Apple’s Silicon custom cores are a group of custom CPUs made by Apple.
A custom CPU is usually a CPU that is made using in-house company designs as opposed to using the general standard designs.
In the mobile world, ARM designs reign supreme. It is the best fit for smartphones and thus, everyone uses it. What Apple did was to take those designs and modify them, thus making them run better and faster. They have also optimized these designs for their software.
Read: What is SoC optimization?
As a result, Apple Silicon custom cores have stolen a march on everyone else. In terms of performance, they have stayed at the top of benchmarks for years, swatting off challengers quite easily.
Apple Silicon custom cores
| Core | Based On | Soc | Process | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift 1.3GHz 2x | ARMv7-A | A6 A6X | Samsung 32nm | 2012 |
| Cyclone 1.4GHz 2x | ARMv8-A | A7 | Samsung 28nm | 2013 |
| Typhoon 1.4GHz 2x | ARMv8-A | A8 A8X | TSMC 20nm | 2014 |
| Twister 1.85GHz 2x | ARMv8-A | A9 A9X | TSMC 16nm Samsung 14nm | 2015 |
| Hurricane 2.34GHz 2x Zephyr 1.3GHz 2x | ARMv8.1-A | A10 A10X | TSMC 16nm | 2016 |
| Monsoon 2.39GHz 2x Mistral 1.59GHz 4x | ARMv8.2-A | A11 | TSMC 10nm | 2017 |
| Vortex 2.49GHz 2x Tempest 1.59GHz 4x | ARMv8.3-A | A12 A12X A12Z | TSMC 7nm | 2018 |
| Lighting 2.65GHz 2x Thunder 1.8GHz 4x | ARMv8.4-A | A13 | TSMC 7nm | 2019 |
| Firestorm 3.0GHz 2x Icestorm 1.8GHz 4x | ARMv8.5-A | A14 | TSMC 5nm | 2020 |
| Avalanche 3.23GHz 2x Blizzard 2.02GHz 4x | ARMv8.5-A | A15 | TSMC 5nm | 2021 |
| Everest 3.46GHz 2x Sawtooth 2.02GHz 4x | ARMv9 | A16 | TSMC 5nm | 2022 |
| Firestorm 3.23GHz 4x Icestorm 2.1GHz 4x | ARMv8.5-A | M1 | TSMC 5nm | 2020 |
| Firestorm 3.23GHz 6x/8x Icestorm 2.1GHz 2x | ARMv8.5-A | M1 Pro | TSMC 5nm | 2021 |
| Firestorm 3.23GHz 8x Icestorm 2.1GHz 2x | ARMv8.5-A | M1 Max | TSMC 5nm | 2021 |
| Firestorm 3.23GHz 16x Icestorm 2.1GHz 4x | ARMv8.5-A | M1 Ultra | TSMC 5nm | 2022 |
| Avalanche 3.46GHz 4x Blizzard 2.02GHz 4x | ARMv8.5-A | M2 | TSMC 5nm | 2022 |
A series
The A series is a series of SoCs designed and used for Apple’s iPhones and iPads.
Apple’s A7 SoC holds the record for being the first 64-bit capable SoC for smartphones. It is powered by the Cyclone custom core.
The A11 Bionic SoC with its Monsoon and Mistral CPU cores was the first to use Apple’s GPU.
Apple usually makes two versions of their SoCs using the same custom cores. The first version is usually the vanilla variant which is used on their iPhones. The second is an overclocked version used for their iPad tablets.
The overclocked variants have an X suffix attached. The A12 Bionic is the only one of Apple’s Bionic SoCs to have two overclocked variants. These are the A12X and the A12Z. They all use Vortex and Tempest CPU cores.
The A16 Bionic is the current flagship A-series processor. It is currently the fastest smartphone SoC in the world.
Read: Apple Silicon line up for iPhones
M series
The M series is a group of PC-focused SoCs used on Apple’s line of PC products.
The first of these is the Apple M1 which made its debut in late 2020. It houses 4 Firestorm and 4 Icestorm CPU cores cores and runs at 3.2GHz. It powers the MacBook Air, MacBook Mini, and 13″ MacBook Pro. You can also find it on the iPad Pro and the iMac. All of which are 2020 products.
The second of these is the Apple M1 Pro. Just like its predecessor, it uses Firestorm and Icestorm microarchitecture but in two different configurations. The 8-core M1 Pro has 6 Firestorm and 2 Icestorm CPUs while the 10-core M1 Pro uses 8 Firestorm and 2 Icestorm CPUs.
The third on the list is the Apple M1 Max. This SoC is almost the same as the 10-core M1 Pro. Well almost. The M1 uses the same Firestorm and Icestorm microarchitecture but it has a better GPU, more transistors, and SLC memory.
You can find the M1 Pro and M1 Max on the 2021 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros.
The latest of these is the Apple M1 Ultra. The M1 Ultra is the ultimate M1 chip. It uses ultrafusion technology to combine two M1 Max SoCs into one unit. The M1 Ultra has 16 Firestorm CPUs and 4 Icestorm CPUs. It is the most powerful Apple silicon by a country mile and it can be found in the Mac Studio.
Apple has announced the M2 processor as the successor to the M1. It houses avalanche and blizzard CPU cores.
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