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Apple introduces M4 chip

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Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#411

Post by criddell »

mvkel wrote: post #117
praseodym wrote: post #10

"With these improvements to the CPU and GPU, M4 maintains Apple silicon’s industry-leading performance per watt. M4 can deliver the same performance as M2 using just half the power. And compared with the latest PC chip in a thin and light laptop, M4 can deliver the same performance using just a fourth of the power." That's an incredible improvement in just a few years. I wonder how much of that is Apple engineering a…

And here it is in an OS that can't even max out an M1! That said, the function keys make me think "and it runs macOS" is coming, and THAT would be extremely compelling.

> And here it is in an OS that can't even max out an M1

Do you really want your OS using 100% of CPU?

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#412

Post by whynotminot »

adrian_b wrote: post #244
dhx wrote: post #158

M2's Neural Engine had 15TOPS, M3's 18TOPS (+20%) vs. M4's 38TOPS (+111%). In transistor counts, M2 had 20BTr, M3 25BTr (+25%) and M4 has 28BTr (+12%). M2 used TSMC N5P (138MTr/mm2), M3 used TSMC N3 (197MTr/mm2, +43%) and M4 uses TSMC N3E (215MTr/mm2, +9%).[1][2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_nm_process#%225_nm%22_proces... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_nm_process#%223_nm%22_proces...

> The Most Powerful Neural Engine Ever While it is true that the claimed performance for M4 is better than for the current Intel Meteor Lake and AMD Hawk Point, it is also significantly lower (e.g. around half) than the AI performance claimed for the laptop CPU+GPU+NPU models that both Intel and AMD will introduce in the second half of this year (Arrow Lake and Strix Point).

> will introduce

Incredible that in the future there will be better chips than what Apple is releasing now.

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#413

Post by culopatin »

grzeshru wrote: post #105

Are these M-class chips available to be purchased on Digi-Key and Mouser? Do they have data sheets and recommended circuitry? I’d love to play with one just to see how difficult it is to integrate compared to, say, an stm8/32 or something.

Did you really expect a yes?

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#414

Post by pshc »

shepherdjerred wrote: post #153

Am I wrong, or is raytracing on an iPad an _insane_ thing to announce? As far as I know, raytracing is the holy grail of computer graphics. It's something that became viable on consumer gaming desktops just a few years ago, and now we have real-time ray tracing on a tablet.

It is kind of crazy to look back on. In the future we might look forward to path tracing and more physically accurate renderers. (Or perhaps all the lighting will be hallucinated by AI...?)

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#415

Post by beeboobaa3 »

a_vanderbilt wrote: post #216
mvkel wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And here it is in an OS that can't even max out an M1! That said, the function keys make me think "and it runs macOS" is coming, and THAT would be extremely compelling.

We've seen a slow march over the last decade towards the unification of iOS and macOS. Maybe not a "it runs macOS", but an eventual "they share all the same apps" with adaptive UIs.

Until an "iPhone" can run brew, all my developer tools, steam, epic games launcher, etc it's hardly interesting.

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#416

Post by loongloong »

philistine wrote: post #141
izacus wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple usually massively exaggerates their tech spec comparison - is it REALLY half the power use of all times (so we'll get double the battery life) or is it half the power use in some scenarios (so we'll get like... 15% more battery life total) ?

Quickly looking at the press release, it seems to have the same comparisons as in the video. None of Apple's comparisons today are between the M3 and M4. They are ALL comparing the M2 and M4. Why? It's frustrating, but today Apple replaced a product with an M2 with a product with an M4. Apple always compares product to product, never component to component when it comes to processors. So those specs are far more impr…

Doesn't seem plausible to me that Apple will release a "M3 variant" that can drive "tandem OLED" displays. So probably logical to package whatever chip progress (including process improvements) into "M4".

And it can signal that "We are serious about iPad as a computer", using their latest chip.

Logical alignment to progresses in engineering (and manufacturing) packaged smartly to generate marketing capital for sales and brand value creation.

Wonder how the newer Macs will use these "tandem OLED" capabilities of the M4.

Re: Apple introduces M4 chip

#420

Post by mcv »

izacus wrote: post #84
praseodym wrote: post #10

"With these improvements to the CPU and GPU, M4 maintains Apple silicon’s industry-leading performance per watt. M4 can deliver the same performance as M2 using just half the power. And compared with the latest PC chip in a thin and light laptop, M4 can deliver the same performance using just a fourth of the power." That's an incredible improvement in just a few years. I wonder how much of that is Apple engineering a…

Apple usually massively exaggerates their tech spec comparison - is it REALLY half the power use of all times (so we'll get double the battery life) or is it half the power use in some scenarios (so we'll get like... 15% more battery life total) ?

I don't know, but the M3 MBP I got from work already gives the impression of using barely any power at all. I'm really impressed by Apple Silicon, and I'm seriously reconsidering my decision from years ago to never ever buy Apple again. Why doesn't everybody else use chips like these?
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