For the last few years with M-series chips, Apple has been telling us
that integrating the CPU and GPU on the same chip was the best option
(which meant no graphics upgrades for the Mac Pro) ... now they are
rumouredly doing a 180 degree spin and saying having a (semi-)separate
CPU and GPU is best?!? :-\

M5 Pro may separate out GPU and CPU for new server-grade performance
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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple will move away from its current
processor designs that keep the CPU and GPU cores on the same chip -
and see a performance gain.

One of the reasons for Apple Silicon's speed over the previous Intel
processors has been that each M-series chip has been a single unit.
This System-on-a-Chip (SoC) idea cuts bottlenecks by having all the
processor's elements together on one chip package.

According to Kuo, however, Apple is going to change this for the
M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra. Only the M5 will remain as a single
unit.

Instead, the M5 Pro and other chips will use manufacturer TSMC's
latest chip packaging process. Called the System-in-Integrated-Chips-
Molding-Horizontal (SoIC-mH), it puts together different chips into
one package.

The advantage, according to Kuo, is that this will produce
"server-grade" packaging. Apple "will use 2.5D packaging" that has
"separate CPU and GPU designs," and which will "improve production
yields and thermal performance."

Kuo says that mass production is expected in 2H25 for the M5 Pro and
the M5 Max, and then 2026 for the M5 Ultra. The M5 has reportedly
been in the prototyping phrase for a few months, and mass production
is believed to be planned for 1H25.

That M5 processor will be produced by TSMC using its N3P technology,
which is expected to be seen first in the iPhone 18 range.

Kuo also claims that the M5 Pro processors will be used in Apple
Intelligence servers. Specifically, it will be utilized for the
company's Private Cloud Compute technology.

<https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/12/23/m5-pro-may-separate-out-gpu-and-cpu-for-new-server-grade-performance>