apple m1 ultra

see also: Product Positioning · Default Settings

The M1 Ultra felt like a visibility event for Apple’s vertical stack. My read is that custom silicon is now the core product.

scene cut

Apple announced the M1 Ultra, combining two M1 Max chips for higher performance (source). The move expanded the performance ceiling without switching architecture.

signal braid

• Vertical integration is a durable performance lever.
• Custom silicon differentiates product lines.
• The chip roadmap is now Apple’s strategic edge.
• The hardware arc aligns with CHIPS Act Momentum.

single-line take

Silicon strategy is product strategy.

my take

I think the key is control: Apple can tune hardware and software together, and that lets them move faster than platform peers.

linkage

linkage tree

• tags
  • #hardware
  • #chips
  • #performance
• related
  • [[CHIPS Act Momentum]]
  • [[Nvidia and the Arm Block]]

ending questions

How much of Apple’s edge is now locked into silicon design?