Apple released the first batch of Macs powered by its own silicon. The company unveiled updated MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini – all powered by the first consumer centric M1 chip instead of the usual Intel chip.
What comes next is the big question now? All eyes are on the beefy 16” MacBook Pro which could possibly receive Apple silicon treatment. At the annual developers conference (WWDC), Apple announced that it will take around two years to complete the transition from Intel to its own silicon (Apple silicon).
Dedicated or Integrated GPU?
The M1 chip has shocked people with its immense performance gains over the Intel counterparts. In some cases, according to tech reviewers, the M1 chip is able to perform better than the 16” MacBook Pro with the top-tier Intel chips. However, the 16” MacBook Pro has the advantage of having a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU) whereas on the M1, everything is built into one chip.
It’s unclear as to whether Apple will design a chip similar to the M1 i.e build GPU into the same chip as the silicon or create a dedicated GPU. The M1 chip has been created keeping in mind light-weight use cases such as web browsing, occasional video editing, and other non intensive tasks.
Apple could build a much larger single chip which incorporates the CPU, memory, and GPU as well for the 16” MacBook Pro. Yes, the M1 Macs have memory (RAM) built into the silicon – Apple likes to call it “unified memory”. The company will very likely build a higher wattage single chip which incorporates the CPU, the GPU, and the memory.
Well, it’s definitely impossible to confirm the direction Apple will take. The other scenario would be Apple building a dedicated GPU for the 16” MacBook Pro as it’s much thicker which means more space for more components.
