Apple Might Skip M4 Ultra? Not All Chips to Get ‘Ultra’ Versions

Apple has unveiled its most powerful chip to date with the updated Mac Studio, the M3 Ultra, setting a new benchmark in high-performance computing.

Apple’s decision to introduce the M3 Ultra, while equipping the lower-end Mac Studio with the M4 Max chip, indicates a strategic shift in its chip release cadence. The company has also stated that not every chip generation will include an “Ultra” tier (via ArsTechnica).

The M3 Ultra is engineered using Apple’s innovative UltraFusion architecture, which seamlessly connects two M3 Max dies through over 10,000 high-speed interconnections. This design enables the M3 Ultra to function as a single cohesive unit, delivering exceptional performance while maintaining energy efficiency.

The chip boasts a 32-core CPU, comprising 24 performance cores and eight efficiency cores, and an 80-core GPU, making it adept at handling the most demanding tasks. Apple asserts that the M3 Ultra delivers up to 1.5 times the performance of its predecessor, the M2 Ultra, and up to 2.6 times that of the M1 Ultra.

A notable upgrade in the M3 Ultra is the integration of Thunderbolt 5 technology, offering data transfer speeds of up to 120 gigabits per second—more than double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.

The M3 Ultra’s GPU architecture introduces dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and a second-generation ray-tracing engine. These features enhance graphics performance, making the chip particularly suitable for tasks such as 3D rendering, visual effects, and high-end gaming.

Both the updated Mac Studio models and the M3 Ultra chip are available for pre-order now, with official availability starting March 12. The new Mac Studio starts at $2,699 in Canada and $2,399 for education.