Apple has made great strides with its own processors. Since the introduction of Apple Silicon in 2020, the company has regularly released new chips, significantly increasing the performance of its devices. But with the M4 generation, there is a notable change: Apple is not launching an M4 Ultra. Instead, the Mac Studio has been equipped with an M3 Ultra - although the M4 Max was introduced for this device at the same time. This decision raises questions. So far, every new chip generation has also come with an Ultra variant, most recently the M2 Ultra. So why is Apple not doing so this time? And what does this mean for future Macs?
With the Ultra chips, Apple has created a way to offer powerful workstations for professional users. The M1 Ultra came in 2022, the M2 Ultra followed in 2023. Both are based on the so-called UltraFusion technology, which combines two Max chips into one unit. It was therefore obvious that the M4 series would also get an Ultra version. But Apple is now taking a different path. Not every chip generation will receive an Ultra level. This is a new strategy that could have a long-term impact on Apple's product range.
Why is there no M4 Ultra?
Apple relies on the M3 Ultra
Instead of developing an M4 Ultra, Apple equipped the Mac Studio with an M3 Ultra. This seems unusual, as Apple introduced the M4 Max at the same time. However, the M3 Ultra is a powerful chip that has nothing to hide from its predecessors. According to Apple, it offers:
- 1.5 times more power than the M2 Ultra
- Up to 2.6 times more power than the M1 Ultra
- Improved graphics through hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading and dynamic caching
This is made possible by UltraFusion technology, which links two M3 Max chips with more than 10,000 high-speed connections so that they work as one unit.
The M4 Max has no UltraFusion ports
A key reason for the absence of the M4 Ultra lies in the architecture of the M4 Max. As the technology magazine Numerama reported, the chip does not have UltraFusion connectors. This means that Apple cannot simply connect two M4 Max chips together to create an M4 Ultra. Such a connection would have to be developed from scratch.
Apple didn't want to wait
Apple itself provides another explanation. A company spokesperson explained that Apple deliberately decided to equip the Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra now instead of waiting for an M4 Ultra. The reason: The M3 Ultra already supports Thunderbolt 5, which is backwards compatible with the M3 architecture. Technically speaking, there is therefore no reason to delay the update. If Apple had wanted to bring out the M4 Ultra, there would have been two options:
- Develop a completely new UltraFusion technology to connect two M4 Max chips
- Wait until the M5 Max is released and then build an M5 Ultra from it
Apple chose the most pragmatic solution – the M3 Ultra.
Apple remains flexible with its Ultra strategy
Apple has not explicitly said that there will never be an M4 Ultra. However, due to the lack of UltraFusion technology and the current product strategy, it is likely that the next Ultra chip will only come with the M5 generation. For users, this means:
- If you want maximum performance, you should look at the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra
- The M4 Max is a strong alternative, but there is no Ultra version of it
- The next Ultra chip could appear with the M5 at the earliest
Apple no longer necessarily uses an Ultra level in every chip generation. Instead, the company decides flexibly whether and when a new Ultra chip is necessary. (Image: Apple)
- Apple M3 Ultra introduced: This is what the new high-end chip can do
- Mac Studio with M4 Max & M3 Ultra: More power for professionals
- Apple presents the new MacBook Air with M4 chip
