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Here's Why Apple is Unlikely to Release an M4 Ultra Chip for Macs

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The new Mac Studio is available with mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options. Will there be an M4 Ultra chip in the future, though? It looks unlikely.

M4-Max-and-M3-Ultra.jpg

Here are three reasons why Apple might never release an M4 Ultra chip.

First, among Apple's line of Mac chips, the highest-end Ultra chips are effectively two Max chips fused together with a technology called UltraFusion. So, the M1 Ultra chip is two M1 Max chips combined, and the M2 Ultra chip is two M2 Max chips combined. However, Apple confirmed that the M4 Max chip lacks an UltraFusion connector, so that means Apple cannot simply release a doubled-up M4 Ultra chip this time around.

Second, Apple told several journalists and YouTubers that not every generation of Mac chips will have an "Ultra" chip. The timing of Apple revealing this information suggests that we might never get an M4 Ultra chip.

The third reason was shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today.

In his Power On newsletter, he said that Apple is reluctant to develop an M4 Ultra chip from scratch due to production challenges, costs, and the relatively small sales volume of its desktop computers, like the Mac Studio. So, that seems to rule out the only other way in which Apple could have released an M4 Ultra chip.

Maybe we will see UltraFusion return on the M5 Max chip, paving the way for an M5 Ultra chip?

Article Link: Here's Why Apple is Unlikely to Release an M4 Ultra Chip for Macs
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/09/m4-ultra-chip-is-unlikely/
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Could you guys confirm whether Apple produces M3 Max with and without the interface for the UltraFusion connector?
I would expect that they bin the chips and only put the ones in the Ultra, where the connector part is okay.


And finally I wonder if they don't need a M4 Ultra as the M5 Ultra comes next year and it's not worth their time to make the M4 Ultra in-between.
 
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At this point, the naming is nuts. That said, I remember chatter about the M3 process being inefficient and/or hard to produce effectively and/or undesirable to Apple, and those chatterers (of the Jason Snell type) claiming that all the M3 products were oooooobviously ‘clearing out excess chips.’ So, what’s the deal? Now the M3 process is good? Or was all that chatter simply…well…chatter?
 
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redmac said:
Apple never said anything about M3’s ultrafusion status. It was the leakers and YouTubers like Max Tech who speculated about it.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. As very much not an expert, it seems weird to me that the UltraFusion connector couldn’t be identified on x-rays.

I’m very curious about the M4 lacking a connector, though. So far I have heard “not every generation will have it” which is sort of a non-denial denial and “confirmation” only from unnamed spokesmen. Seems like they’re leaving space for it to come out later or not depending on projections.
 
KENESS said:
They never said it. People said it. People were wrong.
Click to expand...
In this case the speculations were being reasonable but still ended up wrong.

The UltraFusion portions were present on both M1 Max and M2 Max that shipped in the MBPs, but then for the M3 Max that part vanished. It was a perfectly reasonable assumption to make, that perhaps the M3 Max was designed without it. Of course the alternative scenario which turned out true, is that Apple no longer needs to include that part for the laptop singular Max, it is just wasted silicon if its not to be used on the MacBook.

The fact that the Mac Studio lagged its refresh, skipping the M3 Max until even after the M4 line up is out also further support that theory. So the logic then was, Apple could not or did not plan to have an M3 Ultra, so they didn’t want to create a scenario where the Studio only updates with an M3 Max, sitting along with a M2 Ultra config. Which ironically is pretty much what they are doing now, M4 Max sitting along side M3 Ultra.
 
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Myself: Need to update this 27" iMac.
Apple: We don't make those anymore. Get a Studio.
Myself: (Much grumbling) Alright then, an M4 Ultra Studio would have to do.
Apple: We don't make those. Either get an M3 or wait for maybe the M5.
Myself: 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
 
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TigerNike23 said:
Is that the end of the Mac Pro then? No point in having it have an M3 Ultra this late in the game. Might as well wait for the M5 generation.
Click to expand...
On past performance, the “M5 Ultra” is a while away yet & making a M3 Ultra version of the Pro can hardly be rocket surgery… I guess some Mac Pro customers wouldn’t sniff at having up to 512GB of RAM and TB 5 support, either. If there’s to be no M3 Mac Pro then the most likely reason is that Apple simply aren’t selling enough (of what is a very niche machine - for people who need a Mac with that PCIe bandwidth enough to justify the cost) to make it worth their while.

kwikdeth said:
Am I crazy? I could have sworn they said a while back that m3 didn't have ultrafusion
Click to expand...
Like others I don’t think Apple ever confirmed that - just speculation.
Or, maybe, it’s a new revision of the M3 Max die - just adding the UF interface wouldn’t stop it being a M3. Note that the M3 Ultra has also magically acquired Thunderbolt 5 somehow. I’m not sure where the extra RAM capability comes from either (but that could just be higher-density RAM chips).

Did the production M2 Maxes that weren’t part of M2 Ultra even have the UF interface?
 
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theluggage said:
On past performance, the “M5 Ultra” is a while away yet & making a M3 Ultra version of the Pro can hardly be rocket surgery… I guess some Mac Pro customers wouldn’t sniff at having up to 512GB of RAM and TB 5 support, either. If there’s to be no M3 Mac Pro then the most likely reason is that Apple simply aren’t selling enough (of what is a very niche machine - for people who need a Mac with that PCIe bandwidth enough to justify the cost) to make it worth their while.


Like others I don’t think Apple ever confirmed that - just speculation.
Or, maybe, it’s a new revision of the M3 Max die - just adding the UF interface wouldn’t stop it being a M3. Note that the M3 Ultra has also magically acquired Thunderbolt 5 somehow. I’m not sure where the extra RAM capability comes from either (but that could just be higher-density RAM chips).

Did the production M2 Maxes that weren’t part of M2 Ultra even have the UF interface?
Click to expand...
If the M3 Ultra is already the best chip Apple can sell in the foreseeable future, I think updating the Mac Pro to M3 Ultra is necessary, if only just to avoid the bad press. And like said, a simple chip drop that already happened with the Studio, not much more work there.

Doubling density to achieve 512GB is the most likely solution, the Studio doesn’t look like it has space for 8 more DRAM chips given the rather small footprint, especially the heatsink. Also the memory bandwidth didn’t increase, suggesting the same number of traces. With TB5 I am still very puzzled, just due to abundance of PCIe lanes with the Ultra?

Both M1 Max and M2 Max de-lid have shown the UF are present, the M3 Max didn’t, thus turned the rumor mill.
 
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Sippincider said:
Myself: Need to update this 27" iMac.
Apple: We don't make those anymore. Get a Studio.
Myself: (Much grumbling) Alright then, an M4 Ultra Studio would have to do.
Apple: We don't make those. Either get an M3 or wait for maybe the M5.
Myself: 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
Click to expand...

If you were on the 27-inch iMac before, the M4 Max Studio is plenty. Even the M4 Pro mini might be.
 
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crobcary said:
At this point, the naming is nuts. That said, I remember chatter about the M3 process being inefficient and/or hard to produce effectively and/or undesirable to Apple, and those chatterers (of the Jason Snell type) claiming that all the M3 products were oooooobviously ‘clearing out excess chips.’ So, what’s the deal? Now the M3 process is good? Or was all that chatter simply…well…chatter?
Click to expand...
It's probably performing about as Apple or TSMC expected, since they updated the iPad Air to add the M3 when there was nothing "wrong" with the M2 iPad Air, though they moved the MacBook Air to the M4. The Ultra is sold in such low volumes that it doesn't make sense to make an Ultra version of each chip.
 
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Timmy be brave and just admit it. By neglecting the pro market for too long there aren’t much pro users left. Now Timmy has put itself in a situation: invest into new technology (costing money) or use yesterday’s tech for the few pro-users left.

I’ll think Timmy will be abandoning the whole pro market soon.
 
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Sippincider said:
Myself: Need to update this 27" iMac.
Apple: We don't make those anymore. Get a Studio.
Myself: (Much grumbling) Alright then, an M4 Ultra Studio would have to do.
Apple: We don't make those. Either get an M3 or wait for maybe the M5.
Myself: 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
Click to expand...
If you have a 27” iMac than the M4 Max is the way to go. It’s going to be considerably more powerful than what you have. I know it drives some people crazy if they think there’s a level above what they have and they must have the top level, but I think at that point you’re just wasting money.

Of course you could be patient and Apple might release a larger iMac that rumors say will happen. Rumors have been wrong though so you might be waiting for nothing. In my opinion if the iMac is working and not causing you problems just hold onto it
 
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