Will Apple’s M3 silicon compete with Intel 4 Meteor Lake

Intel’s roadmap indicates that it will be a significant competitor to Apple’s silicon.

One typical response to Intel’s planned resurgence is that it simply does not matter for Apple’s CPU plans. If history repeats itself and Intel’s processors once again outperform Apple. Apple will not be content to sell Macs with second-rate chips.

Here is the list of upcoming Intel’s Processors – Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, Meteor Lake, Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, and Nova Lake. 

Intel’s Roadmap

Alder Lake

Intel’s codename for its 12th-generation Core processors is Alder Lake. The processor is being manufactured on the Intel 7 process node (previously known as Intel 10nm Enhanced SuperFin) and will be available in the fourth quarter of this year. Alder Lake will build on a hybrid architecture that combines high-performance Golden Cove cores with power-efficient Gracemont cores.

Raptor Lake

The 13th-generation Raptor Lake will be manufactured on the Intel 7 process node and will be available in the fall of 2022. LPDDR5X memory support, DLVR power delivery, and performance updates to the Golden Code and Gracemont cores leak as improvements over its predecessor.

Meteor Lake

This 14th-generation processor is manufactured on the Intel 4 process node and is available in the first half of 2023. Meteor Lake will build on a tile (chipset) architecture with three tiles: a Compute die, a SOC-LP die, and a GPU die. The GPU die will significantly improve integrated graphics performance by doubling the execution unit (EU) limit from 96 to 192.

Arrow Lake

According to one rumor, the 15th generation processor manufacturers on TSMC’s 3nm process, with Lion Cove high-performance and Skymont power-efficient cores. According to a second rumor, the Arrow Lake processor will be base on the Intel 4 process node. Arrow Lake is to open in the second half of 2023.

Lunar Lake

Rumors abound about Lunar Lake. One version claims that the processor will be manufactured on TSMC’s 3nm process, while another claims it will be the first Intel 3-based processor. Lunar Lake expects to launch in the second half of 2024, using high-performance Lion Cove cores and power-efficient Skymont cores.

Nova Lake

Nova Lake expects to be the most significant architectural change since the Core architecture introduce in 2006. With the Intel 20A process node, Nova Lake will usher in the angstrom era of Intel processors. The processor will use Panther Cove high-performance cores and Darkmont power-efficient cores to deliver a 50% performance boost over Lunar Lake.

Apple’s Silicon Roadmap

Apple, unlike Intel, has not revealed its plans for future Apple silicon versions. The M1 is a revolution, and the upcoming M2, M3, and so on will be significant evolutions. Apple’s chips have a good track record of improving year after year.

M1

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a more powerful version of the M1 processor will be available in redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros before the end of the year. The new chip expects eight high-performance, two energy-efficient, and 16 or 32 GPU cores based on TSMC’s performance-enhanced 5nm process technology (N5P).

M2

 This new chip will most likely be TSMC’s 4nm process technology (N4). An investor note from Ming-Chi Kuo is backing up Gurman’s reporting, who predicts a new MacBook Air with a 13.3-inch Mini-LED display and upgrades will release in mid-2022.

M3

 Apple’s third-generation M-series chip comes from Nikkei, claiming that Apple tests chip designs with TSMC’s 3nm process technology (N3). The commercial output of such fragments expects to begin in the second half of next year.

Conclusion

Whether Intel ultimately outperforms Apple or forces Apple to accelerate its pace of innovation, let’s see and of course, the upcoming processors will benefit us all.

You may also like to read about the M1 chip technology