What's it due to? At least this, probably more.

- more advanced silicon architecture. Apple spends billions to get access to the latest generation a couple of years before AMD.

- world class team, with ~25 years of experience building high speed low power chips. (Apple bought PA Semi to make these chips, which was originally the team that build the DEC StrongARM). And then paid & treated them properly, unlike Intel & AMD

- a die budget to spend transistors for performance: the M chips are generally quite large compared to the competition

- ARM's weak memory model also helps, but it's very minor IMO compared to the above 3.

▲ aurareturn 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

  - a die budget to spend transistors for performance: the M chips are generally quite large compared to the competition

This is a myth. Apple chips are no bigger than the competition. For example, base M4 is smaller than Lunar Lake but is more efficient and 35% faster. M4 Pro is smaller than Strix Halo by a large margin but generally matches/exceeds the performance. Only the M4 Max is very large but it has no equivalent in the x86 world.

▲ x0x0 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

interesting, ty

re: apple getting exclusive access to the best fab stuff: https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/08/07/apple-has-sweethe... . Interesting.

	▲	MBCook 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		At the same time they have a guaranteed customer who will buy the chips. How many other companies would be willing to try a process with a 30% success rate? I think Apple helps them with money (loan?) to get some of the equipment or build the new lines. In exchange they get first shot at buying capacity. And of course Apple is certainly paying for the privilege of the best process. At least more than other companies are willing. And they must buy a pretty tremendous volume across a couple of sizes. It benefits both companies, otherwise they wouldn’t do it.

▲ astrange 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> And then paid & treated them properly, unlike Intel & AMD

Relatively properly. Nothing like the pampering software people get. I've heard Mr. Srouji is very strict about approving promotions personally etc.

(…by heard I mean I read Blind posts)

▲ gigatexal 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

How many of those engineers remain, didn't a lot go to Nuvia that was then bought by Qualcomm?

	▲	bryanlarsen 4 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Sure, but they were there long enough to train and instill culture into the others. And of course, since the acquisition in 2008 they've had access to the top new grads and experienced engineers. If you're coming out top of your class at an Ivy or similar you're going to choose Apple over Intel or AMD both because of rep and the fact that your offer salary is much better. P.S. hearsay and speculation, not direct experience. I haven't worked at Apple and anybody who has is pretty closed lip. You have to read between the lines. P.P.S. It's sort of a circular argument. I say Apple has the best team because they have the best chip && they have the best chip because they have the best team. But having worked (briefly) in the field, I'm very confident that their success is much more likely due to having the best team rather than anything else.
	▲	MBCook 3 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		And isn’t that the reason people think some of the most recent Qualcomm chips are so much better?