Apple's M3 Ultra Chip May Boast 32 CPU Cores Alongside GPU Boost

Apple is readying the next generation of its in-house M3 series silicon and is expected to introduce it later this year. At the summit of this line-up is the M3 Ultra, but according to Bloomberg, it may not be a massive upgrade over its predecessor in the graphics department. The report claims that the M3 Ultra will come in two configurations. The base, as well as the peak versions, will both reportedly offer a cluster of 32 CPU cores, of which 24 are performance cores and eight are efficiency cores to handle less demanding tasks.

The M2 Ultra, for comparison, has 24 CPU cores, while the M1 Ultra has 20 CPU cores. That's quite a massive jump in the processing power for Apple's next flagship desktop processor, which will most likely appear in the upcoming Mac Studio and Mac Pro machines. Another major upgrade is the inherent fabrication tech employed to make these chips.

The M3 generation will be based on TSMC's 3nm node, which means higher energy efficiency and more firepower. However, the Bloomberg report claims that the first Mac machines with the M3 Ultra processor will arrive next year by the earliest estimates. The M3 Ultra's CPU upgrade is impressive, at least on paper, but it appears that the graphics department will only see a modest upgrade.

The base M3 Ultra configuration will reportedly feature 64 GPU cores, while the top-end version will peak at 80 graphics cores. For comparison, the M2 Ultra's top-tier variant offers 76 GPU cores, while the M1 Ultra goes up to 64 graphics cores. While the numerical figures may sound underwhelming, Apple has managed to set multiple performance benchmarks against the competition. It is, however, unclear if the shift to M3 series silicon will also come with a boost in the peak unified memory capacity and bandwidth, which currently sits at 192 GB and 800 GB/s, respectively, on the M2 Ultra.

In addition to the M3 Ultra, Apple is also said to be testing Macs with the vanilla M3 silicon, as well as its Pro and Max variants. The first batch of Macs with the M3 silicon will reportedly arrive later this year and will make its way to the refreshed MacBook Air and the iMac.

The next-gen 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which are expected to arrive next year, will likely embrace the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. The Mac mini may aim for an M3 Pro version, while the Mac Studio might start at the M3 Max silicon, reports Bloomberg. Interestingly, Apple is also said to be testing a new iMac, but it's unclear if it's an upgrade to the M1-powered 24-inch iMac or the rumored 32-inch Pro upgrade.