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Apple does multiple SKUs, too, such as the 7 or 8 core GPU options for the M1. They can otherwise mostly get away with fewer SKUs by currently not really having
by kllrnohj 5y ago
Apple does multiple SKUs, too, such as the 7 or 8 core GPU options for the M1. They can otherwise mostly get away with fewer SKUs by currently not really having either a budget option of the M1 (eg, no 6 core CPU variant) nor a high end option. That'll almost certainly change as they roll out Apple silicon to the iMac Pro & Mac Pro.
The fewer SKUs therefore isn't a result of impressive engineering but rather impressive profit margins. They just don't care about salvaging mostly-working silicon as much as Intel, AMD, and now Ampere.
- jagger27 5y ago> The fewer SKUs therefore isn't a result of impressive engineering but rather impressive profit margins. It also signals impressive yields to me. The M1 is very small, only around 120mm^2. I’m sure we’ll see more than two SKUs when the new MacBooks launch.
- kllrnohj 5y agoPossibly but then why did they bother doing the 7-core GPU variant? The GPU section of the M1 isn't that much bigger than the firestorm CPU core section, and any one of those GPU cores is smaller than one of the firestorm CPU cores. Unless it's something weird like they just can't fuse off 1 or 2 of the big CPU cores? But regardless Ampere, AMD, and Apple are all fab'd by TSMC, so they'd all be seeing similar enough yields.