Apple M1 Pro System-on-Chip

While x86 architecture is still expected to account for most PC processing, Apple’s switch to in-house processor silicon signals a major shift in this structure. Yole’s market analysis expects 14% of PCs to run on non-x86 processors by 2027, up from just 4% in 2020. Apple’s strategy with the M1 family and its derivatives is the main factor in this market shift, as Apple shows what is possible at the high-end of PC performance.

This full reverse costing study was conducted to provide insight on the technology data, manufacturing cost, and selling price of the Apple M1 Pro System-on-Chip (SoC).

In 2020, Apple launched the M1 SoC to run their macOS on a proprietary design. The birth of Apple’s first processor for personal computing created a shockwave in the industry. Apple became totally independent in processor development leaving many to speculate on the end of Apple sockets for Intel processors. In the following year, Apple presented the M1 Pro and Max SoC as the next generation of M1.

M1 Pro includes 33.7 billion transistors fabricated by TSMC on 5nm process, which is also used to manufacture Apple’s A14, A15 SoC, and other M1 series. The transistor count for M1 Pro doubles M1. According to Apple, the CPU performance of M1 Pro is 70% faster than M1 and the GPU performance is double. For chip architecture, the M1 Pro SoC die has two versions: 8-core CPU with 14-core GPU, and 10-core CPU with 16-core GPU. Both versions contain a 16-core neural engine and an Apple-designed media engine that boosts video processing while maximizing battery life. In this report, we analyze the M1 Pro SoC die with 10-core CPU plus 16-core GPU.

Apple M1 Pro SoC integrates two external LPDDR5 SDRAMs into a SiP (system-in-packaging). The SoC die is flip-chip mounted onto the M1 Pro SoC substrate by ball grid array (BGA) and shares the same substrate with the DRAM package. The whole SoC chip also includes MLCCs (multilayer ceramic capacitors) and IPD (integrated passive device) capacitors.

To reveal all the details of the Apple M1 Pro SoC, this report features multiple analyses, including a front-end construction analysis to reveal the most interesting features of the TSMC 5nm process, and a back-end construction analysis for package structure. Also featured is a detailed study of the SoC die analyses and its cross-sections. In addition to a complete construction analysis using SEM cross-sections, material analyses, and delayering, we show a high-resolution TEM cross-section of TSMC’s 5nm for the Apple M1 SoC. A CT-scan (3D X-ray) is provided to reveal the layout structure of the whole chip package, and the floorplan of the SoC die is included to give a clear view of IP blocks and general architecture. Lastly, this report contains a complete cost analysis and a selling price estimation of the Apple M1 Pro SoC.

Overview / Introduction

• Executive Summary
• Product Brief
• Reverse Costing Methodology
• Glossary

Company Profile

• Company Profile
• Apple M1 SoC Series
• Market Analysis

Physical Analysis

• MacBook Pro Teardown
• Apple M1 Pro Package Analysis
  • Views & Dimensions
  • CT-Scan Image
  • Cross-Section
• DRAM Die
  • Package View
  • Die View
  • Cross-Section
• Apple M1 Pro SoC Die
  • Views & Dimensions
  • Delayering
  • Die Process
  • Die Cross-Section
• FEOL (TEM Analysis)

Floor Plan

Manufacturing Process

• Global Overview
• SoC Die Front-End
• SoC Die Wafer Fabrication Unit
• SoC Die Packaging Process
• Final Assembly

Cost Analysis

• Cost Analysis Summary
• Yields Explanation & Hypotheses
• SoC Wafer Cost
• SoC Die Cost
• SoC Packaging Cost
• SoC Component Cost

Selling Price

Feedback

Related Analysis

System Plus Consulting Services

Product’s key features:

• Detailed photos
• Precise measurements
• Front-end structural analysis with TEM
• Back-end structural analysis with CT scan
• Floorplan
• Materials analysis
• Manufacturing process flow
• Supply chain evaluation
• Manufacturing cost analysis

Available on our Yole Group All-Inclusive Semiconductor Packaging and Computing Package