Apple M3 chip specs leak – these are going to be staggeringly powerful

The MacBook range has always been a fan favourite, but their popularity has grown significantly in recent years. The introduction of the Apple Silicon chipsets have made the best MacBooks even better.

Now, details about the next generation chips have leaked – and they show no signs of slowing down. Coming from reputable Apple insider, Mark Gurman, we have a full rundown of the M3 series, based on details from the production process.

There are four chips mentioned in the report – the base model M3, the M3 Pro, the M3 Max and the M3 Ultra. That mirrors the current M2 generation exactly, which shouldn't really come as much of a surprise.

What may surprise you is the sheer volume of tech on these processors. Don't get me wrong, we knew the 3nm architecture would make it easier to fit more on there. But seeing the results laid out in real terms really hammers home just how big of an upgrade this is.

Let's start at the top end. The M3 Ultra is said to pack in 32 CPU cores and 64 GPU cores as standard with an optional upgrade up to 80 GPU cores. It's a similar story on the M3 Max, where users will have access to a 16 CPU/32 GPU package as standard, with upgrades taking that to 40 GPU cores.

The two lower denominations see less upgrade options. The M3 Pro offers 12 CPU cores and 18 GPU cores at the low end, both of which can boosted with an additional two cores. The base model M3 chip only comes in one configuration – 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

That's a decent refresh across the board. The lower end doesn't see too much of a spec bump on the front end, though it's likely that the new, smaller manufacturing process will aid efficiency versus the M2 chip.

On the upper end of the scale, though, things are seriously packed out. Some of those spec sheets are ludicrous, and should be more than capable of tackling absolutely anything you can throw at it.

I'm especially interested to see how gaming performance is handled. We know Apple have been keen to improve their credentials in that arena for a while, and those GPU specs should make mincemeat of even the most graphically intensive titles.

We'll have to wait and see. The first models to ship with these chips are rumoured to be coming in October. Gurman does note, though, that some of the top-end devices are unlikely to be refreshed until later on next year, in line with Apple's usual schedule of updates.