Apple Silently Changed The Design Of The M3 Max Chip Which Could Have A Huge Impact On The M3 Ultra Chip

Apple Silicon has made significant progress, with the introduction of multiple versions of its M-series chips to power both Macs and iPads. In the previous year, the company released the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, showcasing enhanced computational and graphical capabilities compared to the M2 series. Recent reports suggest that the M3 Max is a standalone chip consisting of a single die rather than the combined two dies, potentially leading to a greater impact on the performance of the upcoming M3 Ultra chip.

The Evolution of the M3 Ultra Chip: From UltraFusion to Standalone

The theory was sparked by a post from @techanalye1 that was cited by Vadim Yuryev from the YouTube channel Max Tech, which highlighted the absence of an UltraFusion interconnect in the M3 Max chip.
Yuryev also mentioned that the upcoming M3 Ultra chip will not consist of two M3 Max chips in one package, as previously speculated. If this information is accurate, it means that

Previously, Apple has not utilized a similar technology, but if they were to do so, the M3 Ultra chip could potentially function as a standalone chip. In such a scenario, Apple’s transition to a single die could allow for greater flexibility in customizing the chip, such as implementing an all-performance core architecture rather than a combination of performance and efficiency cores. Additionally, the chip could potentially include additional GPU cores, resulting in improved graphical capabilities. As a result, Apple may choose to eliminate all efficiency cores in future Macs, leading to a larger performance gap compared to the M2 Ultra chip due to the absence of efficiency losses through the UltraFusion interconnect.

Yuryev also predicted that the M3 Ultra chip could potentially feature its own UltraFusion interconnect, potentially doubling its performance. This same approach could also be applied to the rumored M3 Extreme chip, which has yet to be released. In contrast, utilizing two M3 Ultra chips with UltraFusion interconnect could potentially outperform four M3 Max dies. Additionally, this could potentially enable a more unified memory system within the chip.

Please note that these are only speculations at this point, as the final decision lies with Apple and there is limited information available about the upcoming M3 Ultra chip. Previous rumors have suggested that the chip will be based on TSMC’s N3E node. The release of the new M3 Ultra-powered Mac Studio is yet to be confirmed, but initial speculations have suggested a mid-2024 launch. If past rumors hold true, the company may announce the new machines at its WWDC 2024 event. What are your predictions for the performance of the M3 Ultra chip? Share your thoughts in the comments.