M3 Ultra Chip May Have Standalone Design [Report]

Apple's upcoming M3 Ultra chip may feature a standalone design, rather than one made up of two M3 Max dies, according Max Tech's Vadim Yuryev.

In a post on X today, Yuryev notes that the M3 Max no longer comes with the UltraFusion interconnect, used combine two M2 Max chips into the M2 Ultra.

This could mean that the next generation M3 Ultra will not include efficiency cores and will feature better performance scaling than the M2 Ultra. The M2 Ultra's UltraFusion connection sacrificed some efficiency between dies.


Additionally, it's possible that M3 Ultra could now have more performance and GPU cores, as it will not be limited to exactly 2X the M3 Max.

Yuryev also suggests that Apple could add the UltraFusion interconnect to the M3 Ultra, making it possible to create an M3 Extreme chip that is made out of two M3 Ultra dies.

Assuming #4 comes true, the M3 Extreme chip will be made out of 2x M3 Ultra dies, which is GREAT news for performance scaling. (4x Max dies would be a scaling nightmare, with dies communicating through lower interposer silicon layers.) This will also make it MUCH easier for Apple to connect massive amounts of memory to the M3 Extreme chip instead of having to go through interposer layers to get around the 4x dies.

An M3 Extreme without efficiency cores could feature a GPU that rivals Nvidia's flagship GPUs; however, it's unclear if Apple still has plans for an 'Extreme' chip. Despite being rumored for the new Mac Pro, the desktop only launched with the M2 Ultra.


We're likely to see the M3 Ultra unveiled for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro at WWDC 2023. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for the latest updates.

[via MacRumors]