New Apple Silicon has arrived with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips

AppleInsider

During its Monday night event, Apple announced the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max, boasting up to 80% faster performance over the initial M1 chip.

M3 family of chips.

The new chipsets bring industry firsts in GPU dynamic caching, allowing the system to reserve resources for when they're needed most. This new technology will provide a consistently stable experience, even during the most resource-heavy projects.

Also included in the new set of features is the mesh shading, which allows for advanced geometry processing capable of rendering complex scenes. This mesh shading points toward a heavy investment in gaming technology, especially when paired with the introduction of ray tracing for the first time in Mac hardware.

Ray tracing allows for life-like lighting and compliments 3D rendering, which now takes place even faster with the new M3 lineup. The performance upgrade is supposed to be 30% faster than the M1 chip and boasts 50% faster efficiency cores when compared to the first-generation Apple chip.

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The performance doesn't come at a power cost, either, with Apple announcing the M3 CPU performance using half the power versus the M1 chip and upwards of 1/5 the power of Intel counterparts.

The M3 chip brings an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU to the table. Likewise, the M3 Pro has a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU, while the Max features a massive 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU supporting up to 128GB of Unified Memory.

Comparing the M3 chipset sizes.

While the M3 and M3 Pro chips will be available next week, the M3 Max chips won't hit the scene until later in November. The M3 lineup will be available for the 14-inch MacBook Pro and freshly updated 24-inch iMac.

A significant boost in performance to lure Intel-based Mac owners

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip will most likely be the most common configuration for most upgrades. This setup will run Adobe Photoshop at 40% faster speeds compared to the MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip.

M3 chipset boasts healthy performance upgrades.

On the extreme end of the spectrum, the M3 Max chip promises to make the most intense workflows smoother and more manageable. Apple says that dynamic system simulation in MathWorks MATLAB is 5.5x faster than the most robust Intel-based Macs.

For those who haven't upgraded to the Apple Silicon family, you have a good reason to now, as the M3 Max model is a whopping 11x faster than Intel-based silicon. Plus, the added performance comes with the extra benefit of additional battery life instead of reduced capacity.



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skiwi

“Dynamic cashing” must be a new form of retail therapy….
’
”Dynamic caching” please…..

thadec

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

tht

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

It's Apple's segmentation strategy. Ie, they designed it that way. If you want a device that can drive two external displays, get an M Pro model or higher.

Lower end Intel and AMD systems already support 2 or more external monitors. Apple's lower-end Intel Macs also supported 2 external monitors. So, the competitors had this feature over Apple Silicon Macs for 3 years now. Will this feature drive people to buy a competitor device rather than buying a more expensive Mac? It's probably a wash, or perhaps not distinguishable. If people want more screen space and have an M1, M2 or M3, there's always the option of a 35" 21:9 or a 40" 4K or a 32" 4K.

22july2013

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

Would you also object to Qualcomm or Nvidia offering less than Apple Silicon in some respect? You want every company to offer the same thing? Why don't you like choice?

AppleZulu

designr said:

Interesting that they kept comparing performance to the M1—as if the M2 didn't exist.

I mean I get it. Just funny. You gotta pat close attention to what (and how) Apple presents. They are very clever.

Apple doesn’t market current year devices as replacements of prior year devices. They really don’t even market them as replacements for two-year old devices, but the M1 is the first in the series, so it offers a good benchmark. Besides, they also repeated comparisons to Intel Macs as well. 

joshuachung

Now the M3 Pro memory bandwidth is 150GB/s vs M2 Pro 200GB/s, M3 Max is 300 or 400GB/s vs M2 Max 400GB/s for all favor.

tht

designr said:

Interesting that they kept comparing performance to the M1—as if the M2 didn't exist.

I mean I get it. Just funny. You gotta pat close attention to what (and how) Apple presents. They are very clever.

You are thinking about the horse race between various processors, and want to see technical information on the differences between the current and prior generation.

Apple isn't thinking that whatsoever. Their marketing message, ad copy, is to try to get people with M1 and Intel machines to upgrade. There is a huge installed base of 2016 to 2020 Mac owners who haven't upgraded, and they are telling those users that these machines are 5x, 10x, 20x faster than the models they have.

This is why they always compare to systems 2 generations old, basically 3 year old machines. People with 1 year old machines aren't going to be upgrading.

lowededwookie

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

So these forums are filled with people using M3 Macs are they? That’s quite interesting 🤔 😂😂😂

JohnDinEU

After the SSD was introduced most folks, I reckon 90% of all computer users (laptop, standalone) were happy with what they had. It was quick enough for their daily jobs. It was Apple that changed and keeps changing the game by upgrading its OS and this is the only reason why the 90% of consumers need to buy a new computer. I bought for years and years every year the latest MBP. The last one was in 2018 with a 2 TB internal SSD. It was great and did everything I needed and more. Now it’s super slow as I kept updating the OS. I shouldn’t have. The problem I have with Apple (it’s the only environment I know) is compatibility with iOS and the aura of ‘newer is better’. I reckon that in today’s phone and computer days an upgrade should only be necessary every five to seven years and as such we wouldn’t fall in the trap of consumerism. End of rant. 

danox

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

The chips from Qualcomm, Nvidia and AMD can’t run anything aren’t they vaporware at this point………

jeff fields

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

That's two EXTERNAL 5K displays; i.e., a total of 3. And that's the minimum M3 config. Please do your research for at least five seconds before posting in public about this. Or watch the event. Or do, well, anything to be informed before misleading the entire thread.

jeff fields

tht said:

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

It's Apple's segmentation strategy. Ie, they designed it that way. If you want a device that can drive two external displays, get an M Pro model or higher.

Lower end Intel and AMD systems already support 2 or more external monitors. Apple's lower-end Intel Macs also supported 2 external monitors. So, the competitors had this feature over Apple Silicon Macs for 3 years now. Will this feature drive people to buy a competitor device rather than buying a more expensive Mac? It's probably a wash, or perhaps not distinguishable. If people want more screen space and have an M1, M2 or M3, there's always the option of a 35" 21:9 or a 40" 4K or a 32" 4K.

Please get your facts straight before posting. It's 2 external 5K displays, even on the minimum M3 config. This was quite clear in the event.

jeroenhmg

danox said:

thadec said:

I have seen in forums that the M3 still only supports 2 displays. Meaning that people are going to pay $1600 for an M3 MacBook Pro that can only support a single external monitor. Granted, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook can only support a single external monitor, but that is because it is a $280 device that runs on a 32 bit SOC that was designed in 2017. (Moreover it is technically a tablet and not a laptop.) So can someone please explain this limitation with Apple Silicon's base chips? Whatever it is, you can bet that the Qualcomm chips in 2024 as well as the Nvidia and AMD ARM chips in 2025 aren't going to have them.

The chips from Qualcomm, Nvidia and AMD can’t run anything aren’t they vaporware at this point………

Not to pick on this particular message, there are a few similar ones... doesn't matter that the other ARM-based chips are not available yet, I can buy something cheaper (and subjectively worse in all respects) than an M2 or M3 or even an M1 Mac and that machine can drive more than 1 external monitor. It is a strange limit that feels artificial and we should probably all complain about it! 

It does seem that MacBook Airs in the past also only supported a single external display:
Some old Air spec pages:
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP699?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP753?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP548?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP700?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

What's annoying in the Mx lineups is that the lowest end MacBook Pros only support 1 external display where the previous entry-level Intel-based ones (13" of course) supported up to 2 external displays:
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP795?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP715?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP668?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Side-note: Fun to see what resolutions we put up with in the past...

A Pro model only supporting a single external display is not great, It doesn't matter if Qualcomm or Nvidia will or will not support multiple displays, don't sell a machine as "pro" and support only 1 external monitor, it's just miserly.

jeroenhmg

jeff fields said:

Please get your facts straight before posting. It's 2 external 5K displays, even on the minimum M3 config. This was quite clear in the event.

https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

M3

• Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
• One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz

Same thing for M3 iMac: https://www.apple.com/imac/specs/

The M3 Pro can support 2 and the M3 Max, up to 4.
You have to spend a minimum of $1999 US (+ tax in many states!) for an M3 Pro minimum configuration to get at least 2 external monitor support.

discountopinion

This release of M3 processors is a tour de force and is a clear demonstration of Apple and TMSC teams maturity of execution, collaboration and increased confidence in the process. Extremely extremely encouraging as an Apple fanboi, full spectrum customer and shareholder.

I can’t say how impressed i am about this level of execution and innovation at the same time. Next choke point will be the ramp supply faster to enable even more products to adopt the silicon from day 1. I imagine they go through a Tesla like production hell each ramp. Massive kudos to the team and wish them all success to ramp faster which will drive a portfolio wide upgrade rather than drip drip during the year.

My feeling is that Apple product launch cycles are largely constraints driven rather than concept maturity driven.

The iMac M3 is an absolute steal for the performance at this price point with a nice screen. Likely the best TCO and ergonomics for an office computer for most companies. People working off laptops is a killer health wise with horrific longer term body posture and chronic pain issues. Adding extra cost of screens and external keyboards makes the iMac even more competitive. Would have loved to see a 27 or 32 inch version though.

Apple should really lean in on Corporate fleet deploys of the iMac. Maybe they can call it fleet for Mac. It has a nice sound to it.

entropys

joshuachung said:

Now the M3 Pro memory bandwidth is 150GB/s vs M2 Pro 200GB/s, M3 Max is 300 or 400GB/s vs M2 Max 400GB/s for all favor.

The main interest when benchmarks come out will be M2 Pro vs M3 Pro (well, apart from 13th gen intel). Noting of any increase from M2 Pro to  M3 Pro seemed to be missing a mention in the keynote.

So…

Will the new dynamic caching technology overcome the reduced bandwidth and fewer performance cores in the M3 Pro? Or has Apple tweaked its product line positioning to UPSELL TO THE MAX!

Calamander

discountopinion said:

This release of M3 processors is a tour de force and is a clear demonstration of Apple and TMSC teams maturity of execution, collaboration and increased confidence in the process. Extremely extremely encouraging as an Apple fanboi, full spectrum customer and shareholder.

I can’t say how impressed i am about this level of execution and innovation at the same time. Next choke point will be the ramp supply faster to enable even more products to adopt the silicon from day 1. I imagine they go through a Tesla like production hell each ramp. Massive kudos to the team and wish them all success to ramp faster which will drive a portfolio wide upgrade rather than drip drip during the year.

My feeling is that Apple product launch cycles are largely constraints driven rather than concept maturity driven.

The iMac M3 is an absolute steal for the performance at this price point with a nice screen. Likely the best TCO and ergonomics for an office computer for most companies. People working off laptops is a killer health wise with horrific longer term body posture and chronic pain issues. Adding extra cost of screens and external keyboards makes the iMac even more competitive. Would have loved to see a 27 or 32 inch version though.

Apple should really lean in on Corporate fleet deploys of the iMac. Maybe they can call it fleet for Mac. It has a nice sound to it.

Fanboi!!! 

But... I agree here. This was a blockbuster release, hitting one out of the ballpark. 

I am getting me one of these Max machines, just debating if I can really justify $4,000 on the 16 cores ... I mean... I think I already made up my mind, it might not be the most efficient price/performance option for my workflow, but it is by far the most entertaining.... the most entertaining choice always wins... 

gwmac

I wonder if the reason they don't just update the entire line all at once to the three M3 variants is due to supply constraints or it more related to marketing considerations? Would TSMC even be capable of producing enough M3 chips for the whole line. It seems doubtful since the max won't ship for around a month. 

michelb76

designr said:

Interesting that they kept comparing performance to the M1—as if the M2 didn't exist.

I mean I get it. Just funny. You gotta pat close attention to what (and how) Apple presents. They are very clever.

Indeed, I thought this was kinda sad and very misleading. We're probably going to be seeing mostly 10-15% improvements over the next years, why not be upfront about it.

dk49

designr said:

Interesting that they kept comparing performance to the M1—as if the M2 didn't exist.

I mean I get it. Just funny. You gotta pat close attention to what (and how) Apple presents. They are very clever.

Because it's performance compared to the M2 isn't significantly better. And I suspect that whatever gains they are seeing over M2 is mostly because of 3nm vs 5nm on the M2. Which implies there are no architectural efficiencies in the M3. They basically made an M2 on 3nm fab with some minor tweaks.