M3 Pro VS M3 Max - DON'T BE FOOLED! 

So sick and tired of these “don’t be fooled” captions…unsubscribed.

I would love to see a comparison between the binned m3 pro and unbinned m3 pro (same for m3 max) as well as seeing a comparison in the memory bandwidth across the generations (if there is a way to accurately measure that. excuse my ignorance)

This is so helpful. What about gaming? Pro or Max? What would be a good configuration to run the most intensive games on the highest settings? Would I need to go for a Max?

IMHO, 90% of daily users would never come close to using the full potential of the M3. Save money and purchase either the M1/M2.

I'm more interested in upcoming M3 Mac mini and Studio configurations! Any info?

I'm upgrading from the 2020 M1 MBP...which i believe is 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU. I use Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro (though, not simultaneously), and edit in SLOG from my sony camera in FCP with some basic color grading/LUTs. My current machine handles this pretty well, but there are certainly some times where it can struggle a bit. My gut tells me that the MBP with the M3 PRO chip (12 core CPU / 18 core GPU) will be plenty, but the Max is tempting. Open to input!

Would love to see how well the fully specced M3 Max handles Windows gaming through Parallels and/or Crossover. I’m in the market for both a new development Mac and a gaming computer. If the M3 Max is able to consistently hit 60+fps, buying one might actually end up saving me some money.

Greg, love the channel. Question: what configuration would you recommend for gaming; thinking Resident Evil 4 for starts?

At this point, all I care is the Raytracing and shader render performance. If it's kick ass then this M3 would definitely be worth an upgrade for the high end user... Crossing fingers!

Thanks for your analysis Greg 😊 May there be a mistake: M2 Max has ca. 14000 in Geekbench, M3 Max 21000. So, it´s 50% faster than M2 Max. Taking M3 Max as reference point, M2 Max is 33% slower. You said, M3 Max is 37% faster.

Thank you, got the questions I was looking for before buying

The most significant difference *to me* is the bandwidth to memory of the Max, and that potential to bring data in parallel into the graphics cores at a higher rate. It should be the chip of choice for anyone wanting to play games on their Mac laptop, or looking forward to the same upgrade in a Mac Studio.

Great video. I know Apple is a “for profit” corporation, but some people always choose the most slimy explination even when they know additional information. People immediately assumed Apple listed the improvements compared to Intel chips instead of M2 to show a bigger improvement gap. Even though tech journalists have reported for awhile the huge number of Mac users who STILL have and use Intel Macs. Close to 50%! It makes perfect sense for Apple to market to Intel users switching than the microscopic M2 switchers. We’ve heard nothing but rumors about the difficulty the chip manufacturer had making quality 3nm chips. It seems more likely it was not the “greed factor” but Apple probably had to severely limit the configurations based on the quality and amount of chips produced.

I couldn’t be more freakin hyped for my M3 Max. I had a 2016 intel MacBook 15in that ran fine until the screen randomly just died (no cracks, drops, nothing). Got a used iPad Pro for like $800 to get me by while I was shifting my work/life focus. But now I’m moving back full speed into my work process and couldn’t be more excited to have like you said, basically a Mac Studio in a portable laptop. The possibilities are limitless with this thing. We’ll see if the Space Black lives up to the hype in real life.

I wonder if they will use different chip configs for the desktops. For example, doing 8/4 CPU instead of 6/6

Great discussion of the technology options!

For 4K video editing, which do you recommend. B&H has rest deals on M1 specd out. Vs new m3. Same price for either. Thank you

Greg, since you have played Resident evil from your iPhone to a TV. How do you think an M3 or M3 pro will do?

Is M3 Pro with 12 core worth $200 more than 11 core CPU? Is it worth upgrading?

2 weeks ago I bought M2 Max Mac Studio with 64gb ram and 1tb storage and I think it will last me for the next 7 to 8 years.

I plan to buy Macbook M3 Pro 16 inch. I am confused between 18GB and 36GB RAM. It is a bit pricey but I want to keep this laptop for so many years. Maybe even 10 years or till it will not be useful anymore. I am not any programmer, coder, editor. I will just use it for daily use such as browsing Internet, watching movies and occassionally trying to play in games like Star Wars, Minecraft or Arkham series etc. I feel like 18 GB is enough but I am worried about future if maybe 36GB is future proof for any updates or games or anything like that. I will be happy for honest advices

I certainly need your help Greg. My MacBook Pro is almost 9 years old, and I would like to invest on a 16” model. But all these chips configurations are getting me dizzy 😵‍💫. Thank you for doing the homework for us ❤

I learned so much. Thank you.

I have a 2013 MBP with 16gb RAM. 7:45 Should I now upgrade to M1 M2 or M3? My main use is personal photography and video editing. TIA

Thank you! I have similar doubts on memory bandwidth, and how M3 Pro is 20% faster than M1 pro. Doesnt that mean M2 Pro and M3 pro are neck and neck?

7:20 spot on here. With these huge performance numbers thermal throttling is key. It’s no good if these high performance metrics can only be sustained for a short sprint, even in the 16”.

Since the M3 Base and M3 Pro have an equal ratio of performance cores / efficiency cores would it be possible to estimate the M3 Pro performance by: Dividing the leaked Base M3 geekbench score multicore of 11700 / 8 (number of Base cores) x 12 (number of Pro cores) = 17550 Pro Multicore ? Might be too optimistic.

Tis the season to upgrade! Ive still got the 2018.

I am waiting for the M3 Studios to release. I have the 14" MacBook Pros which is use for field work and they are more than adequate for that. But when I get back home, I need something to do the heavy lifting for Video editing. Trying just to have a laptop only as a do-it-all just will not work for me. I understand why with some production video field work, some guys need the Max chip for their work. But I am getting a good sense watching this video and others what plus-ups to the base M3 Max I might get, but Oh that Ultra M3 Studio may be more than insane and worth it for me. I can soften the blow with a trade-in.

The mp3 pro is going to be my first macpro..as the price of the m3 and m2 is the same same. New buyers like me would just get the m3pro and not think about the m2 pro. Excited for the space black 🎉

Do you know what the DDR memory speed is? DDR5 xyz Mhz? I can't find it listed in the tech specs anywhere on Apple's site. Weird.

hi Greg, cheers to you making great informative content! May you please do a video comparison between the base m2 max studio/m2 max macbook pro and the higher m3 pro based on their value proposition and performance? Seems like there’s an overlap on performance and pricing! thank!

*Storage shouldn't be tied to chip. They should make 8TB available to the M2 pro as well.* They probably have lower bandwidth because the new dynamic caching makes up for it.

Two thumbs up for the video until the 9 minute marrk when talking about the max SSD size... I remember when many took a dump at the pricing Apple uses for SSDs? I'm good with NVMe enclosures of 10Gbps & 40Gbps, that can open easy to swap out 2TB & 4TB NVMe chips, Where you can use a 10Gbps connected to your iPhone 15 Pro/Max shooting at the highest settings then connecting to the 14 or 16 inch Pro or Max M3 to edit... Note: There are Professionals that use 10Gb Ethernet connected storage to edit from, so being a speed deamon above that, unless you actually do 8K editing?!?

I'm really disappointed that 8TB is now only available with an M3 Max. I need a ton of storage but I honestly don't need any more performance than the M3, but having to not only spend the additional for not just an M3 Pro but an M3 Max, as well as the perpetual hit to battery life (the Max chips suck way more power even when idle) it's given me pause for buying one.

Just called an apple technician because of the battery difference between the M3 Pro and the M3 Max. He said: first of all, the 3 nm chips are in general very very battery saving compared to to older/other chips. Second, if you use both, the M3 Pro and M3 Max, for regular things like browsing, emails, Netflix .. like not too power hungry tasks, both will last about the same. But if you really need the power of the M3 Max, it will drain the power definitely a bit faster, ..but like, that’s where you need the power of the M3 Max and should be happy to have it inside your MacBook Pro.

Am I the only person who thinks M2 Pro was more than fast enough? If we have the same performance at the same price, but with more efficiency, that's honestly all I would have wanted. It's been like 10 months since the M2 Pro came out.

I bought the maxed version. If WW3 happen, there will be a huge shortage and I need a solid computer that can run local AI to survive.

When can we expect M3 on MacBook Air?

& I am trying to deliberate if the 14 inch m3 max will thermal throttle I don't want a 16 inch 😅, wish apple did a pro 15 inch tho 😅

did u mention they reverted back to 2 NANd ssd drivers?

I'm sure storage wise the take rate is so low its not even worth coding the extra spot to click on the website

I've got the m3 max in 14" and it is cold to the touch in regular use. Have not timed the battery but it last a long time. Buying another today. It's way faster than my M1 it replaced.

thxxxxx!!

Love the video! You should post a what’s on my iPhone video. Keep up the good work!

It still bothers me that the Pro is only getting 6/6 rather than 8/4 and the memory bandwidth... from what Apple isn't saying with their graphs is that it's probably the same as the M2 Pro performance wise. If that is the case there is no reason to buy it, unless you want black or 600 nits, over a NOS or refurb M2. :(

I was going to get a top spec MacBook Air M3, at around $2.5k, over the MacBook Pro M3 Pro with similar specs for $2.7k, but then I noticed an even better deal. MicroCenter had the MacBook M3 Max (binned version) for just $2.8k which is what I went with. I wish I could have gone with the high spec Max, but it was almost a thousand dollars more for not much greater performance. I’ll just save it to buy a Mac Studio later on

Thank you for your videos

I bought the M3Pro (before watching this) I probably won’t change my mind, BUT when you get an M3Pro - I definitely would like to see the compare to the cheaper M2Pro. Just to know. And maybe cry at not getting the M2Pro a few months ago.

The top-end M3 Max models are for people who do heavy video editing or people with just lots of extra money. If you are in that territory you need to get a Windows Gaming Laptop as it can do way more than just basic, apps, web surfing, an apple exclusive video editing.

why dosen't Apple just release updates to ALL Macs at the same time instead of Studio one day, Mini another day, laptops another day...

Be extra carful about youtube reviewers about this laptop. Don't trust all of them and don't preorder anything just yet.

I usually get away with only one external monitor so that’s not a problem for me

most useful video about these chips I've seen so far

A 30% increase in performance in Geekbench won’t equal 30% actual performance in real world tasks. Geekbench numbers do not line up with software people actually use.

PUMPING videos like mad! I also said fuck it this year and swapped back to 16" maxed out model yolo. Hate the size, thickness, weight, and "weildability" BUT you cant beat the performance gain speakers battery and everything as you know. I bought and returned many 16 to go back to 14 when the m1 came and m2 but this time im holding strong 16 is an absolute BEAST

Hey Greg, thanks for the Video! I have an iMac from 2013, and he works like a smoooooth glove. It is so good. But all the Programs are now wanna update (i have Catalina installed) and so i had to look around what it would replaced. I wanted to use the iMac as my monitor and bought a new M3 Pro. So the funny thing ist, you can use the iMac as an Monitor only with 2019 models....... and my iMac from 2013 runs better Adobe Programs than the M3. I spoke with APPLE over an hour about both issues and the resolution is now: i bring the M3 back and maybe buy a M2, because it doesn't have so much problems and bugs than the M3. It is really sad. He told me i have a powerhouse with the M3, but something is wrong and it is not good and that the Catalina is the best Update yet. And the new one has many problems. So i think it is too early to buy the M3. But the color is nice and the Sound is really awesome. But with this issues that is coming i can`t work.. and that ist not nice. Thanks and i wish you a good day! - Aphrokite

The max versions usually have better battery life, it's counter intuitive but they aren't running at 100% very often and if they are they will be more efficient than a lower tier model, it's the main reason I buy the max and jack up the ram.

The black maxed out 16“ is very tempting, but VERY expensive here in my country with a whopping 8.529,00 € as well! 😱

As a 16" M2 Max non base user, I'm feeling pretty good to stay where I am for a few generations but easily through this one. I really wanted to hold out for the M3 but I needed a new machine earlier. I kind of dreaded this day but I'm feeling as good as ever about my M2 Max. I'm kind of feeling like buying my same laptop this year costs $500 more for very little impactful difference.

just copped the macbook pro 16 m3 max with max out config 😁

The 14 inch Pro gets the 14 core not the 16 core doesn't it?

Hey Greg, please help: What freaking happened!?… It seems like with every good thing Apple does on these next M series chips… They also downgrade something! I remember the NAND/swap was so good with the M1 chips that everyone was saying you didn’t need to double your memory… Now I’m like should I just go for an M1 max?? There’s so many cheaper options even if that 3 mm technology looks amazing. 🤔

Yes this whole generation & the configurations are all about making as many people as possible to have to step up to the Max chips. But luckily for me, the M3 Pro will be more than enough for me. No I am not happy about the downgrades, but it's what Apple is doing.

I just don't know what to get. I'm a musician currently using an M1 MacBook Air. And I also like to game...So I think the M3 Pro might be the chip to get....

27 TFLOPS M2 Ultra (76-GPU) but only 17 TFLOPS M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU)... noticed that an RTX 4070 got 30 TFLOPS means that M3 Max is a bit weak for gaming (good fps). Don't you think ?

Do I need the M3 Pro for video editing or is the M3 good enough? My one (2018) is so loud and slow and also lately doesn’t turn on many times. It also has a wrong day and time, which I strangely can’t change.

I want a computer I can use to get into 3D model and printing comfortably and Lightroom editing. Should I go for a bumped up regular m3 chip a baseline m3 pro chip. Or should I bump up the specks on that pro chip?

i need that shirt. also, im trying so hard not to justify upgrading from my M1Pro. i will prob wait to upgarde my M1 mini to the M3 mini pro or studio. what a time to be alive indeed. whats going to happen in 5 yrs? is apple just going to come out with a quantom macbook pro that is beyond comprehention of what we have now?

I really just want to know if I need all that extra to do my regular stuff (have 5 windows open with 10 taps up in each lol) and play the Sims without worry haha.

It's wise to be cautious and wait for credible reviews from trusted sources before forming an opinion. Sometimes initial hype can be misleading, and thorough reviews from reliable RU-vidrs can provide a clearer picture. Keep an eye out for detailed specifications and real-world comparisons for a more accurate assessment of the M3's capabilities.

I'm actually a little bit disappointed the M3 wasn't more powerful than it is. I was hoping for at least 50% if not 100% more than the M2.

When someone says that an 8 core cpu and 10 core gpu will be good enough for the “average” user clearly doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about… that’s sir you is maki my this video!

I'm excited Greg!

if the CPU performance is so good why did they not mention it in the keynote?

This guy looks like a cross breed of cricketer Steve Smith and Ed Sheeran

since m3 is about power saving(less performance), should I just buy the m2 pro? in terms of mac mini

It's so annoying, I too thought Pro has 12 cores, Max has 12 cores - my workload is mostly CPU so I'll get the Pro. Good thing I didn't as the difference is 6 performance cores vs 10 performance cores, that's huge! - and it's only $400 difference to upgrade. Of course once you upgrade, it's only a few hundred more to get the next upgrade that seems so important too haha - Apple are geniuses at this.

I had heard that the efficiency cores are tuned high enough now as to make it a non issue for most of what the pro level of the chip is spec’d for.

M3 pro : less transistors and memory bandwidth when compared to the m2 pro… yikes.

Also, there is still a big notch in the top of the screen, which is truly awful as many programs are not compatible with it. Apple needs to remove it.

I’m wondering if the M2 Pro vs M3 Pro will have any performance gains.

The only people who would actually need more than 36gb of memory on M3 Pro are people who are gonna need 96gb of memory (i.e., people working in machine learning, extremely high level rendering, etc.)

So the MacBooks are better than the new imac? I was thinking of getting a imac can anyone give me some sound advice? I do video editing

If you believe the M3 Max was improved in 4 months from an M2 Ultra release.. need your head checked they have all these chips designed years in advance they just cant build in quantities due to costs etc

In case you're wondering, his shirt says "Nintendo NY"

Seems like you’re not getting much with the pro chip…. So I’m better off buying a used older MacBook Pro if I don’t want to spend $3k+

I just bought an M 2 air and to be honest it ain’t as fast as my 2019 I pad pro. No way. So what gives?

If you want battery life over performance, don't get top Max.

16 inch m3pro base model is way more than most people will ever need @ 2499 USD. A good deal

So in real life m2pro is the best buy overall. Better price bigger ssd, faster ram, less heat, more performance cores ( which is very important), and better price

Apple was being sneaky!

M3 max should be fine for most of us, if you can afford it:)

Apple's spec downgrades and price rises only makes us love them more!

we've hit peek

The idea was know your work goals an then spec bump 1/2 times so the system would last 3-5 yrs an during that time if work did change your still in a fair place until next refresh… Today however they want you to purchase upper tier echelon level systems… All I wanted was to be comfortable with 64GB 🤬🤬🖕🏾🖕🏾

You’re arms are looking fabulous 😢

Wow... look at the prices for upgrades! Is Apple kidding? I'd have to sell my first kid for more SSD internal space just to make a basic standard model laptop.

Darn right you’re handsome my man. Clearly been hitting the gym too

Gaming it’s a big deal for.. I want to play Diablo 4 on MacBook..