Apple Debuts Next-Generation M4 Chip

[MacRumors]

Apple today unveiled the M4 chip, its newest system on a chip for the 2024 iPad Pro lineup.

Apple said that the M4 chip features a new up-to-10-core CPU of up to four performance cores and six efficiency cores. The M4 chip comes in two different models: the 9-core CPU with 3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores (for 256GB and 512GB iPad Pro), and 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores (for 1TB and 2TB iPad Pro).

The M4 chip is built with second-generation 3nm technology and features a new display engine. It delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance than the M2 in the previous ‌iPad Pro‌ and four-times faster rendering performance.

For performance in gaming, the M4 chip features Dynamic Caching that helps significantly increases performance for demanding pro apps and games. It also enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing on iPad for the first time.

Finally, the M4 includes a Neural Engine that fuels accelerated AI workloads. Apple mentioned that this is the company's most powerful Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second and helping users accomplish AI tasks quickly on the iPad Pro.

For more details about the 2024 iPad Pro, be sure to read our full post on the new tablets.

Article Link: Apple Debuts Next-Generation M4 Chip

 

[Steve121178]

Shame it's wasted on the iPad Pro when they could whack it in the MBA/MBP right now. Might put the PC crowd to bed as well who think the Snapdragon Elite is going to bury the Mac.

 

[flofixer]

Hopefully the AI capabilities will be more than just hype.

 

[picpicmac]

Looks like the biggest functional changes over the M3 are in the display controllers, and moving to adding one or two efficiency cores.

The efficiency cores take up much less space the the performance cores, which is why I expect we won't see big jumps in performances cores for M4 (save some possible M4 Ultra.)

 

[socialwill]

I am guessing this is what would have been called M3X many years ago.

This might explain why the M3 was missing the interconnect for making an Ultra M3?

 

[DrWojtek]

Meaning OLED for next Macbook Pros confirmed and 8 GB as base RAM, again?

 

[DrWojtek]

I am guessing this is what would have been called M3X many years ago.

This might explain why the M3 was missing the interconnect for making an Ultra M3?

I’d rather say the M3 was the M2X.

 

[picpicmac]

they could whack it in the MBA/MBP right now.

Not until TSMC gets production numbers up.

And even with the move to LPDDR5x SDRAMs, the performance boost over M3 is going to be quite modest.

 

[Chet-NYC]

Now I think we see M4 Max and M4 Ultra in the next version of Apple Studio next month at WWDC. A M4 Ultra as well, or maybe something even more powerful in the Mac Pro.

 

[Capeto]

Color me shocked, I thought the rumors suggesting it would feature the M4 were gonna be wrong.

 

[Sarafay]

There are two different M4s. The smaller one is for the 256 and 512 GB version. And it’s not 50% faster.

 

[MayaUser]

careful with the storage...you get binned M4 with the lowest storages , this is a first for the M ipads

 

[jimbobb24]

Poor MacBook Airs are now slower than an IPAD.

 

[btrach144]

I am guessing this is what would have been called M3X many years ago.

This might explain why the M3 was missing the interconnect for making an Ultra M3?

This is using second gen 3nm. It’s using a completely different node. This is truly the M4.

 

[DrWojtek]

Now I think we see M4 Max and M4 Ultra in the next version of Apple Studio next month at WWDC. A M4 Ultra as well, or maybe something even more powerful in the Mac Pro.

If that happens, the M2 and M3 really were delayed and now they are back on track for a 12 month release every WWDC, which makes perfect sense.

I also got the feeling the iPad will get macOS support with the next OS. Why else do the new mac-like keyboard?

 

[picpicmac]

you get binned M4 with the lowest storages

I doubt if any users will notice having one less efficiency core.

 

[anticipate]

It’s a very minor update overall (from m3; for MacBook/studio folks) and a substantial one from m2.

They basically took the M3 redesigned CPU/GPU architecture and slapped on a new display engine and the A17 Pro’s neural engine which runs already at 35 Tops. People forget Apple has had “AI” logic in their chips for ages. The only real new “AI”
For them will be generative AI. They’re already well positioned to support that on existing hardware.

It also seems they increase the core counts or the change in the the increase in CPU speed, including the increase in core counts over M2 is about the same as M3 was considering the same amount of core increases. They may have been some slight speed improvements.

So what you’re looking at for an M3 with a better neural engine.

 

[Marek5069]

Well, I was wrong about Apple launching the iPad w/ M4. I am curious to see how it stacks against the M3, it is interesting that all comparisons are vs M2. As a recent purchaser of a loaded M3 Max MBP, I am a bit miffed, not so much about the tech being potentially passed up, but specifically about missing out on the enhanced AI HW for when I'm messing around w/ NNs and ML.

 

[beermode]

Shame it's wasted on the iPad Pro when they could whack it in the MBA/MBP right now. Might put the PC crowd to bed as well who think the Snapdragon Elite is going to bury the Mac.

Put the PC crowd to bed? Lol. What does this even mean?

 

[blastdoor]

M4 looks like a perfectly cromulent update -- two more efficiency CPU cores and the better NPU that debuted in the high-end iPhone last year. But I bet the biggest improvement from Apple's point of view is that N3E is more cost-effective than N3B.

 

[Johnny365]

If that happens, the M2 and M3 really were delayed and now they are back on track for a 12 month release every WWDC, which makes perfect sense.

I also got the feeling the iPad will get macOS support with the next OS. Why else do the new mac-like keyboard?

Well, for one: All other third party keyboards have had function rows for quite a few years now on iPad. I don't think having it added now would entail MacOS ever coming to the iPad line.

 

[progx]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when has the iPad EVER had the most advanced SOC when the iPhone (and now Mac) hasn’t?

EDIT: I’ve been corrected, the iPad was first to have the A4 and A5 chips before the iPhone.

I thought that rumor was VERY far-fetched, but… the M4 iPad Pro is real. Was there an issue with getting the M3 into it? Thermal problem? Battery?

 

[Steve121178]

Put the PC crowd to bed? Lol. What does this even mean?

What do you think it means?

 

[Nozgog]

M4 looks like a perfectly cromulent update -- two more efficiency CPU cores and the better NPU that debuted in the high-end iPhone last year. But I bet the biggest improvement from Apple's point of view is that N3E is more cost-effective than N3B.

Yeah the question is: is this N3E oder N3P

 

[Fuzzball84]

Poor MacBook Airs are now slower than an IPAD.

Apple Silicon is generally so fast, that most of Apples customers wont know or care. Only a small subset of customers will utilise this to its fullest potential.

I have Apple Silicon… but my old Mac Mini is on intel… and when i switch between it and M2 Macbook Air doing regular productivity (thats not data processing intensive)… i dont notice. It just works basically.

(Actually, microsoft 365 boots up faster on my intel Mac than my Apple Silicon Mac…. Don't tell anyone though 🙄🤨🤔)