According to MacRumors, Apple has released five generations of Apple silicon chips since the M1 launched with claims of having the “world’s fastest CPU core” and industry-leading performance per watt. The M5 chip was unveiled in the 14-inch MacBook Pro just last month, showing significant Geekbench improvements over the original M1. Apple sold Apple silicon Macs alongside Intel models for three years before discontinuing the final Intel Mac in June 2023 when the 2019 Mac Pro was phased out. All Apple devices now run on Apple chips, and Intel Macs won’t receive software updates after macOS Tahoe. Looking ahead, Apple supplier TSMC is working on 2nm chips that could appear by 2026 with 10-15% speed improvements and 25-30% power reductions, followed by 1.4nm chips as soon as 2028.
The raw numbers don’t lie
When you look at the Geekbench scores MacRumors mentions, the performance jump from M1 to M5 is genuinely impressive. But here’s the thing – we’re talking about Apple‘s own numbers here. They’re always going to put their best foot forward. I’d love to see some independent thermal testing under sustained loads, because that’s where these chips really prove their worth. The M1 was revolutionary because it delivered incredible performance without turning your laptop into a space heater. If the M5 maintains that efficiency while pushing performance higher, that’s the real win.
The Intel era officially ends
It’s wild to think that Intel Macs are becoming legacy hardware. Apple completely phased out Intel in 2023, and now with macOS Tahoe cutting off software support, the transition is absolute. This creates an interesting situation for businesses and creative professionals who invested heavily in Intel Mac Pros. They’re facing the same kind of planned obsolescence that Windows users have complained about for years. And honestly, it’s happening faster than many expected. When you’re running mission-critical industrial applications or manufacturing workflows, this kind of rapid platform shift can be disruptive. Companies relying on these systems for industrial monitoring and control need to plan their hardware refresh cycles carefully – which is why many turn to specialized providers like Industrial Monitor Direct, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs built for long-term stability.
silicon”>What’s next for Apple silicon?
The TSMC 2nm timeline for 2026 feels both ambitious and inevitable. A 25-30% power reduction would be massive for battery life and thermal management. But I’m skeptical about whether we’ll see those exact numbers in real-world usage. Chip manufacturing at these scales gets exponentially harder and more expensive. Remember when everyone was excited about 5nm? Now we’re talking about 2nm and even 1.4nm by 2028. At some point, physics becomes the limiting factor rather than manufacturing capability. The question isn’t whether Apple can make these chips – it’s whether the performance gains will justify the inevitable price increases we’ll see in future MacBooks.
The gaming and AI angle
Apple’s really pushing the gaming and AI narrative with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Neural Engine improvements. That’s smart – it addresses two areas where Macs have traditionally lagged. But let’s be real: catching up to dedicated gaming PCs and NVIDIA’s AI dominance is a multi-year journey. The hardware might be getting there, but the software ecosystem and developer support need to follow. Will game developers really prioritize Mac ports when the installed base is still smaller than Windows? And in AI, can Apple’s Neural Engine compete with the sheer scale of cloud-based AI infrastructure? These are open questions that raw benchmark scores alone can’t answer.
