Apple Allegedly Plans Aggressive Rollout for In-House Chips in 2021

Apple Allegedly Plans Aggressive Path for Self-Developed Chips in 2021

Apple Unveils Plans for Faster Homegrown Chips in 2021

Apple is set to revolutionise its product lineup with the introduction of new, custom-designed silicon for a variety of devices. According to reports, the new chips are planned for use in the MacBook Pro, entry-level and high-end iMacs, and Mac Pro desktop.

The new chips, if they perform as well as the M1 chip, could result in an impressive lineup for Apple. The M1 chip, currently available, uses seven to eight cores, with only four devoted to high performance. The new chips, however, are expected to have twice as many high-performance cores at minimum, and up to 32 performance cores in high-end desktops.

For high-end desktops, Apple may include a more powerful discrete graphics solution, initially available in either 16 or 32-core variations. In late 2021 or early 2022, Apple could release 64 or 128-core graphics solutions designed to significantly outperform AMD GPUs used in current Intel-based Macs.

Apple is aiming to develop chips that can outperform both Intel CPUs and AMD's latest Ryzen processors in both laptops and desktops. The new chips could potentially be more powerful than the AMD GPUs used in current Intel-based Macs with future releases.

The half-size Mac Pro is intended to be a mid-range desktop option between the Mac Mini and more expensive Mac Pro systems. Apple is planning to release a half-sized Mac Pro featuring a 32-core Apple processor in late 2021 or early 2022. The price of the half-size Mac Pro is not yet known, but the current Mac Pro starts at $6,000.

Depending on yields, next-gen Apple chips with only eight or 12 high-performance cores could be released earlier in the year. The new chips could have up to 16 performance cores plus four efficiency cores.

It's important to note that while Apple is being aggressive in its transition away from Intel-based chips, the new chips may not be able to hit all of Apple's planned timelines. The name of the architect (designer) of the announced 32-core chips for a half-size Mac Pro in 2021 or 2022 is not explicitly mentioned in the available search results. Apple’s chips such as the M1 Ultra and M2 series are designed in-house by Apple's silicon engineering teams, but no individual architect's name is publicly specified.

The new chips, if successful, could present a real advantage for Apple as the Ryzen 9 5950X has largely surpassed Intel in performance. The new chips could mark a significant step forward in Apple's pursuit of self-reliance in the chip-making industry.