This dramatically improves performance and power efficiency. As a result, all of the technologies in the SoC can access the same data without copying it between multiple pools of memory. M1 unifies its high‑bandwidth, low‑latency memory into a single pool within a custom package. “M1 also features our unified memory architecture, or UMA. If you drop the requirement to move data back and forth, it’s easy to see how keeping everything in the same virtual filing cabinet could improve performance.įor example, here’s how Apple describes its unified memory architecture on the official M1 website: They both work on the same data independently and then shuttle the results back and forth between their memory fiefdoms. The graphics card then takes all that data and works on it within its own processor (the GPU) and built-in RAM.Įven if you have a processor with integrated graphics, the GPU typically maintains its own chunk of memory, as does the processor. The CPU first receives all the instructions for the game and then offloads the data that the GPU needs to the graphics card. To see why this is important, imagine the broad strokes of how a video game runs. Instead, the GPU, CPU, and other parts of the processor can access the same data at the same memory address. Even better, there’s no need to carve out portions of memory for each part of the SoC and then shuttle data between the two spaces for different parts of the processor. First, that means that if the GPU needs more system memory, it can ramp up usage while other parts of the SoC ramp down.
The basic idea is that the M1’s RAM is a single pool of memory that all parts of the processor can access. In addition, Apple is tweaking how memory is used within the system.Īpple calls its approach a “Unified Memory Architecture” (UMA). “What’s the big deal?” Well, first of all, this means faster access to memory, which inevitably improves performance. So the physical RAM modules are still separate entities, but they are sitting on the same green substrate as the processor. Either way, RAM for PCs and Macs have traditionally been a discrete component with its own space on the motherboard. RAM can also be a simple square or rectangular module that is soldered onto the motherboard. Typically, RAM exists in the form of these long, thin sticks that fit into specialized slots on your laptop or desktop motherboard, as pictured above. Then, the CPU manages changes made to the file by accessing and manipulating what’s in memory. The CPU then takes all the data it needs for these operations and loads the necessary information into memory. When you decide to open a text file, your CPU receives those instructions as well as which program to use. This can be anything from necessary files for running the operating system to a spreadsheet you’re currently editing to the contents of open browser tabs. It’s the primary component of system memory, which is a temporary storage space for data your computer is using right now.
RELATED: What Is Apple's M1 Chip for the Mac? The Basics: What Are RAM and Memory? Corsair What’s different now is that this approach is also coming to the Mac, a full-fledged computer designed for heavier workloads.
MEMORY MODULE ISSUE MACBOOK AIR OS UPDATE PRO
If you look at this iFixit teardown for the iPad Pro 11, you can see the RAM sitting to the side with the A12X processor. Smartphone SoCs can include RAM, and Apple’s decision to put the RAM modules off to the side is something we’ve been seeing from the company since at least 2018.
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