Apple's rumored M3 Ultra could have 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, support 256GB of RAM

Apple recently unveiled its new M3 family of processors inside of their new wave of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, but now we're hearing a little rumble going on with the M3 Ultra chip being teased.

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As it stands, the Apple M3 Max is the highest-end version of the new M3 chips from Apple and features a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU with support for up to 128GB of unified RAM. The new rumors on Apple's crazier M3 Ultra chip would feature a 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU supporting a much larger 256GB of unified RAM.

The news of the beefier M3 Ultra is coming from the latest "Power On" newsletter written by Mark Gurman for Bloomberg, in which he said that the M3 Ultra could have a "whopping 80 graphics cores". But the word "whopping" when the M2 Ultra had a 76-core GPU? Yeah, I don't know. Anyway, we'll be looking at double the CPU cores and double the GPU cores from the M3 Max to the M3 Ultra, as it's pretty much 2 x M3 Max chips interconnected, sharing resources through Apple's UltraFusion process.

• M3 Ultra: 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 184 billion transistors
• M3 Max: 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 92 billion transistors
• M3 Pro: 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 37 billion transistors
• M3: 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 25 billion transistors
• M2 Ultra: 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU, 134 billion transistors
• M2 Max: 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 67 billion transistors
• M2 Pro: 10-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 40 billion transistors
• M2: 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 20 billion transistors
• M1 Ultra: 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 114 billion transistors
• M1 Max: 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 57 billion transistors
• M1 Pro: 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 34 billion transistors
• M1: 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16 billion transistors

Apple's flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop is powered by the flagship M3 Max SoC, with its 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU supporting up to 128GB of unified RAM... which, when fully specced-out, you're looking at $7200 for the privilege. Apple's beefier M3 Ultra -- if it comes to fruition -- will double the CPU and GPU cores but also add support for up to 256GB of unified RAM. I'd like to see that happen in 2024, Apple!

• Read more: Apple's maxed-out 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro laptop costs $7200
• Read more: Apple's new M3 chips launch inside new 14-inch, 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops

Gurman said: "That has implications for the M3 Ultra, which Apple hasn't announced yet. If the company continues to double both the CPU and graphics configurations with the Ultra, we're looking at a Mac chip that tops out at an outrageous 32 CPU cores and 80 graphics cores. And as Apple steps up the memory, you could imagine an option with 256 gigabytes".