We’re still in the middle of the rollout of Apple’s M4 chips, but today we got our first big peek at its successor, the M5. The report comes from reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who posted on X today and spilled some juicy technical details about what’s coming.
The M5 family of chips will be manufactured on TSMC’s N3P node, the next step up from the N3E on the M4. Kuo says the new node “entered the prototype phase a few months ago,” but it’s the first time we’re getting three generations of chips in a row that use the 3nm node.
The M5 Pro, Max, and Ultra, specifically, will use “server-grade” 2.5D packaging, with the explicit purpose of improving production yields and thermal performance. This will allow the CPU and GPU to use separate designs, which is a major change from previous generations that use a conventional system on chip. Kuo also mentions that these high-end M5 chips will be “better suited” for AI inferencing.
1. The M5 series chips will adopt TSMC’s advanced N3P node, which entered the prototype phase a few months ago. M5, M5 Pro/Max, and M5 Ultra mass production is expected in 1H25, 2H25, and 2026, respectively.
2. The M5 Pro, Max, and Ultra will utilize… https://t.co/XIWHx5B2Cy
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 23, 2024
There’s a lot we don’t know about in terms of exactly how these changes will affect the end product, but clearly, Apple is giving its higher-end chips some new capabilities and features
The timeline provided by Kuo doesn’t deviate from previous generations, with the M5 kicking things off in the first half of 2025, followed by the M5 Pro/Max in the second half. Lastly, the M5 Ultra is scheduled for 2026. This would return the most powerful Mac desktops to a yearly update cycle after having skipped the M3 Ultra.
We’re still waiting on the M4 Ultra, of course, which is scheduled to pop up in a refreshed Mac Studio and Mac Pro sometime in 2025.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.