Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)

CPU comparison

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) or Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) has 10 cores with 10 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.20 GHz. Up to 64 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) was released in Q3/2021.

The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has 14 cores with 14 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. The CPU supports up to 96 GB of memory in 3 memory channels. The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) was released in Q4/2023.
Apple M series (25) Family Apple M series (25)
Apple M1 (9) CPU group Apple M3 (6)
1 Generation 3
M1 Architecture M3
Mobile Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) is a 10 core processor with a clock frequency of 0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz). The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has 14 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz).

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Characteristic Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
10 Cores 14
10 Threads 14
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking ? No
0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz)
8x Firestorm
A-Core 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz)
10x P-Core
0.60 GHz (2.06 GHz)
2x Icestorm
B-Core 0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz)
4x E-Core

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Characteristic Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS

Internal Graphics

The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs.

Apple M1 Max (32 Core) GPU Apple M3 Max (30 Core)
0.39 GHz GPU frequency 0.39 GHz
1.30 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.40 GHz
1 GPU Generation --
5 nm Technology 3 nm
5 Max. displays 5
512 Compute units 480
4096 Shader 3840
No Hardware Raytracing Yes
No Frame Generation No
32 GB Max. GPU Memory 96 GB
-- DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

Apple M1 Max (32 Core) GPU Apple M3 Max (30 Core)
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VP8 Decode
No Codec AV1 Decode
Decode Codec AVC Decode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) supports a maximum of 64 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) can connect up to 96 GB of memory in 3 memory channels.

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Characteristic Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
LPDDR5-6400 Memory LPDDR5-6400
64 GB Max. Memory 96 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 3
409.6 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 307.2 GB/s
No ECC No
28.00 MB L2 Cache 36.00 MB
-- L3 Cache --
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
-- PCIe lanes --
-- PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) has a TDP of 45 W, that of the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) is 50 W.

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Characteristic Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
45 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 50 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) has a 28.00 MB cache, while the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) cache has a total of 36.00 MB.

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Characteristic Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
5 nm Technology 3 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Armv8.5-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-A (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
-- Socket --
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Yes AES-NI Yes
macOS Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Q3/2021 Release date Q4/2023
-- Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 5.0 stars (33 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (140 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) (79%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) (100%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) (61%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
112 (79%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 4.06 GHz
141 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
796 (58%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 4.06 GHz
1373 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
1534 (78%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 4.06 GHz
1968 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12402 (59%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 3.60 GHz
20983 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
1783 (83%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 4.06 GHz
2150 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12693 (61%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 3.60 GHz
20961 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
2397 (77%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 4.06 GHz
3125 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12439 (64%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 3.60 GHz
19404 (100%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
Apple M1 Max (32 Core) @ 1.30 GHz
10600 (100%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
Apple M3 Max (30 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
10650 (100%)

Performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 0.60 GHz
11 (31%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 0.70 GHz
35 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
192 (100%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
22255 (100%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
14C 14T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
12,402 CB R23 MC @ 45 W
275 (100%)
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
0.70 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

News and articles for the Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) and the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)


Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)Intel Core i9-12900K Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Intel Core i9-12900K
2. Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)Apple M3 Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Apple M3
3. Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
4. Apple M1Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M1 vs Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
5. Intel Core i7-12700HApple M1 Max (32-GPU) Intel Core i7-12700H vs Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
6. Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) vs Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
7. Intel Core i9-12900HApple M1 Max (32-GPU) Intel Core i9-12900H vs Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
8. Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)Intel Core i9-14900K Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) vs Intel Core i9-14900K
9. Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)Intel Core i7-12700K Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Intel Core i7-12700K
10. Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) vs Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU)


back to index