Gurman: Apple Testing 'M3 Pro' Chip for MacBook Pro With 12-Core CPU and 18-Core GPU

Apple is testing an unreleased chip with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 36GB of memory, according to an App Store developer log obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip is being tested inside a future high-end MacBook Pro running the upcoming macOS 14 update, which is expected to be announced at WWDC next month.

Apple MacBook Pro M2 Feature Blue Green
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said this chip could be the base-level M3 Pro for the next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models launching next year. The chip is expected to be manufactured based on TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements.

The current base-level M2 Pro chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro has a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, and starts with 16GB of memory, so the M3 Pro chip would have at least two extra cores for both the CPU and GPU. Apple last updated the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in January, so the laptops are unlikely to be updated again until at least 2024.

Apple still has to release the standard M3 chip before moving on to the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. Gurman said Apple is working on new iMac, MacBook Air, and low-end MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip, and he continues to believe the first Macs with the M3 chip will be released towards the end of this year or early next year.

In the meantime, Gurman said the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air will be released this summer with the M2 chip. He previously said the laptop would be announced at WWDC, which begins with Apple's keynote on June 5.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Top Rated Comments

bradman83 Avatar
23 months ago

Woo hoo! 36GB unified Memory will be insane ?. We need more RAM. I'm tired of seeing this message in 2023.


What on earth are you doing in Firefox that uses 79 GB of RAM!?
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
23 months ago
Woo hoo! 36GB unified Memory will be insane ?. We need more RAM. I'm tired of seeing this message in 2023.



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Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
23 months ago
Can we also get the iconic glowing Apple logo back, please? I wish Apple had never eliminated it from the Mac's. ?



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Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrat93 Avatar
23 months ago

Woo hoo! 36GB unified Memory will be insane ?. We need more RAM. I'm tired of seeing this message in 2023.


My dude’s virtualizing Windows 17 in Firefox.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
23 months ago

Why are you using Firefox in 2023?
Because all the other browser vendors are even more obnoxious and user hostile.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
23 months ago

I have mixed feelings about that one. It looks good but I don’t want to be forced to always have a flashlight on the back of my computer.
Well, Apple can always make it optional and have a “toggle button” to turn it on or off. (Having an option)

The Apple Logo lit up always made me happy. The crazy thing is it can be seen far away when someone was using a Mac. Now, it's not the same with the Mac's anymore.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)