New PC processors 2x M1 Max = M1 Ultra: Apple’s new super processor
114 billion transistors, 128 GB of on-SoC RAM, 32 AI cores: Apple’s new M1 Ultra chip boasts superlatives. And at the same time low energy consumption. Details on the new super SoC from California.
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(Image: Apple)
Apple’s Mac computers experienced an upswing during the corona pandemic – also thanks to the self-developed, fast and energy-efficient Arm-based M1 processors. Now the iPhone group wants to continue its course with the super chip M1 Ultra.
The electronics group Apple only presented its M1 Max chip at the beginning of the year. Up to ten processor cores and 32 graphics cores (Graphic Processing Unit, GPU) ensure a significantly faster processing speed compared to the already very fast and energy-efficient original System-on-Chip (SoC) M1 from the end of 2020.
Now the Californians are showing off another high-performance processor – and increasing the pressure on the chip giant Intel and competitor AMD, whose processors with x86 architecture are in most PCs and notebooks worldwide. The Cupertino-based company describes its new SoC “M1 Ultra” as the most powerful processor ever developed for personal computers – modesty à la Apple. It will initially be used in the new Mac Studio computer, which was also presented in a video presentation on Tuesday.
“UltraFusion”: silicon interposer with over 10,000 connections
For the M1 Ultra, Apple connects two of the previous top SoCs from the M1 family, M1 Max, with the “UltraFusion” die-to-die connection technology, which was also developed in-house. Processor leader Intel also relies heavily on this “advanced packaging” process, with which chips from several individual parts – the chiplets – are assembled into a functional unit using tiny silicon interconnects.
According to Apple, Ultrafusion is intended to avoid the disadvantages of previous multi-chip systems that are coupled to one another via connections on the motherboard. These include, for example, longer signal propagation times, jitter, signal distortions and higher energy consumption. Apple connects the two M1 Ultra SoCs via a silicon interposer with more than 10,000 signal lines. If you believe Apple, Ultrafusion creates four times the bandwidth of the currently “leading multi-chip interconnect technology”: a whopping 2.5 TB/s. Unfortunately, the company does not provide any information about which other technology is meant.
128 GB On-SoC-RAM, 800 GB/s memory bandwidth
That’s not all: via its fast memory interfaces, an M1 Ultra can address up to 128 GB of RAM at 800 GB/s. The memory chips are installed directly next to the SoC dies. With a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine and extensive interface logic, an M1 Ultra combines a total of around 114 billion transistors – more than any other PC processor to date.
In view of all these superlatives, Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, rightly leans out the window: “The M1 Ultra is another milestone in Apple chip development that will shock the PC industry again!”
“Absolute Monster”: 80 percent faster than previous top Mac Pro
The new super SoC will initially be used in the Mac Studio, which is also new. At first glance, it looks like two Mac Minis stacked on top of each other.
The compact Mac studio computer was dubbed an “absolute monster” at the event, in a somewhat uncharacteristic choice of words for Apple. He is 80 percent faster than the previous top model Mac Pro in the top configuration. The Mac Pro is the only Apple computer still stuck in the Intel world. He, too, will be converted, said hardware boss John Ternus – “but on another day”.
High energy efficiency
It’s nice that Apple hasn’t lost sight of one important aspect with all the number crunching: energy efficiency. The manufacturer states that a Mac Studio with M1 Ultra can easily handle the computing power of a current desktop PC with a 16-core Intel processor Core i9-12900K and DDR5 memory as well as the current graphics card GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with 100 watts less power consumption . In graphic benchmarks, the Mac Studio even managed with around 200 watts less. According to Apple, it used selected, industry-standard benchmarks for the measurements.
The marketing strategists from California have calculated that the Mac Studio uses up to 1,000 kilowatt hours less energy than a high-end desktop PC over the course of a year – and thus relieves the electricity bill and the environment.
When it comes to pricing, Apple remains self-confident as usual: In the configuration with an M1 Ultra with 20 CPU cores, 64 GPU cores and 32 AI cores, 128 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD, the computer costs 7,129 euros.
(ID:48088334)