Apple M3 SoC rumored to be made using TSMC’s next-gen N3E process node

Since a few months ago, Apple has been planning to introduce a number of new MacBook models. According to the most recent rumour, the larger 15-inch MacBook Air will come in both a smaller and larger version, and both will be powered by TSMC’s more sophisticated N3E process.

For the benefit of those who are unclear, the Taiwanese producer is said to have a N3 process, which is the business’s initial offering for customers as they move towards 3nm technology.

A machine-translated article from China Times claims that Apple will embark on its 3nm journey all by itself. According to the information, the iPhone manufacturer has ordered the entirety of TSMC’s supply, making it the first company in the world to release any SoC based on an advanced manufacturing process.

The new chipset for Apple’s ARM-powered laptops will be made on N3E rather than the 3nm, or N3, process that we had been hearing rumours about being used to make the A17 Bionic and M3.

Let us explain the TSMC naming conventions to you because they can sometimes be confusing. According to the manufacturer, the N3 process is the company’s initial 3nm iteration; the N3E process is an upgraded version.

According to the report, Apple will move right along to the M3 SoC’s second iteration, which will eventually be used in the MacBook Air and iPad Pro lineup. This may imply that compared to the standard N3 process, the new silicon will offer marginally better performance and power efficiency stats.

Only one other report, which was published on Nikkei, mentioned Apple’s reliance on TSMC’s N3E node for the M3 and A17 Bionic. Other reports, however, maintain that the N3 technology will be utilised for both chipsets.

However, a previous rumour that was circulating claimed that Apple had lowered the A17 Bionic’s performance target because TSMC was having trouble producing its 3nm chips. It’s entirely possible that Apple switched to the N3E variant because the Taiwanese company had more success with it and it had higher yields.

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