60%
Plausible
A chipset’s AI inference performance largely depends on its unified memory bandwidth and memory count, which is why a truckload of M5 Max MacBook Pro purchases have been made to take advantage of its 128GB memory pool. Sadly, the base Apple Silicon hasn’t been given much priority in this area, but things could change with the arrival of the M7.
M7 to have a lower unified memory bandwidth than the M5 Pro, but it’ll still be high enough to make a proper difference compared to the M5
A ton of specification details surrounding the M7 are shrouded in mystery, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shared the SoC's potential timeline, stating it will arrive sometime in the first half of next year. This means that the M6, which is said to be found in the upcoming 14-inch MacBook Pro, is expected to have a short lifespan as it’ll potentially be succeeded in six months or less.
Given that the M7 will likely be fabricated on TSMC’s 2nm process, Apple could target higher clock speeds, resulting in increased single-core and multi-core scores. However, the number of performance and efficiency cores hasn’t been mentioned in the report, though it’s stated that the M6 could ship with a maximum of 12 GPU cores. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two Apple Silicon generations is on-device AI performance.
| Apple Silicon version | M5 | M5 Pro | M6 | M7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unified memory bandwidth specifications | 153GB/s | 307GB/s | TBA | 240GB/s |
With the M7 said to feature 240GB/s unified memory bandwidth, it’ll be miles faster than the M5, which tops out at just 153GB/s. This upgrade is an excellent starting point to boost on-device AI performance, though we’re disappointed to see that the M7 continues to be slower than the M5 Pro in this regard, as the latter’s unified memory bandwidth is 307GB/s. Also, with the M5 limited to 24GB of memory, it’ll be interesting to see the maximum unified memory count surrounding the M7.
Even if the M7 won’t be as capable as people expect, buyers planning to upgrade next year also have the option to opt for the M7 Pro and M7 Max MacBook Pro series, as Apple is said to forego the launch of the M6 Pro and M6 Max.
News Source: Bloomberg
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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