Discussion Apple Silicon SoC thread

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Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
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M1
5 nm
Unified memory architecture - LP-DDR4
16 billion transistors

8-core CPU

4 high-performance cores
192 KB instruction cache
128 KB data cache
Shared 12 MB L2 cache

4 high-efficiency cores
128 KB instruction cache
64 KB data cache
Shared 4 MB L2 cache
(Apple claims the 4 high-effiency cores alone perform like a dual-core Intel MacBook Air)

8-core iGPU (but there is a 7-core variant, likely with one inactive core)
128 execution units
Up to 24576 concurrent threads
2.6 Teraflops
82 Gigatexels/s
41 gigapixels/s

16-core neural engine
Secure Enclave
USB 4

Products:
$999 ($899 edu) 13" MacBook Air (fanless) - 18 hour video playback battery life
$699 Mac mini (with fan)
$1299 ($1199 edu) 13" MacBook Pro (with fan) - 20 hour video playback battery life

Memory options 8 GB and 16 GB. No 32 GB option (unless you go Intel).

It should be noted that the M1 chip in these three Macs is the same (aside from GPU core number). Basically, Apple is taking the same approach which these chips as they do the iPhones and iPads. Just one SKU (excluding the X variants), which is the same across all iDevices (aside from maybe slight clock speed differences occasionally).

EDIT:

Screen-Shot-2021-10-18-at-1.20.47-PM.jpg

M1 Pro 8-core CPU (6+2), 14-core GPU
M1 Pro 10-core CPU (8+2), 14-core GPU
M1 Pro 10-core CPU (8+2), 16-core GPU
M1 Max 10-core CPU (8+2), 24-core GPU
M1 Max 10-core CPU (8+2), 32-core GPU

M1 Pro and M1 Max discussion here:


M1 Ultra discussion here:


M2 discussion here:


Second Generation 5 nm
Unified memory architecture - LPDDR5, up to 24 GB and 100 GB/s
20 billion transistors

8-core CPU

4 high-performance cores
192 KB instruction cache
128 KB data cache
Shared 16 MB L2 cache

4 high-efficiency cores
128 KB instruction cache
64 KB data cache
Shared 4 MB L2 cache

10-core iGPU (but there is an 8-core variant)
3.6 Teraflops

16-core neural engine
Secure Enclave
USB 4

Hardware acceleration for 8K h.264, h.264, ProRes

M3 Family discussion here:


M4 Family discussion here:

 
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Doug S

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2020
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I still contend they were shooting for a folding phone this year but couldn't get the screens nailed down and punted with the Air. Screens have been a persistent problem for Apple. It's also unclear what volume Apple would need for these as folding phones now don't sell in huge numbers and Apple doesn't sell any phones in small numbers. We'll see what the Air produces. Even the derided SE vastly outsold in its first year all folding phones combined last year. I'm not sure I see Apple keeping both the Air and a folding phone in the lineup at the same time.

Well I don't disagree and that may be why the "Air" was called that, rather than iPhone 17 Air which would have implied there will be an iPhone 18 Air. If that's true the question is whether the Air is like the iPhone X which heralded a design change in future iPhones or just a one off technology demo for the folding phone.

Apple could switch to a thinner form factor across the whole line without compromising battery life if they also switched to silicon carbon batteries, which have ~75-80% more capacity by volume. They (and Samsung) have been experimenting with them, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Maybe they're gonna be ready to do so in 2026 or 2027. Some Chinese companies are already shipping phones containing them, but the big boys have to be a bit more careful about such a major change.
 

Doug S

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2020
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Yeah, for the others here that may not know: Several features were specifically targeted at professional filmmakers / videographers, like Genlock synchronization, open gate ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2. For stuff like Genlock, you can't even use the feature unless you already own third party professional gear that supports it. Same with ProRes RAW: To use this feature, an external high speed SSD is required, considering that it can use up over 1 TB storage per hour. Furthermore, one of the complaints for older models was overheating in professional use, esp. outdoors, and the combination of the vapour chamber and the aluminum unibody shell will help a lot with that.

Meanwhile, I will continue to use my iPhone to surf Anandtech. :D

Because Hollywood focuses more and more on megabudget blockbusters, there's a whole new film industry that's sprung up around (relatively) cheap production using gear like iPhones instead of professional cameras, Macs for effects and editing, and distribution on Youtube and other streaming outlets.

I think Apple has begun paying more attention to the needs of this growing industry. Samsung as well, the S26 is reportedly adding a pro video codec to rival ProRes RAW.
 
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jdubs03

Golden Member
Oct 1, 2013
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I got my Cosmic Orange 17 Pro Max today. That vapour chamber works wonders. Even with installing all the new apps for the initial setup and charging at the same time over MagSafe, the phone only got mildly warm.

Form factor is definitely chonky though. Noticeably thicker than my 12 Pro Max, although feels decent in-hand since the width is the same. Camera is a HUGE upgrade. Like totally different league.
Any chance you could run Speedometer 3.1 (2x, give it 1 minute between) and Jetstream 2.2 in Safari? (Give it about 5 minutes between each benchmark). Just curious how that performance is.
 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
24,114
1,759
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Any chance you could run Speedometer 3.1 (2x, give it 1 minute between) and Jetstream 2.2 in Safari? (Give it about 5 minutes between each benchmark). Just curious how that performance is.
Speedometer 3.1 - Safari iOS 26

IMG_1718.png IMG_1722.png

Speedometer 3.1 - Chrome 141

IMG_1726.jpeg IMG_1728.jpeg

JetStream 2.2 - Safari iOS 26

IMG_1730.png IMG_1733.png

(Note that JetStream 2.2 fails in Chrome.)

Let me know if you want the detailed results. I have screen grabs of those too.
 
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jdubs03

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Oct 1, 2013
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Speedometer 3.1 - Safari iOS 26

View attachment 131159 View attachment 131160

Speedometer 3.1 - Chrome 141

View attachment 131161 View attachment 131162

JetStream 2.2 - Safari iOS 26

View attachment 131164 View attachment 131165

(Note that JetStream 2.2 fails in Chrome.)

Let me know if you want the detailed results. I have screen grabs of those too.
Appreciate that. Yours is quite a bit stronger than mine interestingly. My speedometer 3.1 score is nowhere near that. I get 37s at best (my 16 Pm scores better, which I’m not happy about).

Mind trying a couple speedtest (Ookla) runs on 5G? (Go into settings and set to 5G On, it defaults to 5G Auto). I know it’ll be different locations obviously but it’ll be good to see the modem performance. I’m most interested in upload.
 
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Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
24,114
1,759
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Appreciate that. Yours is quite a bit stronger than mine interestingly. My speedometer 3.1 score is nowhere near that. I get 37s at best (my 16 Pm scores better, which I’m not happy about).
FWIW, I removed the case so any heat generated would dissipate more easily. I also turned off adaptive power mode in the battery power mode setting.

I put the case back on and turned adaptive mode back on, and ironically I got an even higher score. 🤷 I guess this test is too short to cause any significant throttling.

IMG_1736.png

Mind trying a couple speedtest (Ookla) runs on 5G? (Go into settings and set to 5G On, it defaults to 5G Auto). I know it’ll be different locations obviously but it’ll be good to see the modem performance. I’m most interested in upload.
Unfortunately, I usually don't have any 5G support in this location. I'd have to go somewhere else in the city to get 5G. Also, there is no mmWave support here. (Canadian iPhones don't even support mmWave.)
 
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jdubs03

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FWIW, I removed the case so any heat generated would dissipate more easily. I also turned off adaptive power mode in the battery power mode setting.

I put the case back on and turned adaptive mode back on, and ironically I got an even higher score. 🤷 I guess this test is too short to cause any significant throttling.

View attachment 131171


Unfortunately, I usually don't have any 5G support in this location. I'd have to go somewhere else in the city to get 5G. Also, there is no mmWave support here. (Canadian iPhones don't even support mmWave.)
Ah no worries there. I was getting lower upload speeds than my 16 Pro Max so I’m thinking I got a dud. Hopefully my carrier will let me replace it and maybe I’ll get luckier.

That’s a nice score right there though. Basically what I would be expecting.
 

Doug S

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2020
3,567
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FWIW, I removed the case so any heat generated would dissipate more easily. I also turned off adaptive power mode in the battery power mode setting.

I put the case back on and turned adaptive mode back on, and ironically I got an even higher score. 🤷 I guess this test is too short to cause any significant throttling.

View attachment 131171


Unfortunately, I usually don't have any 5G support in this location. I'd have to go somewhere else in the city to get 5G. Also, there is no mmWave support here. (Canadian iPhones don't even support mmWave.)

mmwave is quite rare even in the US. If you're in a city there should be some midband 5G which is plenty to see what it can do. Though I'm not sure I see the point unless you have another device with the same provider to compare it to.

If you have your old iPhone and your provider has some sort of free trial (the big three do in the US, dunno about Canada) you can get an eSIM for it and test them head to head.

On Verizon midband 5G shows up as "5Guw" on the iPhone, but your provider may not have a good way of telling other than grubbing through the Field Test screens.
 

mavere

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Mar 2, 2005
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jdubs03

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Oct 1, 2013
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Welp, looks like the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme’s reign as ST thread champ lasted what 1 day? And just like the M4 iPad Pro versus the MacBook Pros we’re like to see the M5 MacBook Pro’s have significantly more performance single thread. My guess is 4500 on 6.5.
 
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Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
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The base configuration now has 12 GB of RAM.
Yup, as expected. I wasn't sure if it was going to be 12 GB or 16 GB, but 12 GB made the most sense.

However, even though I don't need the extra RAM, I'm still annoyed that my M4 iPad Pro from 2024 came with 8 GB RAM, especially considering at least some of them came with 2 x 6 GB chips for a total of 12 GB, but with 4 GB deactivated.

Leaked M5 iPad Pro
IIRC this may be the guy who bought a stolen Mac last year and published a review of it before anyone else could. I wonder if it's the same thing here with the M5 iPad Pro. He's immune to Apple's lawyers since he's in Russia.
 
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jdubs03

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Yup, as expected. I wasn't sure if it was going to be 12 GB or 16 GB, but 12 GB made the most sense.

However, even though I don't need the extra RAM, I'm still annoyed that my M4 iPad Pro from 2024 came with 8 GB RAM, especially considering at least some of them came with 2 x 6 GB chips for a total of 12 GB, but with 4 GB deactivated.


IIRC this may be the guy who bought a stolen Mac last year and published a review of it before anyone else could. I wonder if it's the same thing here with the M5 iPad Pro. He's immune to Apple's lawyers since he's in Russia.
Yeah, it’s definitely the same guy.
 

jdubs03

Golden Member
Oct 1, 2013
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If that frequency is correct, then that is a straight up 13% improvement in IPC. I’m surprised we only see a 6% with the A19 series. Perhaps they’ve bifurcated their micro architecture design.

(Maybe my 4500 ST guess is a tad high, even for a Max version. 4300 is a safer bet).