Apple M3 Ultra: 32-Core CPU, 80-Core GPU, and Up to 512 GB of Memory

Apple M3 Ultra was released in March 2025 alongside the updated Mac Studio. In its top configuration, the processor features 32 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, and support for up to 512 GB of unified memory with 819 GB/s of bandwidth. It is designed for extended rendering workloads, high-resolution video processing, complex 3D scenes, and running large artificial intelligence models locally.

Architecture and Configurations

M3 Ultra consists of two M3 Max dies connected by UltraFusion technology with more than 2.5 TB/s of bandwidth. The processor is manufactured using TSMC’s 3 nm process and contains 184 billion transistors.

Apple released two configurations:

In Geekbench 7 Multi-Core, the Mac Studio with the 28-core M3 Ultra scores an average of 35,166 points, while the 32-core version scores 39,168. The difference is 11%. Single-threaded performance is virtually identical.

CPU Performance

Geekbench 6

Results from specific computers tested by The Verge:

In Geekbench 6 Multi-Core, M3 Ultra outperforms M2 Ultra by 33% and M4 Max by 7%. However, in Single-Core, M4 Max is 24% faster.

The M5 Max with an 18-core CPU slightly outperforms M3 Ultra in the multithreaded test, while M5 Ultra extends the lead to 33%.

Cinebench 2024

Test results from Digital Trends.

In sustained rendering, M3 Ultra outperforms M4 Max by 45% and M2 Ultra by 61%. The gap over M4 Max increases from 7% in Geekbench 6 to 45% in Cinebench 2024.

In a 30-minute Cinebench loop, The Verge reviewers recorded 3,037 points, compared with 3,057 in a single run. The result declined by less than 1% over half an hour.

Graphics: 60 or 80 GPU Cores

M3 Ultra uses the M3-generation graphics architecture, with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and Dynamic Caching.

Geekbench 7 Metal

The M5 Ultra result comes from a separate test; the other figures are average results from Geekbench Browser.

The 80-core M3 Ultra outperforms the 60-core version by 10% and M4 Max by 22%. M5 Max trails it by just 4%, despite having half as many graphics cores. M5 Ultra is 40% faster.

Cinebench 2024 GPU

The M5 Max result was obtained by Macworld; the others are from Digital Trends.

In Cinebench 2024, M3 Ultra outperforms M4 Max by 18% and the M2 Ultra with 60-core graphics by more than 2.5 times. The improvement over M2 Ultra is partly attributable to the transition to an architecture with hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

At the same time, M5 Max is approximately 14% faster than M3 Ultra, even though it trails it by 4% in Geekbench 7 Metal.

Unified Memory

M3 Ultra supports up to 512 GB of unified memory with 819 GB/s of bandwidth. The base Mac Studio came with 96 GB, while the higher-end configuration could be ordered with 256 or 512 GB.

The CPU and GPU share a common memory pool, allowing the system to work with large 3D scenes and local language models without the capacity limitations of dedicated video memory. However, being able to load a large model does not guarantee high generation speed.

The Mac Studio’s memory cannot be upgraded later.

Video and Professional Applications

M3 Ultra supports hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, as well as AV1 decoding. Four ProRes engines enable simultaneous processing of multiple video streams. Apple claimed that the chip could play back up to 24 streams of 8K ProRes 422.

Mac Studio with M3 Ultra: Pricing and Relevance in 2026

At launch, the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra started at $3,999 for a configuration with a 28-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 96 GB of memory, and a 1 TB SSD. The version with a 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU started at $5,499.

In September 2026, Apple released the Mac Studio with M5 Ultra, which features up to 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, and memory bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s. Its starting price was $5,499, while the version with M5 Max started at $2,499.

At a comparable price, M5 Ultra delivers higher performance than M3 Ultra. On the used market, the M3 Ultra configurations with 256 or 512 GB of memory are of greatest interest, particularly for local AI models and large professional projects.

Conclusion

Apple M3 Ultra continues to deliver high performance in multithreaded rendering, video processing, and work with large datasets. In 2026, its main advantage is the ability to purchase a Mac Studio with 256 or 512 GB of unified memory for less than the newer models. If that capacity is not required, M5 Max offers higher single-threaded performance and a faster GPU in Cinebench 2024.