Apple M4 vs Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)

The Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU), based on the M1 architecture, was introduced in 2022 for the Mac Studio and is aimed at professional users with extreme demands on computing and graphics performance, such as video producers and 3D artists.

Manufactured using the 5 nm process, it integrates a 20-core CPU (16 high-performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) and a 48-core GPU. It uses PCIe 4.0 and offers a maximum memory bandwidth of 819 GB/s, advantageous for demanding AI workloads. The Level 2 cache is 52 MB. In multi-core applications, the Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) demonstrates significantly superior performance compared to the Apple M4, but lags behind in single-core tasks.

For gaming, it is superior due to its 48-core GPU and high memory bandwidth. As a desktop processor, it is designed for maximum performance, which comes with higher power consumption and positions it in high-end Mac Studio configurations. The Apple M4, introduced in 2024 and currently found in the iPad Pro, is aimed at users who need high performance and exceptional energy efficiency.

The M4 architecture is manufactured using the advanced 3 nm process. It includes a 10-core CPU (4 high-performance cores, 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU, uses PCIe 4.0, and offers a Level 2 cache of 20 MB. The maximum memory bandwidth is 120 GB/s. For single-core tasks, the Apple M4 significantly outperforms the Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU), but shows lower performance in multi-core scenarios.

Its gaming performance is less pronounced due to the smaller GPU and lower memory bandwidth. Thanks to the 3 nm process, the Apple M4 is characterized by excellent energy efficiency, ideal for mobile devices with low TDP. It is offered in premium mobile devices and delivers excellent performance there.