Apple designed the Arm-based M-series chips used in modern Mac computers.
Apple introduced its first Apple silicon Mac models with the M1 chip in November 2020. The M1 used Arm-based architecture and combined processing, graphics, memory, and specialized functions in a system-on-a-chip design. Apple said the transition would replace Intel processors across the Mac line.
The move followed Apple’s earlier use of custom chips in iPhones and iPads. Designing its own processors allowed Apple to coordinate hardware and software more closely, while also emphasizing performance per watt. Later families included the M2, M3, and M4 generations, with different versions aimed at laptops, desktops, and professional workloads.
Arm supplied the instruction-set architecture, but Apple designed the specific M-series implementations. Intel therefore is not the answer, even though Intel processors powered many earlier Macs. Apple silicon also should not be confused with the A-series chips used primarily in iPhones and iPads.