Apple M1 Ultra chip was announced on March 8 of this year. And to everyone’s surprise, it is nothing like the M1, M1 Pro, or Max chips due to a new engineering approach.

This article will discuss the revolutionizing Apple M1 Ultra processor, specifications, availability timelines, etc.

Apple M1 Ultra Chip Specifications

• 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU.
• Supports up to 128GB unified memory (RAM).
• 114 billion transistors, over 7x more than on M1.
• 32-core Neural Engine.
• A display engine that drives external displays.
• Integrated Thunderbolt 4 controllers that offer more I/O bandwidth than before.
• A custom image signal processor used to enhance the camera’s image quality.
• Secure Enclave with hardware-verified secure boot and runtime anti-exploitation technology.
• For video pros, Apple claims the Ultra can manage up to 14 ProRes streams simultaneously.
• Apple claims its M1 Ultra delivers faster performance than the highest-end discrete GPUs (like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090) while using up to 200W less power.

What’s So Innovative About the New M1 Ultra Chip?

Thanks to the 20-core CPU with 16 high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, the Apple M1 Ultra chip is extremely fast and powerful. It is a system-on-chip (SoC), which means there is room for further expansion of what can be integrated into this new build (unified memory, 5G modem, etc.). 

Apple calls this technology UltraFusion. It integrates the CPU and GPU within the Apple M1 Ultra chip with the help of a silicon interposer with twice the connection density, consisting of 114 billion transistors. This proprietory of Apple technology further separates the company from the competition.

The chip can be configured with up to 128GB of unified memory, accessed by the 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine. Such specs provide an incredible amount of graphical processing power, making the M1 Ultra the best for video rendering professionals.

The chip has double the media engine power of the M1 Max CPU, speeding up processing operations immensely. For instance, Apple M1 Ultra can play back up to 18 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video, which could not have been accomplished before. 

Apple M1 Ultra Chip: Release Date, Store Availability, and Pricing

Apple announced its M1 Ultra chip in early March 2022. For now, only the Apple Mac Studio computers will be equipped with this innovative processing technology. The Mac Studio is the all-new desktop designed to bridge the gap between the Mac Pro and Mac Mini. 

This new desktop hit the Apple Store site on March 18 and is currently available to pre-order. The expected shipment date is June 2–June 16. 

The model has sold out at Best Buy. 

As you can imagine, the new Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip is quite expensive. The base configuration starts at $3999.99 (Apple M1 Ultra with 20-core CPU, 48-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB RAM, 1TB storage, no pre-installed software.) However, should you choose to go all out, the price runs up to $8498.98. 

Both Apple and Best Buy offer to finance and allow trade-ins for eligible pre-owned devices. 

Environmental Impact of the new Apple M1 Ultra Chip

Because of the custom silicon build, Apple M1 Ultra Chip enables Mac Studio to consume significantly less power over time. In fact, according to Apple, the device consumes up to 1,000 kilowatt-hours less energy than any other high-end PC desktop over a year.

Furthermore, Apple aims to have a net-zero impact across all operations, including manufacturing, by 2030. This means every M1 Ultra chip they create will be 100% carbon neutral.

Final Words

Apple M1 Ultra is undoubtedly the most powerful processor on the market today, at least on paper. And not only is it unbelievably fast, M1 Ultra is also beyond efficient. Once again, Apple took the lead in innovating, pushing the technology forward. It has also inspired other companies to start designing their own processors, gearing up more competitors for Intel. Lastly, for those on the fence about spending all that money on an Apple desktop, remember that you sell your used laptop or almost any other preowned gadget for cash with us. At Gadget Salvation, we strive to make the reselling process fast and easy.