Apple Testing M3 Max Chip With 16-Core CPU and 40-Core GPU

Apple is testing the next-generation M3 Max chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Apple silicon chip will be a replacement for the M2 Max, and it is set to be used in new MacBook Pro models next year.

m3 feature black
Signs of the chip were found by a third-party Mac developer in test logs, and it appears to feature a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. Comparatively, the current ‌M2‌ Max chip features a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. The test machine also includes 48GB memory, but there will likely be higher upgrade options available as the current ‌MacBook Pro‌ supports up to 96GB memory.

Apple's M3 Max chip is expected to be built on a new 3-nanometer process, resulting in speed and efficiency improvements compared to the ‌M2‌ Max chip. Apple is testing the chip in an unreleased high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ that's codenamed "J514."

The M3 Max will be the higher-end chip in a trio that also includes the M3 and the M3 Pro. The M3 chip will include an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, while the M3 Pro will feature a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU.

Apple is expected to release the first M3 Macs in October, but will likely focus on machines that use the standard M3 chip, such as the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the MacBook Air models. 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models that include the M3 Max chip are expected to come out in 2024.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

10 Reasons to Wait for This Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday January 8, 2026 2:56 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Apple Is Expected to Launch These Four MacBooks in 2026

Friday January 9, 2026 8:17 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

Five New iPhone Features Rumored for iOS 27

Wednesday January 7, 2026 2:51 pm PST by
Though it's been just a few months since iOS 26 launched, we're already hearing rumors about the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 27. iOS 27 will be introduced at Apple's June WWDC 2026 event before it launches in September 2026. We don't know all of the details about iOS 27 yet, but we do have some information about what to expect. "Snow Leopard" Update iOS 27 will apparently focus...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Will Move From Goldman Sachs to JPMorgan Chase

Wednesday January 7, 2026 12:57 pm PST by
JPMorgan Chase has reached a deal to take over operation of the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. Barring any "last minute hiccups," the deal should be announced shortly after over a year of negotiations. Reports began circulating over two years ago that current Apple Card issuer Goldman Sachs was looking to end its partnership with Apple as part of an effort to scale back on...
Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech Blames 'Inexcusable Mistake' After Certificate Expiry Breaks macOS Apps

Wednesday January 7, 2026 5:27 am PST by
Logitech users on macOS found themselves locked out of their mouse customizations yesterday after the company let a security certificate expire, breaking both its Logi Options+ and G HUB configuration apps. Logitech devices like its MX Master series mice and MX Keys keyboards stopped working properly as a result of the oversight, with users unable to access their custom scrolling setup,...
ChatGPT Health Integration Connectors Feature

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health With Apple Health Integration

Wednesday January 7, 2026 11:27 am PST by
OpenAI today announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated section of ChatGPT where users can ask health-related questions completely separated from their main ChatGPT experience. For more personalized responses, users can connect various health data services such as Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, AllTrails, Instacart, and Peloton. Last month, MacRumors discovere...
safari icon blue banner

Apple Loses Safari Lead Designer to The Browser Company

Thursday January 8, 2026 10:50 am PST by
Apple has lost another senior figure from its Safari team as a lead designer departs for The Browser Company, extending a pattern of high-profile exits from Apple's browser team amid intensifying competition around AI-driven browsing. Marco Triverio was a lead designer for Safari and has now joined The Browser Company, the developer of the Arc and Dia browsers. The move was confirmed by The...

Top Rated Comments

skitidetdu Avatar
32 months ago
As for someone that doesn’t do graphic intense stuff I’d sure like a 40 core cpu and 16 core gpu instead ?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
32 months ago

amd + intel in shambles
Yeah, because Apple has such a dominance in the PC Market, and they're well known for licensing their hardware components to PC Manufacturers, oh wait.....
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sheepish-Lord Avatar
32 months ago
All those sweet YouTubers are salivating at the 2% performance increase for their benchmarks and zero real world performance.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tripsync Avatar
32 months ago

Yeah, because Apple has such a dominance in the PC Market, and they're well known for licensing their hardware components to PC Manufacturers, oh wait.....
Yeah because PC to Mac switchers aren't a thing. Oh wait...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spcopsmac21 Avatar
32 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/07/apple-m3-max-chip/')

Apple is testing the next-generation M3 Max chip, according to Bloomberg ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-07/apple-tests-2024-m3-max-macbook-pro-chip-with-16-cpu-cores-40-gpu-cores')'s Mark Gurman. The Apple silicon chip will be a replacement for the M2 Max, and it is set to be used in new MacBook Pro models next year.



Signs of the chip were found by a third-party Mac developer in test logs, and it appears to feature a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. Comparatively, the current M2 Max chip features a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. The test machine also includes 48GB memory, but there will likely be higher upgrade options available as the current MacBook Pro supports up to 96GB memory.

Apple's M3 Max chip is expected to be built on a new 3-nanometer process, resulting in speed and efficiency improvements compared to the M2 Max chip. Apple is testing the chip in an unreleased high-end MacBook Pro that's codenamed "J514."

The M3 Max will be the higher-end chip in a trio that also includes the M3 and the M3 Pro. The M3 chip will include an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, while the M3 Pro will feature a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU.

Apple is expected to release the first M3 Macs in October, but will likely focus on machines that use the standard M3 chip, such as the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air models. 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that include the M3 Max chip are expected to come out in 2024.

Article Link: Apple Testing M3 Max Chip With 16-Core CPU and 40-Core GPU ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/07/apple-m3-max-chip/')
I love the idea of new apple silicon. But I fear their longevity will be spotty at best.
We still have Apple G5 machines kicking to this day.
But with the heavy memory and storage integration I doubt we will have these apple silicon machines around after 6-7 years. A simple bad capacitor on these new boards completely wipe the devices. Requiring new motherboard. The storage usage is eating through the drives and when a single ram chip or ssd chip dies all of your data is gone. Yes iCloud and backups are helpful. But not a full proof plan.
It would be a step backwards to go back to the old way of building these systems. But there has to be a way to make the memory and onboard storage replaceable.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AJB1971 Avatar
32 months ago
I think the base M3 is going to have 12GB of RAM.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)