Will Apple make a discrete GPU from the M1 Pro “Chop”?

[Rickroller]

The Apple M1 Max seems to be the complete chip for the higher end performance models in Apples lineup. There is also the cut down M1 Pro which maybe starts of as an M1 Max. The chopped off part should contain a full block of 16 GPU cores if they are all working plus other bits that make up the bottom part of the Max. They’re not going into a bin I don’t think, so what’s happening to them?

If these Chopped bits also include connecting parts for Ultra Fusion bridge, could they be used to build discrete GPUs for the upcoming Mac Pro…?

 

[cmaier]

No. They are thrown out.

 

[Krevnik]

I don’t think the M1 Pro is literally a chopped die. The die shots show some differences in the shared part of the die, specifically what looks like connections, likely what would be hooked up to the extra GPU cores and memory controllers on the max. But by chopping down one design to produce two production dies (and ultimately 3 different SoCs), Apple does simplify things for themselves.

Using some % of the wafers you’re running through TSMC to produce the Pro is going to be a lot cheaper than cutting down Max dies. You should be getting nearly double the number of good M1 Pro dies off the same 300mm wafer, possibly higher depending on the exact defect rate. That helps keep Apple’s margin up on the cheaper laptops, as well as keep up with what would be higher demand.

 

[senttoschool]

No. I believe the M1 Pro starts off as the M1 Pro, not the Max. The Max is a different die.

 

[Rickroller]

Thanks for the info. No idea about how hard or easy it is to make the different dies that are being put into into these machines. Gives me more confidence that the next chip for the Mac Pro won’t be something we have seen before.

 

[leman]

DGPUs don’t really work with Apples programming model. But what I can imagine in the future is them making small separate chips that contain clusters of CPU/GPU etc. cores and then building more flexible packages using ultra fusion.

 

[the8thark]

Apple is all in on the integrated model now. Even if they are at this point just throwing more and more cores in (reminds me of Intel). The difference is Apple has the thermals and low power usage to play with so their higher core options are not too hot or power hungry.

Apple is not about to give up the benefits of integrated everything, to go back to a discrete GPU.

Mind you Apple could take a hybrid approach for the Mac Pro. Essentially do an Ultra SoC but one side is the CPU and the other side is the GPU. They are two separate parts but because the connection between them is so fast, the overall computer would just see it all as one single SoC.

It does make the Mac Pro less modular though as you could not replace the GPU independently of the CPU. But it is a start. This all assumes though but both sides of there SoC can be different (as in substantially different, not just mirror images each other). I honestly know if that is even possible.

I am not sure Apple would go with a BTO SoC design though. Just a few options like every other Mac. Apple is trying to lower the number of raw SKUs the factories have to make. Taking the M1 as an example, sure different options but it's the same cores, just different amounts of them. Also the studio display, using the already existing A13. etc etc.

 

[dugbug]

a better question for the thread would be will apple make a discrete XXX anything for the Mac Pro.

CPU - could apple use an Ultra for base CPU/GPU and base SSD storage?
GPU - could apple allow existing GPU cards, the way laptops have integrated and discrete?
RAM - Could apple make Ultras without any on-package RAM and make all RAM external?
I/O - Likely yes
SSD - Likely yes

In some ways the machine would be slower (i.e. ram, etc) but it would be able to scale.
-d