Apple recently unveiled the latest addition to the M1 processor family, in the form of the new M1 Ultra system circuit. There, Apple has managed to combine two M1 Max with a high-speed interface that together provide 20 processor cores, divided into 16 performance cores and 4 energy-efficient.
Early tests have shown a so far impressive performance for the processor, to a relatively low power output. This is especially true in multi-wire loads, where the M1 Ultra is very close 64-kärniga Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. However, there are some question marks surrounding the graphics part, which with its 64 calculation units was stated to take up the fight even with the industry’s “highest performing graphics card”.
As usual, Apple avoids mentioning exactly how they compare and in what type of loads they performed measurements. However, it appears from the small print that it is the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3090 that is referred to, which with an almost full-scale version of the graphics circuit GA102 and increased amount of graphics memory is the most powerful alternative in the consumer market.
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It should be noted, however, that Apple in its graphs uses the term “relative performance” and more or less only shows scenarios where the two components perform similarly. If only the graph is considered, the M1 Ultra thus looks very much right to perform equivalent to or better than the RTX 3090, and at a much lower power budget. This has now been put to the test by, among other things The Vergewhich claims that what Apple claims is true with modification.
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In tests where the M1 Ultra is compared to the RTX 3090 in both Geekbench 5 and the game Shadow of the Tomb Raider, it’s still a good chunk of the performance Nvidia’s graphics card delivers. The big difference, according to The Verge, is that the comparison in Apple’s graph stays at 320 watts (W). However, since the RTX 3090 has a specified power output of 350 W, there is more power to be had, something Apple chooses not to show. If the graphics card is allowed to use its full potential, it is undoubtedly still more powerful.
With that said, the Apple M1 Ultra still performs well, especially in terms of its power budget and other parameters that separate the system circuit from a dedicated graphics card. It is basically no wonder that the M1 Ultra does not reach the corresponding performance, except for the specific loads or situations for which the system circuit is adapted. However, it remains that Apple’s claims do not fully correspond to reality. This can at best be seen as selective, and at worst as misleading.
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