MacBook Pro M1X CPU leak — time to forget the MacBook Air?

(Image credit: Apple)

When Apple released the new ARM-based M1 CPU back in November of 2020, it was a sign of things to come. It also launched a CPU battle between Apple and the rest of the chipmakers. Although it's only been a few months, rumors and now leaked benchmarks are stirring the pot even more.

Intel recently said it would reclaim its crown and even releasing a set of benchmarks to prove superior performance over Apple's M1. However, we now have a release of supposed benchmarks of the upcoming M1X CPU listed on CPU Monkey that show some seriously interesting specs and results.

The first thing you'll notice is that the M1X supposedly comes with 12 CPU cores and 16GPU cores in contrast to the current M1, which has 8 CPU and 8GPU cores in total. So obviously, we are going to see a sizable boost in performance. It's interesting to note that there are more GPU cores in the M1X than CPU cores, which is fascinating, to say the least. Also, this is based on what is being called a "Pre-Sample CPU" and could change.

With four more CPU Cores plus a doubling of the GPU Cores, the M1X would result in substantially more powerful MacBook models coming down the pipeline. When Apple first released the M1, it only was available in the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports, and the Mac mini. However, with the new, more powerful M1X, it looks like Apple is readying ARM the upcoming MacBook Pro 16-inch, iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro models to become the hottest and possibly most powerful computers in the market.

Mind you, these are supposed benchmarks, and won't necessarily end up in upcoming Apple computers.

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.

Latest in Macbooks