Written By: Ace
What is Apple’s new Chip?
Back in late 2021, I was going about my day with my trusty mac (yes I am superior but I use windows as well, don’t come at me) only to have it completely break down as I restarted it. Seeing as that device was my daily driver, I was distraught and panicked to purchase another one of the same model, the 13’ inch macbook pro. Now, just as I was satisfied with the new computer, what do I see after a few months?
(Apple)
The money grabbing piece of shi-, I mean the esteemed electronics company Apple, came out with their next of the line, M2 processors, claiming all types of benefits and increased functionality. Seeing this new line of in house Apple processors, many questions came to mind. Why did Apple suddenly switch to their M1 chip, what does the M2 chip do better and how does this all compare with Intel? This article will not only give you great information for decisions regarding your future computer purchases, but will also present a feuding story between two tech titans.
Theory of Chip architecture
If you have built a PC before or have extensive knowledge of computer hardware you can skip this section, but if you are unfamiliar with computer terms or need a refresher here is a quick summary. A Processor or CPU is the brain of your computer, it’s where all the magic happens and how the computer is able to complete tasks by storing and calculating data. Physically, the processor is made out of transistors which are components that act as a switch. They can be either on or off and correspond to the values of 1 and 0 that are used in binary. Current will flow through these transistors to change their states, and when you have a bunch of transistors together you can create logic gates. When multiple currents are applied to these logic gates, a result will be created using boolean algebra. Through this you have the basic functions that are the foundation of how computers operate. Now if you have billions of these transistors, you will have immense amounts of data that is stored into an insanely complicated system that of which is now inside whatever device you are reading this on.
Now how is it so small? These transistors are all etched into a wafer of silicon, making use of each nanometer. Silicon is a semi-conductive material that allows the transistors to be downsized to the nanoscale, making it a vital material.
Also, processors these days are multi-core, which means on one integrated circuit you get two or more “cores”s that perform the same function and allow multi threading and parallel processing. It’s basically like having an extra set of arms for doing other things.
Apple M1
Now Apple and Intel have been working together for more than 20 years. However, in June 2020, Apple wanted to break off this relationship as it decided to stop using intel chips and use its own Arm-based, “Apple Silicon” A21Z chips. This was met by immediate competition from Intel, as they made efforts to display the 11th gen intel Chip’s superiority.
What is Arm’s System on a Chip (SoC) and what are its advantages?
Arm operates by licensing its architecture design models to companies of which they can make custom modifications and decisions. Compared to Intel’s model of which manufacturers have to find ways to build around the processor, through the use of their x64 designs, Arm is more flexible since they allow more components to be added to the chip, thus modifying its functionality. This is what gives it the name “System on a chip” as the nature of the machine can be completely different depending on the client. These Chips are already seen to be used in the integrated system of the ipad and iphones devices, ( this is why chips so small still have the ability to perform functions like a computer). To note “Apple silicon” is the production process of the design Apple has created, while Arm licences their intellectual property. The design and methods then go to a foundry, which for this case is TSMC, that will create the components.
Why is it unique?
The letter “R” in the word “Arm” stands for the term “Reduced Instruction Set Computer” (RISC). Its goal is to render all of the processor’s functions on a single chip by taking advantage of the efficiency of simplicity. A processor’s instruction set can be made smaller by using fewer bits to code it, which reduces memory use and execution cycle time. By carefully deciding which functions would be utilised the most frequently and only rendering those in hardware, while the other functions will be allocated to software. In fact, this is what makes a SoC with a number of tiny cores practical: trying to pack all main functions into software. To dive more deeply into this topic, I recommend researching RISC, CISC and the debate between the use of these two technologies.
What are the Results?
The M1 is so much faster and more effective than earlier Intel chips because Apple worked to unify the numerous chips that Macs previously needed for CPU, I/O, and security. The M1’s unified memory architecture, which Apple has incorporated, is also a significant factor since it allows all of the technologies to access the same data without switching between different memory pools.
This has lead to the highest single core performance out of any previous mac,
Making its CPU 3.5x faster and having a 6x faster GPU performance. Moreover, due to the use of the neural engine, there is 15x faster machine learning capabilities compared to the Intel chips used in prior-generation machine
Here is a graph for graphics power comparison:
Power Consumption
It has lower power consumption due to its integrated system and thus has double the battery life of the model from the prior generation. The 13th inch that I use has approximately 20 hours of usage.
Apple M1 vs M2
Now the new M2 Chip released also claims to have improved by dramatic measures. Through the new “ second gen 5 nanometer technology”(whatever that means), The M2 processors now have 20 billion transistors, an increase of 25%. This will help increase memory and cache capabilities of the computer, thus improving the experience of basic functions that users enjoy. Although still having the same amount of cores, the new chips can perform at faster clock speeds. This combined with the added memory capabilities allow a 25% Boost in graphic performance at normal power when compared to the M1.
Evaluation of performance
Now this is all impressive and to whom does it concern? And to what extent does the difference between M1, M2 and other intel computers matter? To answer this, we need to look at the landscape of the computer market. For the longest time, windows seem to have dominated the processor market, and now that this new chip is introduced, it has sparked competition. M1 chips have shown to be on par if not better than most intel chips at the same level. The New M2 chips, if shown to be consistent, are also a notable upgrade. Apple even claims that they perform 90% better than the new 12th gen intel Alderlake architecture intel chips while using half the power.
Recommendations
Through reviews and multiple tests it can be seen that Apple’s chips are also a great choice when considering CPU performance and power consumption. Now it all comes to consumer preference. If you are looking for customizability to fit a certain lifestyle, then intel-based systems have devices that vary far and wide and will better serve you. If you would like a simple but powerful computer to do graphic or computing intensive work, I would recommend Apple for a portable device. However, if you are building a desktop rig, I would go for an Intel based PC to focus on performance. Last and most importantly, how much mula are you willing to pay to the computer gods? If you would like to save as much as possible but get a decent system, please do not waste your money on Apple, as the prices are quite steep.
Looking forward
On the consumer side of things, this is a beneficial change as more competition will push these companies to become more efficient and innovative. However on the business side of things, it is a much more complicated situation. Currently Arm is in a precarious position as one of the most desired chip design companies in the world by semiconductor companies like Nvidia, but is restricted by regulators to prevent anti-competitive actions. On the other hand, Apple is wary as its sensitive information is being held inside Arm. Therefore in the long term, it seems Apple will most likely transition to other models or create a new generation of systems. We as consumers can only wait in anticipation to see where this new technology develops, and see how AI will play into it all well.
Thank you for reading and hope you had a productive day!
Citations
Brant, Tom, and Michael Kan. “Apple M2 vs. M1: All You Need to Know About Second-Generation Apple Silicon.” PCMag, 7 June 2022, https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-m2-vs-m1-all-you-need-to-know-about-second-generation-apple-silicon. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Evans, Jonny. “Why Apple may be planning life after Arm.” Computerworld, 6 December 2021, https://www.computerworld.com/article/3643577/why-apple-may-be-planning-life-after-arm.html. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Freedman, Andrew E. “Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max: Specs, performance, everything we know.” Tom’s Hardware, 25 october 2021, https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tomshardware.com%2Fnews%2Fapple-m1-pro-max-everything-we-know&psig=AOvVaw2Kyoc2JS9yA5LUCqjXX3n5&ust=1676962955225000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCLiwnYHEo_0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Fulton, Scott. “Apple Silicon and the rise of ARMs: How changing Mac’s processor could change the world.” ZDNET, 10 November 2020, https://www.zdnet.com/article/rise-of-arms-could-changing-macs-processor-change-the-world/. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Fulton, Scott. “Arm processors: Everything you need to know now.” ZDNet, 30 March 2021, https://www.zdnet.com/article/arm-processors-everything-you-need-to-know-now/. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Pandit, Chandan. “Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7 Comparison: Which Processor is Better?” DealNTech, 2023, https://www.dealntech.com/apple-m2-vs-intel-core-i7-comparison/. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Tracy, Phillip. “Apple M1 vs. Intel CPU: This is the best processor for your laptop.” Laptop Mag, 20 April 2021, https://www.laptopmag.com/news/apple-m1-vs-intel-cpu-this-is-the-best-processor-for-your-laptop. Accessed 21 February 2023.
Woodford, Chris, et al. “How do transistors work?” Explain that Stuff, 8 December 2021, https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howtransistorswork.html. Accessed 21 February 2023.
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