TSMC Just Announced a Brand New Chip Manufacturing Process Called “A16”
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Last updated 3 hours ago
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will move away from its current processor designs, which have the CPU and GPU cores on the same die — and see a performance boost.
One of the reasons Apple Silicon was so fast compared to previous Intel processors was that each M-series chip was a single unit. This system-on-a-chip (SoC) idea eliminates bottlenecks because all the elements of the processor are on a single die.
However, Kuo says Apple is going to change that for the M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra. Only the M5 will remain a single unit.
Instead, the M5 Pro and other chips will use chip maker TSMC's latest packaging process. Called System-in-Integrated-Chips-Molding-Horizontal (SoIC-mH), it combines different chips into a single package.
Apple M5 Series Chip
1. The M5 series chips will use TSMC's advanced N3P node, which entered the prototype phase a few months ago. Mass production of the M5, M5 Pro/Max, and M5 Ultra is expected in 1H25, 2H25, and 2026, respectively.
2. The M5 Pro, Max, and Ultra will use https://t.co/XIWHx5B2Cy— (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 23, 2024
The benefit, Kuo said, is that it will enable “server-grade” packaging. Apple “will use 2.5D packaging,” which has “separate CPU and GPU designs,” and which will “improve yield and thermal performance.”
Kuo says mass production is expected in 2H25 for the M5 Pro and M5 Max, followed by 2026 for the M5 Ultra. The M5 has reportedly been in the prototyping stage for several months, and mass production is believed to be scheduled for 1H25.
This M5 processor will be manufactured by TSMC using its N3P technology, which is expected to first appear in the iPhone 18 lineup.
Kuo also claims that the M5 Pro processors will be used in Apple's intelligence servers. In particular, they will be used for the company's Private Cloud Compute technology.
Rumor Assessment
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Possible
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