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Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) vs Apple M4
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Summary
The Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) is a high-end processor developed by Apple using the 3 nm process, designed for professional workloads such as video editing and 3D rendering.
It integrates 16 CPU cores, an Apple M3 Max (40 Core) graphics unit, 36 MB of L2 cache, and offers a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s. The Apple M4, also manufactured by Apple using the 3 nm process, aims for high performance with maximum energy efficiency, ideal for thin and light devices.
It features an Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics unit, 20 MB of L2 cache, and a memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s. In a performance comparison, the Apple M4 shows significantly higher single-core performance, which benefits applications with serial processes. The Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU), on the other hand, significantly surpasses the Apple M4 in multi-core performance, making it predestined for parallel tasks such as rendering or software compilation.
For gaming and demanding AI workloads, the Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) offers superior performance with its 40-core graphics unit and high memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 is designed for less graphics-intensive scenarios. The Apple M4 is optimized for maximum energy efficiency, while the Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) exhibits higher power consumption in favor of peak performance.
A price-performance evaluation is not possible without concrete market prices.
It integrates 16 CPU cores, an Apple M3 Max (40 Core) graphics unit, 36 MB of L2 cache, and offers a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s. The Apple M4, also manufactured by Apple using the 3 nm process, aims for high performance with maximum energy efficiency, ideal for thin and light devices.
It features an Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics unit, 20 MB of L2 cache, and a memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s. In a performance comparison, the Apple M4 shows significantly higher single-core performance, which benefits applications with serial processes. The Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU), on the other hand, significantly surpasses the Apple M4 in multi-core performance, making it predestined for parallel tasks such as rendering or software compilation.
For gaming and demanding AI workloads, the Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) offers superior performance with its 40-core graphics unit and high memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 is designed for less graphics-intensive scenarios. The Apple M4 is optimized for maximum energy efficiency, while the Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) exhibits higher power consumption in favor of peak performance.
A price-performance evaluation is not possible without concrete market prices.
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU)
- High multi-core performance
- Powerful 40-core graphics unit
- 410 GB/s memory bandwidth, good for AI
- For professional workloads
Apple M4
- High single-core performance
- Optimized for energy efficiency
- Suitable for thin and light devices
- Modern 3 nm manufacturing process
Benchmarks
Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks
Single-core performance
Multi-core performance
Cinebench 2024 Single-Core
Single-core performance
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
Apple M4
54 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Cinebench R23 Single-Core
Single-core performance
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Cinebench R23 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
16C / 16T · 3.60 GHz
Apple M4
48 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
16C / 16T · 3.60 GHz
Apple M4
63 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)
Apple M3 Max (40 Core)
Apple M4
30 %
Apple M4 (10 Core)
AI performance (NPU)
16C / 16T · 0.70 GHz
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
More benchmarks
Cinebench 2026 (ST)
218 entries
218 entries
Cinebench 2026 (MC)
219 entries
219 entries
Cinebench 2024 (SC)
427 entries
427 entries
Cinebench 2024 (MC)
422 entries
422 entries
Cinebench R23 (SC)
690 entries
690 entries
Cinebench R23 (MC)
665 entries
665 entries
Geekbench 6 (SC)
1,989 entries
1,989 entries
Geekbench 6 (MC)
1,927 entries
1,927 entries
Cinebench R20 (SC)
666 entries
666 entries
Geekbench 5 (SC)
2,512 entries
2,512 entries
Cinebench R20 (MC)
615 entries
615 entries
Geekbench 5 (MC)
2,483 entries
2,483 entries
FP32 SP (iGPU)
2,219 entries
2,219 entries
AnTuTu 10 Benchmark
25 entries
25 entries
PassMark CPU-Mark
2,504 entries
2,504 entries
Cinebench R15 (SC)
1,113 entries
1,113 entries
Cinebench R15 (MC)
1,110 entries
1,110 entries
CPU performance per watt (efficiency)
140 entries
140 entries
AI performance (NPU)
218 entries
218 entries
Specifications
At a glance
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Apple M series (38) | Apple M series (38) |
| CPU group | Apple M3 (6) | Apple M4 (7) |
| Architecture | M3 | M4 |
| Technology | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Segment | Notebook | Notebook |
| Socket | ||
| Predecessor | Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) | Apple M3 |
| Successor | Apple M4 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M5 |
CPU Cores and Base Frequency
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores / Threads | 16 / 16 | 9 / 9 |
| Hyperthreading / SMT | ✗ | ✗ |
| Core architecture | hybrid (big.LITTLE) | hybrid (big.LITTLE) |
| Core Cluster 1: | 12x Palma P-Core 0.70 - 4.06 GHz |
3x Donan P-Core 0.91 - 4.46 GHz |
| Core Cluster 2: | 4x Palma E-Core 0.74 - 2.75 GHz |
6x Donan E-Core 0.90 - 2.85 GHz |
| L2-Cache | 36.00 MB | 20.00 MB |
| L3-Cache | ||
| Overclocking | ✗ | ✗ |
Integrated graphics (iGPU)
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU name | Apple M3 Max (40 Core) | Apple M4 (10 Core) |
| GPU frequency | 0.39 - 1.40 GHz | 0.34 - 1.58 GHz |
| CUs / Shader | 640 / 5120 | 160 / 1280 |
| Raytracing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Max. displays | 5 | 3 |
| Max. GPU Memory | 128 GB | 24 GB |
| Technology | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Release date | Q4/2023 | Q2/2024 |
NPU AI performance
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| AI hardware | Apple Neural Engine | Apple Neural Engine |
| AI specifications | 16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS | 16 Neural cores @ 38 TOPS |
| NPU + CPU + iGPU |
Memory & PCIe
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | LPDDR5-6400 (409.6 GB/s) | LPDDR5X-7500 (120.0 GB/s) |
| Max. Memory | 128 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory channels | 4 | 2 |
| ECC | No | No |
| PCIe | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| PCIe Bandwidth |
Thermal Management
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 57 W | 20 W |
| TDP (PL2) | ||
| TDP up | ||
| TDP down | 15 W | |
| T. junction max. | 100 °C | 100 °C |
Technical details
|
Wischen
|
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip design | Monolithic | Monolithic |
| AES-NI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Operating systems | macOS, iPadOS | macOS, iPadOS |
| Instruction set | Armv8-A (64 bit) | Armv9.2-A (64 bit) |
| ISA extensions | Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation | Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME |
| Release date | Q4/2023 | Q2/2024 |
| Release price | ||
| Documents | Technical data sheet |
User Reviews
Your rating
Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU) is 4.9 stars (636 ratings), while Apple M4 has received 4.2 stars (1061 ratings).
Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.
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