Apple M3 chip tipped to launch in 3 variants; Know all about it

With the launch of the next Apple Silicon chip just around the corner, check out the different variants of the M3 chip and what they could offer.

M3 is the next-generation Apple Silicon chip that is expected to power the Macs for the next few years. (Unsplash)

Apple event: After months of anticipation, the launch of the next-generation Apple Silicon chip is just around the corner. The Apple event, termed ‘Scary Fast', perhaps a reference to the new M3 chips, is set to take place at 5:00 PM PT on October 30. Likely to be named M3, the new chip is expected to bring performance upgrades while also offering better energy efficiency. It could power Apple's new Macs such as the MacBook Pro and iMac. The chip itself is tipped to come in different variants, depending on the number of cores, and it could also mark a shift to a 3-nanometer production process. Let us take a closer look at Apple's upcoming M3 chips.

Apple M3 chips: Details

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared the details about the types of M3 chips that Apple is planning to introduce. While it was previously tipped that four variants of the M3 could come out, details about only three of them have been revealed so far, with no information about the M3 Ultra. Therefore, we're only expecting to see three variants of the M3 chip - M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.

1. M3 - As per Gurman, the base M3 chipset would feature 8 CPU cores, with 4 high-performance and 4 efficiency cores. Moreover, it could feature as many as 10 GPU cores, which is the same as M2, but could offer improved memory configurations, getting better performance out of each core.

2. M3 Pro - The higher-end M3 chip, the M3 Pro, is being reportedly tested in different configurations. As per Gurman, it could feature as many as 6 performance and 6 efficiency cores, making it 12 CPU cores in total. The GPU cores are also expected to be bumped up to 18. On the other hand, the top configuration would get 14 CPU cores (with 2 additional performance cores) and 20 GPU cores.

3. M3 Max - The M3 Max chip will reportedly feature 16 cores in one of its configurations, with 12 high-performance and 4 efficiency cores. The GPU cores could be bumped up to a mammoth 40 in its top configuration. As per Gurman, the M3 Max is the top-end chip in the M3 lineup and is expected to get 32 GPU cores in the base configuration.

Do note that all the above information is based on unofficial reports and should be taken with a pinch of salt until there is official information from Apple, which is expected to be at the Scary Fast event.