3 ms·
I think the reviewer is mostly right though. The M1 uses unified memory where the CPU, GPU, the neural processor, and other components can access the same data
by mrgordon 6y ago
I think the reviewer is mostly right though. The M1 uses unified memory where the CPU, GPU, the neural processor, and other components can access the same data without copying it.
"All of the technologies in the SoC can access the same data without copying it between multiple pools of memory. This dramatically improves performance and power efficiency. Video apps are snappier. Games are richer and more detailed. Image processing is lightning fast. And your entire system is more responsive."
Of course if you need 12 GB of data in memory than sharing 8 GB won't be enough but for most current uses of 16 GB its possible that 8 GB could feel as responsive between the shared memory and the faster access speeds (due to faster components and smaller distances)
- ben-schaaf 6y agoHSA has been a thing since 2015: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterogeneous_System_Architecture https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterogeneous_System_Archite...
- mrgordon 6y agoSure but Intel doesn't support it right so it wasn't in use for MacBooks as far as I understand. I'm not saying Apple invented the concept but they implemented it in their laptops for the first time so you logically wouldn't need as much RAM for many use cases where you can share memory that you couldn't share before.
- _kbh_ 6y agoYeah but there hasn't been the level of vertical integration that the M1 laptop has before. The same company is building the silicon, the laptop and the OS they can leverage whatever they feel like and don't have to account for processors that have differing features.
- manderley 6y agoNo. Just no.
- mrgordon 6y agoCare to elaborate...?