Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) Apple A17 Pro
VS

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) vs Apple A17 Pro

Last updated:
The Apple A17 Pro was designed for mobile devices and targets an audience that prioritizes mobility.

It is manufactured using the 3-nanometer process under the codename Ibiza. This processor features six cores and an integrated Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores) graphics unit. The Level 2 cache is 20 MB, supplemented by 24 MB of Level 3 cache. The maximum memory bandwidth is specified at 51 GB/s.

In benchmarks, the Apple A17 Pro delivers good single-core performance but shows significant gaps in multi-core applications compared to larger processors. For games on mobile platforms, the graphical capacity is sufficient but remains behind desktop solutions. The thermal design power is kept very low, which enables operation without active fans.

Since the chip is part of closed systems, the price is based on the hardware of the end device. It is ideal for users who need high computing power in a smartphone. The Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) is intended for use in high-performance computers.

It is based on the M4 architecture and produced using the 3-nanometer process. With 12 cores and a 36 MB Level 2 cache, it is designed for data-intensive processes. The memory bandwidth is 273 GB/s and PCIe 5.0 is supported. In comparison, the Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) offers more than ten percent higher single-core performance and a massively increased multi-core performance compared to the Apple A17 Pro.

This superiority is particularly evident in video editing and gaming, as the Apple M4 Pro (16 Core) graphics unit provides significantly more resources. Power consumption is higher, which is why these processors are mostly installed in actively cooled housings. For professional workflows, this chip represents a stable basis.

It is primarily suitable for high-level stationary work.

Apple A17 Pro

  • Manufacturing of the Apple A17 Pro in a 3-nanometer process
  • Ibiza architecture with six cores
  • Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores) graphics unit
  • Optimized for fanless mobile systems

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)

  • Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) with M4 architecture
  • Memory bandwidth of 273 GB/s
  • Support for PCIe 5.0
  • Apple M4 Pro (16 Core) graphics unit

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Rank 2 - 75 %
Apple A17 Pro
Multi-core performance
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Rank 2 - 36 %
Apple A17 Pro
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
12C / 12T · 4.51 GHz
3,940
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
2,952
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.60 GHz
20,124
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
7,235
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Apple M4 Pro (16 Core)
6,410
Apple A17 Pro
Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores)
2,147
AI performance (NPU)

AI performance (NPU)

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
12C / 12T · 1.26 GHz
38.0 TOPS
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 0.70 GHz
35.0 TOPS

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
FamilyApple M series (38)Apple A series (27)
CPU groupApple M4 (7)Apple A17 Pro (1)
ArchitectureM4Ibiza
Technology3 nm3 nm
SegmentNotebookSmartphone / Tablet
Socket
PredecessorApple M3 Pro (11-CPU 14-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
SuccessorApple M5 Pro (15-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A18 Pro

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
CPU Cores / Threads12 / 126 / 6
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 8x Donan P-Core
1.26 - 4.51 GHz
2x Ibiza P-Core
0.70 - 3.78 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Donan E-Core
1.02 - 2.59 GHz
4x Ibiza E-Core
0.74 - 2.11 GHz
L2-Cache36.00 MB20.00 MB
L3-Cache24.00 MB
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
GPU nameApple M4 Pro (16 Core)Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores)
GPU frequency0.39 - 1.58 GHz0.39 - 1.40 GHz
CUs / Shader256 / 204824 / 768
Raytracing
Max. displays31
Max. GPU Memory32 GB6 GB
Technology3 nm3 nm
Release dateQ4/2024Q3/2023

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 38 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
MemoryLPDDR5X-8533 (273.0 GB/s)
LPDDR5-6400 (51.2 GB/s)
Max. Memory64 GB8 GB
Memory channels41
ECCNoNo
PCIe5.0
PCIe Bandwidth

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
TDP45 W11 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down
T. junction max.100 °C

Technical details

Wischen
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)Apple A17 Pro
Chip designMonolithicChiplet
AES-NI
Operating systemsmacOS, iPadOSiOS
Instruction setArmv9.2-A (64 bit)Armv8.6-A (64 bit)
ISA extensionsRosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
Release dateQ4/2024Q3/2023
Release price
Documents

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU) is 4.8 stars (373 ratings), while Apple A17 Pro has received 4.1 stars (466 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
12C / 12T · 1.26 - 4.51 GHz
Apple A17 Pro
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 0.70 - 3.78 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Apple M4 Pro (12-CPU 16-GPU)
Buy now on Amazon and save! Buy on Amazon