Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,670
23,580
Should we expect n3e to bring major efficiency and battery improvements?

No, that train is long gone. As nodes continue to shrink, the gains will be less and less.

N3E offers similar performance and power compared to N3B, but the yield is increased.

N3P entering mass production in 2025 offers +5% performance or +5% energy efficiency at existing clocks. Apple will undoubtedly choose performance.
 

Love-hate 🍏 relationship

macrumors 68040
Sep 19, 2021
3,004
3,175
No, that train is long gone. As nodes continue to shrink, the gains will be less and less.

N3E offers similar performance and power compared to N3B, but the yield is increased.

N3P entering mass production in 2025 offers +5% performance or +5% energy efficiency at existing clocks. Apple will undoubtedly choose performance.
thanks. hmm given the very bad battery on my 15 pro, which I had to return , I am quite afraid of getting a 16 pro at that rate
 

Allen_Wentz

macrumors 68030
Dec 3, 2016
2,738
3,009
USA
No, the next iteration of the MacBook Air will most certainly get a bump to M4. And it's also most likely the design won't change...even though it should. A better display with a higher refresh rate should absolutely happen at the very least.
Why should "A better display with a higher refresh rate should absolutely happen at the very least" happen? You are saying that Apple should raise its lowest end laptop, giving away a portion of the lower end device sales.. Things like "A better display with a higher refresh rate" would raise the price of MBA, and people like me who want better displays can just buy MBPs. IMO Apple should keep the MBA as the device for low end, and keep the cost of MBA down.
 

Allen_Wentz

macrumors 68030
Dec 3, 2016
2,738
3,009
USA
😂 If Apple increases the base memory in 2025 with M4 update they are not going to increase base memory again whenever they release it with M5 chip, whether that's in 2027, 2028, or 2029. Apple goes many many years before increasing the base memory. And each time they did, they took longer to do so than with prior base increase.

Introduced (original) MacBook Air on January 15, 2008
2GB of memory and 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive


Apple increased the base memory 3.5 years later with the release of...

MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011) - https://support.apple.com/en-us/112038
4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 onboard memory (on 13-inch model only. the 11-inch MacBook Air still had 2GB base memory)


The MacBook Air's base memory didn't go up again until mid 2017... 6 years later...

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - https://support.apple.com/en-us/111924
8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory


It's now 2024 which means we're overdue for an increase to base memory. If Apple releases an M4 MacBook Air in late 2025 with a bump in the base memory, we will have gone 8.5 years since last increase to base memory.

At this rate, we won't see the next increase to base memory until after 2035.
The focus on base memory is IMO wrong-headed thinking. Just really folks continuing the constant whine about wanting more for less from Apple, which is a waste of bandwidth. And the history of base memory means nothing.

What is relevant is how much maximum available.memory Apple offers in its laptops. That increase has been huge (16 GB 2016, 128 GB 2023) and folks should be saying hmm, RAM is a superb way to compute, look how much I can get now. Instead we get the posters here recommending low RAM amounts to save a few bucks because the OS will force it to work. And focusing on base RAM. IMO wrong-headed thinking.

Folks should think about future operation because the future is when a new box ordered up today will be being used and RAM needs always increase over time.
 

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
An Xbox series S which costs £250 (i got mine for £150), has 10GB RAM as standard. Just sayin…
so even an ipad can do more with its hardware than Xbox...you can have the best hardware but without support...is nothing, and vice versa
So an Mba is champ here, good hardware with good support overall
So you were saying....
 
Last edited:

DHagan4755

macrumors 68020
Jul 18, 2002
2,195
5,907
Massachusetts
Why should "A better display with a higher refresh rate should absolutely happen at the very least" happen? You are saying that Apple should raise its lowest end laptop, giving away a portion of the lower end device sales.. Things like "A better display with a higher refresh rate" would raise the price of MBA, and people like me who want better displays can just buy MBPs. IMO Apple should keep the MBA as the device for low end, and keep the cost of MBA down.
Hi Allen,

If you look at the competition they are offering a better display at the same price when configured with 16Gb of ram and 512 GB SSD.
 
Last edited:

snipr125

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2015
1,811
2,857
UK
so even an ipad can do more with its hardware than Xbox...you can have the best hardware but without support...is nothing, and vice versa
So an Mba is champ here, good hardware with good support overall
So you were saying....

An iPad or Macbook Air M3 cannot play Starfield on them can they, yet a £250 gaming console can! Also you can use MS Office on new Xbox’s via Edge. Anyway my point is as good as MBA are, the best in their class actually, Apple is just stingy with the base models RAM.
 

Lounge vibes 05

macrumors 68040
May 30, 2016
3,652
10,608
An Xbox series S which costs £250 (i got mine for £150), has 10GB RAM as standard. Just sayin…
Mac mini with 16 GB of ram is significantly cheaper than most MacBook Airs, what is your point?

You are aware that there’s a lot more to a computer than just… The RAM, right?
 

sw1tcher

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
5,491
19,263
The focus on base memory is IMO wrong-headed thinking. Just really folks continuing the constant whine about wanting more for less from Apple, which is a waste of bandwidth. And the history of base memory means nothing.

What is relevant is how much maximum available.memory Apple offers in its laptops. That increase has been huge (16 GB 2016, 128 GB 2023) and folks should be saying hmm, RAM is a superb way to compute, look how much I can get now. Instead we get the posters here recommending low RAM amounts to save a few bucks because the OS will force it to work. And focusing on base RAM. IMO wrong-headed thinking.
Well, since the topic of discussion is the MacBook Air and what the next iteration may bring, I should point out that the maximum memory for the MacBook Air is 24GB, not 128GB.

Only the MacBook Pro has maximum memory capacity of 128GB.

Folks should think about future operation because the future is when a new box ordered up today will be being used and RAM needs always increase over time.
If memory needs alwys increase over time as you suggest (and to which I agree), then our focus on what the base memory is is important. Apple keeping it at 8GB in 2024 is shameful and greedy, and Apple trying to convince people that 8GB is analogous to 16GB is just insulting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FriendlyMackle

High IQ Person

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2022
71
32
If you’re really in the market for a Mac, I’d just buy an M3 model now and not wait. I suspect TSMC is struggling immensely with 3nm and will be stuck there for 3+ years minimum. The next few M chips might underwhelm as the foundry struggles.

Wait until they or another foundry solves GAA yield issues and fabs them with GAA transistors. That may be in 2026 or later.
 

High IQ Person

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2022
71
32
Well, since the topic of discussion is the MacBook Air and what the next iteration may bring, I should point out that the maximum memory for the MacBook Air is 24GB, not 128GB.

Only the MacBook Pro has maximum memory capacity of 128GB.


If memory needs alwys increase over time as you suggest (and to which I agree), then our focus on what the base memory is is important. Apple keeping it at 8GB in 2024 is shameful and greedy, and Apple trying to convince people that 8GB is analogous to 16GB is just insulting.
As TSMC struggles with 3nm for the next 3-5 years, I suspect Apple will attempt to compensate for underwhelming performance gains with higher RAM capacity. We might see 12GB base models on the M4 if the performance jump is <5%.

You can already see that Apple has little faith in TSMC to solve GAA issues in time, which is why they’re slow in adopting higher memory capacity and OLED. They’re hedging for the likely possibility that TSMC gets stuck. They’re going to be in a very bad position if they rolled out 16GB base + OLED with M3 and then get no performance improvements in 5+ years should TSMC fail in the GAA transition. Mac sales would plummet.
 
Last edited:

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
An iPad or Macbook Air M3 cannot play Starfield on them can they, yet a £250 gaming console can! Also you can use MS Office on new Xbox’s via Edge. Anyway my point is as good as MBA are, the best in their class actually, Apple is just stingy with the base models RAM.
Of course they can. Xbox are just made for one thing, limited more than an iphone/ipad or even than smartwatch
 

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
As TSMC struggles with 3nm for the next 3-5 years, I suspect Apple will attempt to compensate for underwhelming performance gains with higher RAM capacity. We might see 12GB base models on the M4 if the performance jump is <5%.

You can already see that Apple has little faith in TSMC to solve GAA issues in time, which is why they’re slow in adopting higher memory capacity and OLED. They’re hedging for the likely possibility that TSMC gets stuck. They’re going to be in a very bad position if they rolled out 16GB base + OLED with M3 and then get no performance improvements in 5+ years should TSMC fail in the GAA transition. Mac sales would plummet.
If tsmc will struggle then all the others will. But this is a lie , tsmc is already on road for 2nm for late 2025 ..if you base your assumptions on rumors at least learn to read them correctly
Its just your opinion based on nothing
 

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
If you’re really in the market for a Mac, I’d just buy an M3 model now and not wait. I suspect TSMC is struggling immensely with 3nm and will be stuck there for 3+ years minimum. The next few M chips might underwhelm as the foundry struggles.

Wait until they or another foundry solves GAA yield issues and fabs them with GAA transistors. That may be in 2026 or later.
“high-volume manufacturing (HVM) of 2nm chips in the latter half of 2025”
A “high iq person” should not suspect anything based on nothing
This is misinformation if you have no facts
Like your knowledge is missing from M4 topic , here iq strikes again
 

High IQ Person

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2022
71
32
If tsmc will struggle then all the others will. But this is a lie , tsmc is already on road for 2nm for late 2025 ..if you base your assumptions on rumors at least learn to read them correctly
Its just your opinion based on nothing
TSMC has a history of lying. Remember when they said no issues with 3nm and 80% yield despite delay after delay? They’re stuck at 55% yield with no improvement in sight.

Also, TSMC failing with GAA has nothing to do with other foundries. GAA and FinFet are 2 separate transistor designs with radically different manufacturing processes. Remember when Intel used to lead in fabrication? They lost the lead with FinFet generation. We’re entering the GAA generation now and leadership can change. It may not even be Intel/Samsung. It could even be Rapidus. Or maybe more than 1 solve it. The point is that you can’t make predictions about market leadership so early. I still remember when TSMC messed up their 20-28nm nodes. The running joke in the industry at that time was that the black dots in their logo represent the good wafers.

That said, it’s clear to me and anyone with a modicum of intelligence and reason that Apple is holding back memory and screen upgrades to hedge for a semiconductor stagnation this decade. Apple may be greedy, but they’re not idiots. They could’ve easily increased the base memory to save their declining Mac sales but didn't because things could get much worse if no fab solves GAA. How are you going to get people to upgrade from base 16GB + OLED + M3 this year? Mac sales would plummet 90% if the M6 had the same performance profile as the M3 with the same 16GB base memory with OLED. If Apple had any faith in TSMC GAA node now, they would’ve done 16 GB or even 12 GB with the base model. That does not mean TSMC will fail, just that GAA fab is different than FinFet and that no one has solved it yet.
 
Last edited:

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
stop making excuses, we are on 3nm on all apple laptops, while windows pc are still behind. you are writing also some laughable replies to the M4 topic where you made all of us smile and laugh
So stop making tsmc a liar, if they lied to apple then they paid the price. But saying that SoC under 3nm is 5+ years away….is just a lie from you. nobody knows but tsmc themselves.
 
Last edited:

High IQ Person

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2022
71
32
stop making excuses, we are on 3nm on all apple laptops, while windows pc are still behind. you are writing also some laughable replies to the M4 topic where you made all of us smile and laugh
So stop making tsmc a liar, if they lied to apple then they paid the price. But saying that SoC under 3nm is 5+ years away….is just a lie from you. nobody knows but tsmc themselves.
Only Apple is on 3nm because yields are low.
 

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
Remain at your precious main reply “Would be funny if TSMC gets stuck and Apple silicon stagnates”

“As TSMC struggles with 3nm for the next 3-5 years”
So from IF tsmc gets stuck now you are on tsmc struggles..so from an probability to a certainty from the same High IQ person shows how trustworthy you are
 

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,163
Only Apple is on 3nm because yields are low.
Because apple bought tsmc 80% or so capacity , they did it with 5nm in the past also
But why Intel or amd are not capble?!
Tsmc is not the only chip manufacturer
Next time dont make some strong claims without any proof , is not allowed by macrumors rules
 

KhunJay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 16, 2013
479
178
You know, I was under the impression that Apple makes these chips in-house as they call it Apple
Silicon. Does Apple outsource production to TSMC, who make these exclusively for them, based on specs provided by Apple?
 

High IQ Person

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2022
71
32
You know, I was under the impression that Apple makes these chips in-house as they call it Apple
Silicon. Does Apple outsource production to TSMC, who make these exclusively for them, based on specs provided by Apple?
Does dominos make the pizza based on specs provided by me?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: geta
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.