to install Windows on the machine? The box is designed with cooling and aesthetics, and it's easier than building a custom rig.

I know these sorts of questions come up often, but I couldn't find any information regarding only the hardware. Most comments on this topic involve Bootcamp and various ways to run windows on OSX.

I'm mostly curious to know if one could buy a Mac Pro and be able to benefit from Mac's great hardware as well as have all the benefits of using Windows, which for me are mostly playing games and software development using .NET (4, not core).

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  • I think that the best use for Windows on the new Mac Pro is as a supporting argument when you try to persuade your IT support department to buy one for you. But, you will be able to argue, it CAN run Windows !
    – High Performance Mark
    Dec 13, 2019 at 13:32

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There is very little difference between running Windows 10 on a PC and a Mac. The Boot Camp Assistant that comes with macOS is just a utility that simplifies the installing Windows in dual boot arrangement.

The Boot Camp Assistant also allows the user to download the drivers needed to install Windows as the only operating system on the Mac. However, Apple offers no other assistance in doing so.

There has been issues in the past were Apple has released a new Mac before the Windows drivers (Windows Support Software) was available. So you probably want to ask about running Windows before purchasing the latest Mac models.

So the answer to your questions:

Question 1: Yes, but you need macOS to first download the Windows Support Software.

Question 2: Yes, the Windows Support Software provides all the drivers need to run all the hardware included on a Mac.

Question 3: Most likely there are other PC manufacturers that provide the same hardware at a lower cost. A lot of what you pay for when purchasing a Apple goes to support macOS. Apple provides little or no support for Windows. (Other than providing the Windows Support Software and the Boot Camp Assistant.)

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  • Note that Apple has not at this time released any Boot Camp drivers for the new MacPro 2019. So installing Windows 10 in BootCamp on that Mac may not work well or at all.
    – Steve Chambers
    Dec 13, 2019 at 18:53

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