Apple has begun testing the M3 Max processor with a 16-core CPU for 2024 MacBook Pro models.

Apple revealed the M2 Pro and M2 Max-equipped MacBook Pros in January 2023, so news of the M3 models being tested isn't unexpected. Previous rumors point to a late 2024 release window for M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in updated MacBook Pro models.

According to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the M3 Max chips are being tested in an upcoming MacBook Pro model with 48GB of RAM. The news is sourced from a third-party Mac app developer's test logs.

The report states that the M3 Max will have a 16-core CPU and up to 40 GPU cores. The 16-core CPU breaks down to 12 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.

That's a step up from the 10-core CPU and up to 38-core GPU in the current M2 Max.

The codename for the MacBook Pro showing up in testing with M3 Max is J514. The M3 series is expected to be built on the 3-nanometer process, offering increased power and efficiency.

The news arrives on the heels of M3 chips being tested in a Mac mini. The base M3 would have an 8-core CPU.

M3 could debut in the fall, given Apple's current chip release cycle — M2 was revealed in June 2022 after M1 Ultra debuted in March 2022. But Gurman has pointed to 2024 for the M3 Mac mini and M3 Max MacBook Pro.

Source: Appleinsider