Apple Testing M3 Max Chip With 16-Core CPU and 40-Core GPU

Apple is testing the next-generation M3 Max chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Apple silicon chip will be a replacement for the M2 Max, and it is set to be used in new MacBook Pro models next year.

m3 feature black
Signs of the chip were found by a third-party Mac developer in test logs, and it appears to feature a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. Comparatively, the current ‌M2‌ Max chip features a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. The test machine also includes 48GB memory, but there will likely be higher upgrade options available as the current ‌MacBook Pro‌ supports up to 96GB memory.

Apple's M3 Max chip is expected to be built on a new 3-nanometer process, resulting in speed and efficiency improvements compared to the ‌M2‌ Max chip. Apple is testing the chip in an unreleased high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ that's codenamed "J514."

The M3 Max will be the higher-end chip in a trio that also includes the M3 and the M3 Pro. The M3 chip will include an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, while the M3 Pro will feature a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU.

Apple is expected to release the first M3 Macs in October, but will likely focus on machines that use the standard M3 chip, such as the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the MacBook Air models. 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models that include the M3 Max chip are expected to come out in 2024.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Top Rated Comments

skitidetdu Avatar
27 months ago
As for someone that doesn’t do graphic intense stuff I’d sure like a 40 core cpu and 16 core gpu instead ?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
27 months ago

amd + intel in shambles
Yeah, because Apple has such a dominance in the PC Market, and they're well known for licensing their hardware components to PC Manufacturers, oh wait.....
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sheepish-Lord Avatar
27 months ago
All those sweet YouTubers are salivating at the 2% performance increase for their benchmarks and zero real world performance.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tripsync Avatar
27 months ago

Yeah, because Apple has such a dominance in the PC Market, and they're well known for licensing their hardware components to PC Manufacturers, oh wait.....
Yeah because PC to Mac switchers aren't a thing. Oh wait...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spcopsmac21 Avatar
27 months ago

MacRumors content image ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/07/apple-m3-max-chip/')

Apple is testing the next-generation M3 Max chip, according to Bloomberg ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-07/apple-tests-2024-m3-max-macbook-pro-chip-with-16-cpu-cores-40-gpu-cores')'s Mark Gurman. The Apple silicon chip will be a replacement for the M2 Max, and it is set to be used in new MacBook Pro models next year.

MacRumors content image

Signs of the chip were found by a third-party Mac developer in test logs, and it appears to feature a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. Comparatively, the current M2 Max chip features a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. The test machine also includes 48GB memory, but there will likely be higher upgrade options available as the current MacBook Pro supports up to 96GB memory.

Apple's M3 Max chip is expected to be built on a new 3-nanometer process, resulting in speed and efficiency improvements compared to the M2 Max chip. Apple is testing the chip in an unreleased high-end MacBook Pro that's codenamed "J514."

The M3 Max will be the higher-end chip in a trio that also includes the M3 and the M3 Pro. The M3 chip will include an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, while the M3 Pro will feature a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU.

Apple is expected to release the first M3 Macs in October, but will likely focus on machines that use the standard M3 chip, such as the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air models. 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that include the M3 Max chip are expected to come out in 2024.

Article Link: Apple Testing M3 Max Chip With 16-Core CPU and 40-Core GPU ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/07/apple-m3-max-chip/')
I love the idea of new apple silicon. But I fear their longevity will be spotty at best.
We still have Apple G5 machines kicking to this day.
But with the heavy memory and storage integration I doubt we will have these apple silicon machines around after 6-7 years. A simple bad capacitor on these new boards completely wipe the devices. Requiring new motherboard. The storage usage is eating through the drives and when a single ram chip or ssd chip dies all of your data is gone. Yes iCloud and backups are helpful. But not a full proof plan.
It would be a step backwards to go back to the old way of building these systems. But there has to be a way to make the memory and onboard storage replaceable.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AJB1971 Avatar
27 months ago
I think the base M3 is going to have 12GB of RAM.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)