Meet Apple’s M3 Chipset: A 12-Core CPU and 18-Core GPU Monster
According to various news outlets, like Bloomberg, Apple is currently testing its latest chipset, the M3. The new chipset, it is claimed, will come with a mighty 12-core processor and 18-core graphical processing unit (GPU). Bloomberg claims they came across this information from the reporter’s receipt of an App Store developer log showing the chip running on an unannounced MacBook Pro with macOS 14.
If true, Bloomberg speculates that the new M3 chip is likely the base-level M3 Pro that Apple plans to release sometime in 2024. This is interesting as Apple is about to introduce its new M2 Macs. Apple’s latest silicon technology, the M2 chip, boasts improved speed and power efficiency compared to its predecessor, the M1 chip.
The 8-core CPU offers increased processing power, enabling faster task completion. The 10-core GPU is ideal for creating stunning images and animations. Moreover, users can work with multiple 4K and 8K ProRes video streams thanks to the powerful media engine. The cherry on top, according to Apple, is the impressive battery life of up to 18 hours, allowing users to work or play uninterrupted throughout the day.
The M3 series is anticipated to benefit from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC’s) upcoming 3nm node process. The decrease in core density would be caused by the switch from 5nm to 3nm. Recall that the M1 Pro and M2 Pro have 14 and 16-core GPUs and eight and 10-core processors.
In other words, the M3 Pro is said to have 50 percent more CPU cores than its first-generation forerunner. Bloomberg also claims that Apple chose to have an equal number of high-performance and efficient cores on the new silicon. He claims that the chip was discovered with 36 GB of RAM installed. To put things in perspective, the M2 Pro comes standard with 16 GB of memory, but you can upgrade it to 32 GB.
Naturally, Apple must release the M3 processor in its standard form before announcing the M3 Pro. According to Bloomberg‘s report, “the first Macs with M3 chips will start showing up toward the end of the year or early next year.” The long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air is anticipated to be unveiled by Apple at WWDC 2023 in the interim.