Guide to Apple’s M chips: M1, M2, M3, and beyond
The M chip is perhaps Apple’s most important release in the 2020s (so far).
Introduced in November 2020, the M1 chip was the first one designed exclusively for macOS.
Its speed, efficiency, and power have provided a notable boost to the complete Mac experience.
Before the M1 release, Apple used Arm technology in its iOS devices (iPhone and iPad). Arm chips were used in Macs from 2016 to 2020 and are still commonly used in Windows machines.
Still, the M1 chip delivers faster performance and exceptional power efficiency, including a 2X longer battery life.
Following the successful release of M1, Apple unveiled the M2 chip in 2022, the M3 chip in 2023, and the M4 chip this past May.
It’s a safe bet that the M5 chip will be released in 2025. Of course, it’s expected to be faster than all its M series predecessors.
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What are the differences between each M chip version?
There are significant differences among M chip versions, each with generation-over-generation updates and improvements. Let’s take a closer look:
M1 chip
Released in 2020, the first M1 chip integrates the CPU (central processing unit) with the GPU (graphics processing unit) on a single piece of silicon. Consequently, enabling it to perform faster and extend MacBook’s battery life.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, said at the M1 announcement, “There has never been a chip like M; our breakthrough SoC (system on a chip) for the Mac.
It builds on more than a decade of designing industry-leading chips for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and ushers in a whole new era for the Mac.”
The M1 chip is available in MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac models.
M1 Pro
The M1 Pro offers increased performance with more CPU and GPU cores, making it 70 percent faster than the M1.
A PC chip’s peak performance paled compared to M1 Pro’s 1.7x higher CPU performance while using less than 70 percent power.
The M1 Pro chip’s integrated graphics performed 7x faster than the 8-core PC laptop chip with its 16-core CPU.
The M1 Pro is available on MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, iMac, and iPad Pro.
M1 Max
When it launched in the fall of 2021, the M1 Max was the largest chip Apple had ever built.
With a 10-core CPU similar to the M1 Pro, it added an impressive 32-core GPU, making its graphics processing capabilities 4x faster than the original M1.
It performed like the highest-end GPU for the largest PC laptops but required far less power.
The M1 Max allows for faster performance while it generates less heat and uses quiet fans.
The M1 Max is available on MacBook Pro and MacBook Studio models.
M1 Ultra
In the M1 series, M1 Ultra is the M chip on steroids.
It is the UltraFusion packaging of two M1 Max dies, thus creating a powerful system on a chip.
As a result, it produces 2.5 terabytes of bandwidth—four times higher than its competing PC.
Mac M1 Ultra is exclusive to Mac Studio, providing access to apps designed for iPhone and iPad plus universal apps.
M2 chip
Launching the next generation of Apple’s silicon, the M2 is exclusively designed for Macs.
Like its M1 predecessor, it maintained its focus on power and efficiency and delivered a CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine.
The SoC design of M2 has 50 percent more bandwidth than M1, with up to 24GB of fast unified memory, enabling it to handle larger and more complex workloads.
The M2 chip is available on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iPad Pro, and Mac Studio.
M2 Pro
The M2 Pro is available on the Mac Mini and the MacBook Pro.
M2 Max
M2 Max is the answer for users who require heavy media tasks.
The M2 Max was the most powerful chip Apple put in a laptop until the M2 Ultra debuted. It has the power to function in GPU-in-depth tasks and machine-learning applications.
The M2 Max is available on MacBook Pro and Mac Studio.
M2 Ultra
Inspired by its precursor, the M1 Ultra, the M2 Ultra is created from two M2 Max chips with UltraFusion technology.
It offers scaled-up workflows, transcodes, exports video, runs intricate particle simulations, and works within 3D environments.
When the M2 Ultra chip was released in June 2023, it made the new Mac Studio and Mac Pro the most powerful Mac desktops ever released up to that point.
The M2 Ultra is available on Mac Studio and the Mac Pro.
M3 chip
The M3 series was released in the fall of 2023, introducing the first three-nanometer technology.
Apple surprised the industry by releasing the three models all at once, rather than their usual practice of releasing them in waves.
Laura Metz, director of Apple’s Mac product marketing team, stressed how important it was for the M3 series to democratize features and ensure they are accessible to all users while also building their systems for real-life workloads.
The M3 chip series introduced the Apple 3nm (or 3-nanometer), allowing more transistors to be packed into smaller spaces while elevating speed and efficiency.
The devices with M3 chips include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the iMac.
M3 Pro
The M3 pro streamlines workflows for creatives, coders, and researchers. This efficiency was accomplished by making the GPU 40 percent faster than the M1 Pro.
The MacBook Pro comes with the M3 Pro chip.
M3 Max
The M3 Max is designed for users who require complex applications like 3D graphics and video editing due to its architectural improvements to the performance and efficiency cores.
M2 Ultra
Despite the success of its predecessors, the M1 and M2 Ultra, and anticipation for the M3 Ultra, Apple scrapped releasing it. Instead, they skipped over this version and went straight into the M4 chip series.
M4 chip
In May 2024, Apple released the iPad Pro powered by an M4 chip, making it the second-generation three-nanometer technology.
The M4 series comes with advanced machine-learning features for future software releases.
Building on the M series legacy, the M4 offers power-efficient performance while making the iPad Pro the most powerful device of its kind.
Devices with M4 chips include iPad Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, and the MacBook Pro.
M5 chip
The M5 chip is anticipated for release in 2025, leaping further into performance efficiency.
At this time, Apple has not shared what M5 will bring; however, it is expected to continue to build off the previous series.
There are speculations that new iterations like the Pro, Max, and Ultra will follow the M5.
It is worth pointing out that all the M series chips are 100% carbon neutral, aligning with Apple’s carbon neutral plan to have net-zero climate impact across its business by 2030.
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