Apple’s most powerful Mac chip could be about to close one of the last remaining gaps between Apple Silicon and Intel-era workstations.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is designing its future M7 Ultra chip to support as much as 1.5TB of unified memory. If that figure makes it to the final product, it would match the maximum memory configuration offered by the 2019 Intel-based Mac Pro.
The reported upgrade is still some way off, with the M7 Ultra not expected until 2028. However, it suggests Apple is planning a significant leap for professionals working with demanding AI workloads, advanced video production and other memory-intensive tasks.
The catch is that Apple may not ultimately ship a 1.5TB configuration. Gurman says ongoing memory chip shortages could make such a model too expensive or difficult to produce in meaningful quantities, even if the chip itself is capable of supporting it.
That would still represent a major step forward from today’s Apple Silicon Macs. The current top-end Mac Studio offers up to 96GB of unified memory following Apple’s recent configuration changes. The M4 Max can be configured with up to 128GB. Meanwhile, the upcoming M5 Ultra is expected to push that ceiling to 768GB. This would double Apple’s current record before the M7 Ultra potentially doubles it again.
The report also highlights one of the defining characteristics of Apple Silicon. Apple builds unified memory directly into the chip package instead of installing it as separate RAM modules, unlike traditional PCs. That approach delivers much higher bandwidth and lower latency. However, Apple’s chip design also limits memory capacity and prevents users from upgrading it after purchase.
If Apple does eventually offer a fully loaded 1.5TB configuration, it almost certainly won’t come cheap. Based on Apple’s current upgrade pricing, moving from a base memory configuration to 1.5TB could reportedly add well over $35,000 to the price of a machine.
As always with long-term Apple roadmaps, plans could still change before launch. However, if Gurman’s report proves accurate, the M7 Ultra would mark another milestone in Apple’s effort to replace even its most capable Intel-era Macs with Apple Silicon.
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