This Apple silicon theory has us even more excited for the M5 MacBook Pro
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple’s OS 26.3 code references the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips but notably omits the M5 Pro, raising questions about Apple’s silicon strategy.
- One theory suggests that Apple could use a 2.5D chip package to create a unified M5 Pro/Max design, in which the Pro would become a scaled-down Max variant.
- The new M5 MacBook Pros are expected by the end of February, with this consolidated architecture potentially providing Apple with significant cost savings and streamlined manufacturing.
Apple released OS 26.3 build candidates to developers on Wednesday, and shortly after, mentions of the M5 Max and M5 Ultra were found hidden in the code. However, no references to the M5 Max Pro have been reported yet, leading us to wonder about the status of the chip. Is this the nature of beta software, and the M5 Pro will be installed later? Was it a mistake? Or is Apple dropping the M5 Pro chip from the lineup?
Vadim Yuryev from Max Tech on YouTube has a theory that makes a lot of sense. Yuryev claims that Apple is now using a 2.5D chip package, which would enable a single chip design for the M5 Pro and M5 Max. So, if both chips are based on the same design, there is no need to have two separate references in the operating system code. So an M5 Pro is basically an M5 Max, but with fewer CPU cores, fewer GPU cores, and a lower upper limit of supported RAM.
With previous M-series chips, the Pro and Max versions required different designs. However, reports indicate that Apple is working with TSMC to implement a SoIC-mH process for the M5 Pro/Max. This process is different from 2.5D, which TSMC also offers. Wccftech believes the two processes are combined to help reduce costs. The 2.5D process is used by other chipmakers, such as AMD and Nvidia.
Yuryev also believes the new architecture “would allow the M5 Ultra to be built as a monolithic chip with multiple chipsets,” eliminating the need for ultrafusion, which essentially served as a bridge between two M5 Max chips.
Regardless of which process Apple and TSMC use, Apple now only needs to design one motherboard. This represents a cost savings for Apple, and given that Apple is facing supply chain issues, it could only help when it comes to determining what prices customers will have to pay.
Apple is expected to launch the new M5 MacBook Pros soon, perhaps before the end of February.
