Apple M3 Pro chipset can have 12 CPU cores

Apple is testing M3 chipset with 12-core processor and 18-core GPU, according to . In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that a source has sent him App Store developer logs that show the chip running on an unannounced MacBook Pro with macOS 14. He speculates that the M3 variant Apple is testing is the base level M3 Pro that the company plans to release sometime. What next year.

Notably, TSMC’s M3 line is expected to benefit. The transition from 5 nm to 3 nm seems to explain the increase in core density. If you remember, the processors are eight and 10 cores, along with 14 and 16 GPU cores. In other words, the M3 Pro is said to feature 50 percent more CPU cores than its first-generation predecessor. Per Gourman, Apple has gone with an even split between high-performance and efficiency cores on the new silicon. He says the chip has been spotted with 36GB of RAM. For context, the M2 Pro starts with 16GB of memory, and you can upgrade it to include up to 32GB of RAM.

Of course, before Apple announces the M3 Pro, the company first needs to release the standard M3 chip. “My belief is that the first Macs with M3 chips will start arriving towards the end of the year or early next year,” notes Gurman. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to announce its latest Macs, at WWDC 2023 next month.