Apple M7 Ultra: Arriving in 2027 with 1.5 TB of Unified Memory for AI

A new rumor suggests that Apple is preparing a significant generational leap for its range of processors designed for workstations. According to the information that has emerged, the future M7 Ultra could offer a maximum capacity of 1.5 TB of unified memory, a setup that would double the expected capacity for the future M5 Ultra.

Sources indicate that Apple has decided not to introduce an M6 Ultra model, preferring to launch the M5 Ultra by the end of the year and subsequently present the M7 Ultra in 2027, after the debut of the M7 Pro and M7 Max processors. The increased amount of memory would primarily be intended for artificial intelligence applications running directly on the device.

In such processing tasks, in fact, both the power of the processor and the capacity and bandwidth of the memory are crucial elements for managing large language models. According to previous reports by Bloomberg, the future M5 Ultra is expected to arrive with a CPU of up to 36 cores, a GPU of up to 80 cores, and unified memory reaching 768 GB. The M7 Ultra, on the other hand, could push the limit to 1.5 TB, provided market conditions allow.

Additional Details on Apple's M7 Ultra

The rumor highlights that the availability of DRAM memory chips continues to be an important variable. Component shortages and rising costs could indeed influence the final configuration that Apple will decide to market. Additionally, the bandwidth of the memory could increase significantly. The current M3 Ultra reaches 819 GB/s, while the upcoming M7 Ultra might surpass the 1 TB/s threshold, further enhancing performance in more demanding processing tasks.

Rumors also talk about a possible use of memory produced by CXMT, a choice that could help Apple diversify its supply chain and limit availability issues. Naturally, a configuration of this level would come at a very high cost. According to reported estimates, a Mac Studio equipped with the M7 Ultra in its maximum configuration could cost around $20,000. In comparison, a Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra, 96 GB of unified memory, and a 1 TB SSD starts from $5,299, opting for a reduced configuration.

If these rumors are confirmed, the new platform could be capable of running AI models locally with over 1 trillion parameters, theoretically reaching up to about 1.2 trillion parameters.