Apple's monster M5 Ultra chip rumored for new Mac Studio: with separate CPU, GPU core counts

Apple is reportedly making new Mac Studio systems that will be powered by its much higher-end M5 Max or flagship M5 Ultra processors, using next-level advanced packaging technologies from TSMC.

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In a new post on Bloomberg from Mark Gurman, he says that the M5 Ultra processor will indeed launch in 2026, and it'll be alongside the launch period of Apple's new low-cost MacBook laptop, which is meant to drop in the first half of 2026. But first, Apple will unveil and launch its new M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, offering more CPU and GPU cores than the base M5 processor that just launched.

• Read more: Apple M5 Pro, M5 Max rumor: separate CPU, GPU blocks for unique processors
• Read more: Apple's high-end M5 leaks: TSMC N3P, server-grade SoIC advanced packaging
• Read more: Apple's new Houston, USA factory will make AI servers powered by high-end M5 chips in 2026

Apple used a multi-die design with the M3 Ultra, where it combined two M3 Max chips linked through its in-house UltraFusion connector, but hasn't done that with the M4 series as there is no M4 Ultra processor. In recent news (with more details in the links above), we heard that Apple's beefier M5 Pro and M5 Max processors will feature separate CPU and GPU blocks, allowing Apple to mix-and-match CPU and GPU core counts far differently than it has in the past.

A new monster M5 Ultra processor doesn't just need to double the power of the best M5 Max processor, it would have way more CPU cores because a particular user with their workload requires more CPU cores versus GPU cores, while another would have more GPU-bound workloads, so they could choose the M5 Ultra that has less CPU cores but more GPU cores.

Apple could launch a new Mac Studio system that features the M5 Ultra processor in a bunch of different SKUs of tweaked processors, offering more configurations with varying price levels. We will see new M5 Ultra processors with just a handful of CPU cores but a beefy GPU core count, while other variants will more CPU cores, but only have a tiny amount of GPU cores.

The new M5 Ultra processor reportedly uses server-grade SoIC packaging from TSMC, with Apple to use 2.5D packaging called SoIC-mH (Small Outline Integrated Circuit Molding-Horizontal) to improve production yields and thermal performance on a chip with separate CPU and GPU designs on the monster M5 Ultra processor.

TSMC "Small Outline Integrated Circuit Molding-Horizontal" advanced packaging features:

• Smaller and lighter than other packages, making them ideal for portable space-constrained machines like the MacBook Pro
• Standardized design and compatibility lead to lowered manufacturing costs
• Easier to assemble
• Higher component density results in more components added to a smaller space, leading to better functionality
• Minimize capacitance, resulting in better performance and signal integrity
• Improved heat transfer thanks to an exposed pad, allowing the M5 Pro and M5 Max to deliver better sustained performance