Apple plans HUGE 3x memory upgrade with its M7 Ultra
Apple’s reportedly skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max and moving directly to M7
Apple has reportedly made significant changes to its hardware roadmap, planning to release only baseline M6-series processors and move directly to the M7 for its higher-end models. In other words, Apple is skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max and moving to the M7 versions of these chips.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple started taping out its M7 designs six months after M6. Apple’s M6 Macs are due to be released this year, and M7-based Macs are reportedly set to launch in the first half of 2027. This gives Apple’s M6 CPUs a relatively short shelf life. M7 Pro and M7 Max CPUs are due to be released later in 2027. M7 Ultra should launch in 2028.
Apple’s M6 chip reportedly features an upgraded memory architecture, a new Neural Engine, and notable GPU changes. Bandwidth-wise, the M6 reportedly delivers around 200 GB/s, which is a significant upgrade over the M5’s 153 GB/s.
With M7, Apple is reportedly focusing more on AI performance. M7-series Apple devices should have strong on-device AI capabilities and feature additional memory performance enhancements. This implies the device has a more powerful Neural Engine. M7 will reportedly feature around 240 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is a significant upgrade over M5 and M6
HUGE M7 Pro Upgrade
Apple’s M3 Ultra processor supports up to 512GB of unified memory. With their upcoming M7 chip, Apple can reportedly build configurations with up to 1.5 TB of memory (a 3x increase). However, Apple may not release this configuration. Ultimately, the release of 1.5TB M7 Macs will depend on the state of the memory industry when its launch approaches. If DRAM supply improves, high DRAM models will be much more viable.
With their upcoming M5 Ultra CPU, Apple will reportedly support up to 768GB of unified memory. This will make the M7 Ultra a 2x memory upgrade over the M5 Ultra, if the 1.5TB model is released.
The M7 Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. https://t.co/AyZ5GiIRA0
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) July 12, 2026
Apple’s future M8 CPU is reportedly due to launch in 2028 and use 1.4nm silicon. It is currently unknown what upgrades Apple’s M8 generation will offer, though a continued focus on AI performance is likely.
You can join the discussion on Apple’s M7 Ultra memory support on the OC3D Forums.
