Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Apple M4 (10-CPU)
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Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) vs Apple M4 (10-CPU)

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The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU), based on the M2 architecture and manufactured using the 5 nm process, is aimed at professional users who require maximum graphics and computing performance.

Its integrated Apple M2 Max (30 Core) graphics unit and a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s make it ideal for video editing, 3D rendering, and AI applications that benefit from the high bandwidth. It offers strong multi-core performance but requires active cooling and features 36 MB of Level 2 Cache. The Apple M4 (10-CPU), based on the M4 architecture and manufactured using the more advanced 3 nm process, aims for maximum energy efficiency with excellent performance.

Its integrated Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics unit and a memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s support a wide range of applications. It stands out with significantly higher single-core performance and offers very good multi-core performance. Thanks to its efficiency, it can often be passively cooled and features 20 MB of Level 2 Cache.

In a performance comparison, the Apple M4 (10-CPU) shows noticeably better single-core performance, while the multi-core performance of both models is comparable. For gaming, the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is the clearly better choice due to its more powerful graphics unit and higher memory bandwidth.

The Apple M4 (10-CPU) is more energy-efficient thanks to 3 nm manufacturing, which enables longer battery life and more compact designs. The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) has higher power consumption and requires more robust cooling. Pricewise, the M2 Max is positioned in the top performance segment, while the M4 offers excellent performance per watt in premium devices.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)

  • Maximum graphics performance due to 30-core GPU
  • High memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s, beneficial for AI
  • Strong multi-core performance for professional applications
  • Suitable for intensive workloads such as 3D rendering

Apple M4 (10-CPU)

  • Excellent single-core performance
  • Extreme energy efficiency thanks to 3 nm manufacturing
  • Used in slim, often passively cooled devices
  • Very good performance per watt ratio

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 73 %
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
Multi-core performance
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Rank 2 - 93 %
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
Cinebench 2024 Single-Core

Cinebench 2024 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
121 pts
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.46 GHz
175 pts
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core

Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
1,025 pts
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.46 GHz
962 pts
Cinebench R23 Single-Core

Cinebench R23 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
1,695 pts
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.46 GHz
2,161 pts
Cinebench R23 Multi-Core

Cinebench R23 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
14,855 pts
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 GHz
13,682 pts
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
2,689
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.46 GHz
3,810
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
14,207
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 GHz
14,934
Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
1,874
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.46 GHz
2,491
Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
15,506
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 GHz
12,509
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30 Core)
10,650
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
Apple M4 (10 Core)
4,260
AI performance (NPU)

AI performance (NPU)

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 0.66 GHz
15.8 TOPS
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 GHz
38.0 TOPS

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
FamilyApple M series (38)Apple M series (38)
CPU groupApple M2 (8)Apple M4 (7)
ArchitectureM2M4
Technology5 nm3 nm
SegmentNotebookNotebook
Socket
PredecessorApple M1 Max (24-GPU)Apple M3
SuccessorApple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)Apple M5 (10-CPU)

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
CPU Cores / Threads12 / 1210 / 10
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 8x Avalanche
0.66 - 3.50 GHz
4x Donan P-Core
0.91 - 4.46 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Blizzard
0.60 - 2.42 GHz
6x Donan E-Core
0.90 - 2.89 GHz
L2-Cache36.00 MB20.00 MB
L3-Cache
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
GPU nameApple M2 Max (30 Core)Apple M4 (10 Core)
GPU frequency0.45 - 1.40 GHz0.34 - 1.58 GHz
CUs / Shader480 / 3840160 / 1280
Raytracing
Max. displays53
Max. GPU Memory96 GB24 GB
Technology5 nm3 nm
Release dateQ1/2023Q2/2024

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 38 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
MemoryLPDDR5-6400 (409.6 GB/s)
LPDDR5X-7500 (120.0 GB/s)
Max. Memory96 GB32 GB
Memory channels42
ECCNoNo
PCIe4.0 x 324.0
PCIe Bandwidth63.0 GB/s

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
TDP45 W25 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down
T. junction max.100 °C100 °C

Technical details

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M4 (10-CPU)
Chip designMonolithicMonolithic
AES-NI
Operating systemsmacOS, iPadOSmacOS, iPadOS
Instruction setArmv8.5-A (64 bit)Armv9.2-A (64 bit)
ISA extensionsRosetta 2 x86-EmulationRosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
Release dateQ1/2023Q2/2024
Release price
DocumentsTechnical data sheetTechnical data sheet

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is 4.6 stars (56 ratings), while Apple M4 (10-CPU) has received 4.7 stars (613 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 0.66 - 3.50 GHz
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
Apple M4 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 - 4.46 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
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