Apple’s About to Announce M3 Pro, M3 Max, M3 Ultra Systems: Report

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Configs of Apple’s new Macs (up to 32 cores and 80 GPU clusters) seemingly leak ahead of launch.

Apple M2 Ultra in a Mac Pro
Apple M2 Ultra in a Mac Pro (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Apple is poised to refresh its Mac lineup in an upcoming online-only event called 'Scary Fast,' with a focus on introducing new MacBook Pros and iMacs equipped with the latest M3-series processors, reports Bloomberg. The 'Scary Fast' description of the event might indicate that we will be dealing with high-performance M3 Pro and M3 Max processors produced on one of TSMC's N3 process technologies.

In the spotlight are the anticipated MacBook Pros, which are set to undergo significant internal enhancements. These new models are projected to house the advanced M3 Pro and M3 Max processors, marking a rather substantial leap from the previous M2-series. The processors have undergone a rigorous upgrade and gained both general-purpose cores and graphics clusters, as shown in the table.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
nullM3 UltraM2 UltraM3 MaxM2 MaxM3 ProM2 ProM3M2
CPU Top24P + 8E | 32C16P + 8E | 24C12P + 4E | 16C8P + 4E | 12C8P + 6E | 14C 8P + 4E | 12C4P + 4E | 8C4P + 4E | 8C
CPU Base----6P + 6E | 12C6P + 4E | 10C-
GPU Top80 clusters76 clusters40 clusters38 clusters20 clusters16 clusters10 clusters10 clusters
GPU Base64 clusters60 clusters32 clusters30 clusters18 clusters19 clusters-8 clusters

The iMac is also reportedly slated for an update, marking its first in over 900 days. While the external design is expected to retain its current aesthetics, the internals will see a revamp. The new models are predicted to feature Apple's M3 chip, coupled with improved GPU configurations and a transition to USB-C connectors, signifying a modernization of the iMac’s architecture.

Notably, according to the Bloomberg report, the event holds additional significance as it aligns with the recovery of the personal computing market from the post-pandemic-induced slump. 

Apple's unveiling is also timed to capitalize on the holiday season, a critical period for boosting sales. The company aims to leverage its new offerings to boost sales after declining sales in previous quarters. The refreshed Mac lineup could play a crucial role in driving a resurgence in Apple's Mac revenue streams, supporting its generally high financial performance driven by iPhones.

In addition to the seemingly imminent unveilings, Apple is reported to have a pipeline of future releases, including new MacBook Airs and updated iPads. However, these products are earmarked for launch in subsequent events, extending into 2024 and beyond, indicating a sustained strategy of innovation and product enhancement in Apple's roadmap, according to Bloomberg.

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Anton Shilov
Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hotaru251
    I do question if apples stuff scales well like zen did.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    hotaru251 said:
    I do question if apples stuff scales well like zen did.
    Well, the benchmarks I've seen don't suggest otherwise.

    For me, the key question is whether they'll finally embrace ARMv9-A. That will mean Macs finally get SVE2, and it'll be interesting to see how that compares vs. AVX-512.
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    Apples bringing 32 Cores to consumers, more reason for AMD & Intel to start offering those for High End Consumer CPU tiers ^_-
    Reply
  • HideOut
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    Apples bringing 32 Cores to consumers, more reason for AMD & Intel to start offering those for High End Consumer CPU tiers ^_-
    You mean like the 96C/192 thread Threadripper pro?
    Reply
  • bit_user
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    Apples bringing 32 Cores to consumers, more reason for AMD & Intel to start offering those for High End Consumer CPU tiers ^_-
    Don't gloss over the details!

    Let's take memory bandwidth. The M1 & M2 Ultra both scale up to 1024-bit memory, or the equivalent of 16 DIMMs @ 1 DIMM per channel. Of course, this is combined bandwidth for both the CPU & GPU, but it's inline with AMD's prior comments about memory being a bottleneck to adding more cores in their desktop platform.

    Another key point is price. You picked on the M3 Ultra, so let's look at the cheapest Mac you can currently put a M2 Ultra in. That's the Mac Studio, with a base price of $4k. As the article shows, a M2 Ultra goes up to 24 cores (16 P + 8 E). The base spec has 64 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD.

    So, let's spec out a 24-core x86 machine, shall we? These are Newegg prices (sold by newegg):
    Xeon W7-2495X ($2130)
    ASUS Pro WS W790-ACE ($886)
    4x Crucial 16 GB ECC RDIMM (4x $84 = $336)
    1 TB Samsung 990 Pro ($85)
    RTX 4070 ($530)So, the total comes to $3667. Okay, so I ran out of money before the case, PSU, and OS. However, as soon as you add basically any option to the Mac Studio, you can be assured its price will shoot up. Alternately, we could save a lot by going with the 20-core Xeon W7-2475X ($1750), which is probably still not a bad match against Apple's 16 P + 8 E cores.

    The point is that the M3 Ultra is meant as a workstation-grade option. They do not sell it in laptops or Mac Minis. Understand what you're comparing against.

    P.S. I don't mean to pick on Intel, here. I'd welcome someone else to price out a 24-core ThreadRipper system.
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    bit_user said:
    Don't gloss over the details!

    Let's take memory bandwidth. The M1 & M2 Ultra both scale up to 1024-bit memory, or the equivalent of 16 DIMMs @ 1 DIMM per channel. Of course, this is combined bandwidth for both the CPU & GPU, but it's inline with AMD's prior comments about memory being a bottleneck to adding more cores in their desktop platform.

    Another key point is price. You picked on the M3 Ultra, so let's look at the cheapest Mac you can currently put a M2 Ultra in. That's the Mac Studio, with a base price of $4k. As the article shows, a M2 Ultra goes up to 24 cores (16 P + 8 E). The base spec has 64 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD.

    So, let's spec out a 24-core x86 machine, shall we? These are Newegg prices (sold by newegg):
    Xeon W7-2495X ($2130)
    ASUS Pro WS W790-ACE ($886)
    4x Crucial 16 GB ECC RDIMM (4x $84 = $336)
    1 TB Samsung 990 Pro ($85)
    RTX 4070 ($530)So, the total comes to $3667. Okay, so I ran out of money before the case, PSU, and OS. However, as soon as you add basically any option to the Mac Studio, you can be assured its price will shoot up. Alternately, we could save a lot by going with the 20-core Xeon W7-2475X ($1750), which is probably still not a bad match against Apple's 16 P + 8 E cores.

    The point is that the M3 Ultra is meant as a workstation-grade option. They do not sell it in laptops or Mac Minis. Understand what you're comparing against.

    P.S. I don't mean to pick on Intel, here. I'd welcome someone else to price out a 24-core ThreadRipper system.
    I was thinking more of Ryzen / Intel Core model CPU's with higher Core counts.

    Imagine a Ryzen 7950XCC w/ Dual 16x Core Zen4C CCD's for a total of 32 Zen4C cores.

    Or Intel with 2x options:
    - 14E900K Pure 40x E-Cores ONLY CPU
    - 14P900K Pure 14x P-Cores ONLY CPU

    Something to whet the High End Consumer's home DeskTop option.

    A CPU good enough to be your "Personal Home Server".
    Reply
  • bit_user
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    I was thinking more of Ryzen / Intel Core model CPU's with higher Core counts.

    Imagine a Ryzen 7950XCC w/ Dual 16x Core Zen4C CCD's for a total of 32 Zen4C cores.
    I know what you want, but you can't use Apple's workstation solution to argue what Intel & AMD should be doing with their desktop CPUs.

    AMD and Intel already have workstation solutions comparable to (or better than) Apple's.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    bit_user said:
    Well, the benchmarks I've seen don't suggest otherwise.

    For me, the key question is whether they'll finally embrace ARMv9-A. That will mean Macs finally get SVE2, and it'll be interesting to see how that compares vs. AVX-512.
    I'd be happy if there were architectural changes this go around and hope the A17 isn't an indication of the M3. If it is were bound to see similar uplift as the M2 was but with more core configuration differences.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    thestryker said:
    I'd be happy if there were architectural changes this go around and hope the A17 isn't an indication of the M3. If it is were bound to see similar uplift as the M2 was but with more core configuration differences.
    Eh, the M1 and M2 were both made on TSMC N5. The M3 will use TSMC N3 (or possibly N3E), so I'd expect a bigger improvement, even without substantial architectural changes.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    bit_user said:
    Eh, the M1 and M2 were both made on TSMC N5. The M3 will use TSMC N3 (or possibly N3E), so I'd expect a bigger improvement, even without substantial architectural changes.
    I was thinking N3 might be responsible for the increased core counts (assuming same power envelope at each tier).
    Reply