Apple may use its M5 Pro chip to begin separating the CPU from the GPU, thereby leading to a significant performance gain.
Per noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company could somewhat step away from its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design with the M5 Pro that’s managed to outperform Intel’s processors by cutting bottlenecks and placing all the elements together on one chip package.
Kuo has stated that Apple is going to change this for the M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra. Only the M5 will remain as a single unit. Instead, the M5 Pro and other chips will use manufacturer TSMC’s latest chip packaging process. Called the System-in-Integrated-Chips-Molding-Horizontal (SoIC-mH), it puts together different chips into one package.
This could lead to Apple producing a “server-grade” package that “will use 2.5D packaging” that has “separate CPU and GPU designs,” which will “improve production yields and thermal performance.” Kuo has also stated that mass production is expected in 2H25 for the M5 Pro and the M5 Max, and then 2026 for the M5 Ultra. The M5 has reportedly been in the prototyping phase for a few months, and mass production is believed to be planned for 1H25.
TSMC will produce the M5 processor and use the company’s N3P technology, which is also expected to be used in the iPhone 18 model processors. Kuo also claims that the M5 Pro processors will be used in Apple Intelligence servers. Specifically, it will be utilized for the company’s Private Cloud Compute technology.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and @mingchikuo