Apple is testing an M3 chipset with a 12-core processor and 18-core GPU.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that a source sent him App Store developer logs that show the chip running in an unannounced MacBook Pro running macOS 14.
The reporter speculates that the M3 variant that Apple is testing is the base version of the M3 Pro that the company plans to release sometime next year. In particular, the Mac series with M3 SoCs is expected to take advantage of TSMC’s upcoming 3nm manufacturing process.
The transition from 5nm to 3nm seems to explain the increase in the density of cores which naturally leads to an increase in performance without – theoretically – more consumption. The M1 Pro and M2 Pro chipsets feature eight- and 10-core processors, along with 14- and 16-core GPUs. In other words, the M3 Pro reportedly has 50% more CPU cores than its first-generation predecessor.
According to Gurman, Apple has gone for isomeric distribution between high-performance cores and efficiency cores in the new chipset. The publication also mentions that the M3 chipset was spotted configured with 36GB of RAM. FYI, the M2 Pro is available in systems with 16GB of memory, and users can get a version with up to 32GB of RAM. Of course, before Apple can announce the M3 Pro, it must first release the base M3 chipset.
My belief is that the first Macs with M3 SoCs will start arriving towards the end of the year or early next year,” notes Gurman. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to announce its newest Mac, the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air, at WWDC 2023 next month which will incorporate an SoC belonging to the M2 family.
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