Apple released three Apple M3 chipsets in its Scary Fast October 2023 event. These chipsets will power its incoming MacBooks and Macs. The Apple M3 chipsets include the Apple M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chipsets.
The Apple M3 is the base model of the chipset and will likely power the incoming MacBook Air. The M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets will feature in the MacBook Pro’s. Let’s get to know each of the Apple M3 chipsets and at the end of this article, I’ll highlight their differences in a table.
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Apple M3 chipsets
Apple M3 chipset
The Apple M3 chipset is the base model of the chipset and thus the least powerful. It is the successor to the Apple M2 chip released last year and going by Apple’s policy, the next MacBook Air will feature this chipset.
The M3 chip has an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a unified memory or RAM of up to 24GB. The M3 chipset is built on TSMC 3nm process technology and according to Apple, it has tremendous power and uses less power.
According to Apple, the 10-core GPU in the M3 chip is 17x faster than those in intel models of Apple products. Apple also said that the RAM in the M3 chip is about 5.1x faster than the RAM in the M1 chip model. So, if you still own an Apple device with an Intel chipset, here is your cue to upgrade to an Apple device powered by an Apple M3 chipset.
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Apple M3 Pro chipset
The Apple M3 Pro chipset sits between the M3 base model and the M3 Max top tier. It is the successor to the Apple M2 Pro chip released last year and this chipset will feature in future Apple MacBook Pros.
The M3 Pro chip has a 12-core CPU, an 18-core GPU, and a unified memory or RAM of up to 36GB. The M3 Pro chipset is built on TSMC 3nm process technology and according to Apple, it has tremendous power and uses less power.
According to Apple, the 18-core GPU in the M3 Pro chip is 5.7x faster than those in intel models of Apple products. Apple also said that the RAM in the M3 Pro chip is about 2.4x faster than the RAM in the M1 Pro chip model.
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Apple M3 Max chipset
The Apple M3 Max chipset is the top-tier chipset from Apple in its Scary Fast October event. It is the successor to the Apple M2 Max chip released last year and this chipset will feature in future Apple MacBook Pros.
The M3 Max chip has up to 16-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU, and a unified memory or RAM of up to 128GB. The M3 Max chipset is built on TSMC 3nm process technology and according to Apple, it has tremendous power and uses less power.
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According to Apple, the 40-core GPU in the M3 Max chip is 11x faster than those in intel models of Apple products. Apple also said that the RAM in the M3 Pro chip is about 2.5x faster than the RAM in the M1 Max chip model.
The Apple M3 chipsets are expected to be better than the competition and their predecessors. Machines and PCs powered by these chipsets are expected to be powerful and power efficient. The table below highlights the differences between the Apple M3 chipsets.
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Apple M3 chipsets Differences Table
| Features | Apple M3 | Apple M3 Pro | Apple M3 Max |
| CPU | 8-core | up to 12-core | up to 16-core |
| GPU | 10-core | up to 18-core | up to 40-core |
| RAM | up to 24GB | up to 36GB | up to 128GB |
| Storage | up to 1TB | up to 1TB | up to 1TB |
| Display Support | 1 External | 2 External | 4 External |
Note that the features of the Apple M3 chipsets in the table above are restricted to the Apple MacBook 14 and 16-inch laptops. The internal storage capacity of the chipsets can be more if it powers let’s say an Apple Mac Mini desktop.
