Apple Plans to Use Its Own Chips in Macs from 2020, Replacing Intel
I just read 1060 comments, 400 of them are about macOS, 200 of them are not even related to the CPU topic. And no one has any more insight to share?<p>I find it very strange people think Apple SoC aren't any good for desktop workload.<p><a href="https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/compare/7795892?baseline=7796004" rel="nofollow">https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/compare/7795892?baselin...</a><p>This is an Macbook Top Spec from Intel on a Fanless Design, against an iPad Pro also a fanless design. Let's ignore the small difference of TDP for a minutes because both are limited by its Fanless design, and Geekbench do runs on for a few minutes, so it is an indication or how close they are in these specific workloads.<p>The Intel Core i7-7Y75 can turbo boost to 3.4Ghz if needed, comparing that to max 2.4Ghz of the A10X. If we also ignore the frequency, iPad Single Core performance is with 10% of Intel's best Core processor at this TDP. The A10 core here is a generation older then the A11 used in iPhone X and iPhone8, and A12 coming in this September will likely have even better IPC.<p>The JavaScript testing performance on both Mac and iOS Safari shows performance is similar and A11 even edge out Intel in some cases.<p>So no matter how you spin it, in certain workload Apple A11 has already matched up or exceed Intel within a Fanless TDP design. That is excluding the advantage Apple will have on Multicore when it has 4x Core compared to 2 Core 4 thread in Intel.<p>Intel's 14nm++ is also matured and better then then TSMC 10nm, which is merely a testing node for its 7nm.<p>i.e Assuming Apple wanted to, they could have a 7nm Quad Core A12X shipping in 6 months time that is better then Intel's Core at Fanless TDP or <15W design, at 1/3 of the cost.<p>The reality is Intel hasn't been executing its plan for a few years. And If this rumours is true it is only themselves to blame. When Apple were designing its 2015 Macbook, Intel's roadmap were clear, three years later in 2017, the Macbook was suppose to have Quad Core in its design. And looking at all the latest roadmap, it doesn't seem there will be a 10nm Quad Core CPU shipping this year either. Not in fanless design. We are looking at 2019 march, four years since its introduction to get that through.<p>Then there is the LPDDR4 memory support. You wanted 32GB Laptop Memory? Well Intel doesn't allow you to have it. Not even in 2018. The delay in 10nm, the little to no improvement in IPC, AVX2 is very much a niche. As a normal customer I dont really have a reason to buy Intel anymore unless you want absolute Price / Single Core Performance, otherwise AMD is a much better choice. So I dont think we are the one who are frustrated. Apple is likely too.<p>I also wonder how this moves means in the Modem space. Which is the much more important pcs for Apple. I have often argued one reason Apple didn't make the Mac to ARM move earlier was because Apple needed Intel's modem to fence off Qualcomm's "double dipping". Now that Broadcom failed to acquire Qualcomm, Intel is being dumped from Apple. Does that mean Apple is going back to Qualcomm modem soon? Likely along with a deal of using Qualcomm Centriq on servers and likely later in Pro lineup of Mac?<p>Previously Apple's rumoured Project McQueen were to bring all the Server inhouse, using less resources from AWS, Azure and Google. Apple is a large Server customers on its own. If Qualcomm has Apple to kick start its Server CPU business, along with Apple push to help PC transition to ARM, it may be well worth Qualcomm to lower its royalty and modem prices.