Apple may ditch Intel in favour of AMD’s Zen CPUs for future Macbooks

AMD is gearing up to launch the Zen architecture next year and while plenty of PC enthusiasts have their eyes peeled to see what AMD brings to the table, it looks like Apple may also want in on the action. This week, rumours came to light claiming that the Apple's 2018 Macbook Pros may ditch Intel in favour of AMD's new Zen processors.

The initial rumour comes from sources speaking with Bits and Chips. If accurate, this would mark a major change for Apple's systems, which have consistently used Intel processors for years across the board, whether it be the Mac Pro, Macbook, or iMac.

As wcccftech points out, AMD's Zen chip for Apple would be a custom SoC, and rather than being a CPU, Apple could end up opting for an APU. This chip would use AMD's latest GCN graphics cores, alongside HBM2 memory, running with a ultra-low TDP. Going down the APU route means that Apple may not need to rely on a discrete GPU for its higher end Macbook Pros. It could also potentially mean better graphics power for the lower end 13-inch Macbook Pros.

Of course, this is all very early information, especially since these Macbooks aren't said to be arriving until 2018, so a lot could change between now and then.

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KitGuru Says: This information is all super early, so it may not be accurate at all. That said, if AMD can gain more of Apple's business once Zen hits, then that would be good news for the company, after all, Apple is the largest company in the world with an awful lot of money to spend. 

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