Apple has yet to unveil the M4 Ultra, but it has made a splash with its latest powerhouse, the M3 Ultra. This remarkable processor now holds the title for the highest CPU and GPU core count among Apple’s silicon offerings. While Apple’s new graphics capabilities remain under wraps, early benchmark tests for the updated Mac Studio reveal its impressive performance, showcasing a nearly 30% lead over the previous M2 Ultra. Though the M3 Ultra’s performance does not surpass the forthcoming M4 Max dramatically, it still delivers a major upgrade to Apple’s silicon lineup.
The Mac Studio, identified by its Mac15,14 designation, was the subject of a significant Geekbench 6 benchmark leak. This test evaluated the 32-core cluster consisting of 24 high-performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, backed by 256GB of unified RAM and a top frequency of 4.05GHz. These specs helped the M3 Ultra achieve impressive scores, with 3,221 in single-core performance and 27,749 in multi-core performance.
In the multi-threaded realm, the new chip delivers a substantial 29% performance boost over the M2 Ultra, and a respectable 13% improvement in single-core tasks. The real surprise, however, comes from the M3 Ultra’s multi-core performance, which is only 7% faster than the M4 Max. Despite this, the M4 Max maintains a 20.5% advantage in single-core results.
The single-core scores have left tech enthusiasts pondering, as both the M3 Ultra and M4 Max clock in at similar speeds — 4.05GHz and 4.14GHz respectively. The secret may lie in the M4 series’ support for ARM’s Scalable Matrix Extension (SME), a feature that possibly enhances its efficiency in handling complex workloads, leading to better benchmark results.
As we continue to dissect these intriguing outcomes, it’s clear that while the M3 Ultra qualifies as Apple’s fastest silicon to date, its lead isn’t as vast as expected. As more information becomes available, technology aficionados can anticipate an ongoing rivalry between these cutting-edge processors.
