Why Intel and AMD don't make chips like the M2 Max and M2 Ultra
apple-siliconcpu-designintegrated-graphicschip-architecture
Abstraction: Business and hardware reasons Intel and AMD avoid monolithic CPU-GPU chips
Key points:
- Apple's M2 Max uses a 512-bit memory bus (M2 Ultra: 1024-bit), consuming ~13% of die area just for memory bandwidth
- M2 Ultra estimated die size exceeds 1,000 mm2, largest consumer chip ever; M2 Max ~550 mm2
- Wide memory buses reduce room for CPU/GPU cores; M2 Ultra trails Core i9-13900K and Ryzen 9 7950X in Cinebench multi-thread
- Intel and AMD serve a mass market requiring plug-and-play compatibility; big monolithic chips would demand new motherboard sockets and fully-populated RAM slots
- Intel and AMD have made similar chips (Kaby Lake G, console APUs) but commercial incentives push against mainstream adoption
- Chiplet technology could make future M2-like x86 chips cheaper and feasible for niche markets like NUCs
Connections: Apple · Intel · Amd · System On Chip · Chiplet Architecture
Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/why-intel-and-amd-dont-make-chips-like-the-m2/