Apple’s M3 chip: What you need to know

Image: MacRumors

Apple is working on new versions of the M3 chip, which will power the next generation of Macs, Bloomberg reports. The M3 chip will reportedly have more CPU and GPU cores than the M2 chip, which debuted in January. The first Macs with the M3 chip could launch as soon as October, according to the report.

The M3 chip will supposedly come in three variants: the base M3, the M3 Pro, and the M3 Max. The base M3 will have the same configuration as the M2: eight CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores. The M3 Pro will have 12 CPU cores and 18 GPU cores, while the M3 Max will have 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores. These numbers are based on test logs obtained by Bloomberg, and they may change before the final release.

The M3 processor will also reportedly use a new manufacturing process from TSMC, which will shrink the size of the transistors from five nanometers to three nanometers. This will improve the performance and efficiency of the chip, as well as reduce its power consumption and heat generation. Apple is expected to use the same 3-nanometer process for the A17 chip in the iPhone 15 series, which will launch next year.

Apple is supposedly planning to update its entire Mac lineup with the M3 chip within the next 12 months. The company is testing new iMacs, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and Mac minis with the M3 chip. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are likely to arrive in 2024.

Apple aims to release new Macs this fall, after a slowdown in sales following a pandemic-driven surge. The company hinted at an October product launch during its earnings call last week, so we could see this new processor then.

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