Apple M1 (8-core) vs Apple M3 Max (16-core)
53.6Single-core71.2
35.8Multi-core71
80Efficiencyspec-based93.3
31.1Platformspec-based60
0 spec wins — Apple M1 (8-core)12 spec wins — Apple M3 Max (16-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M3 Max (16-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 72.9 to 47.3, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+35) and single-core (+18). Apple M1 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M1 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M3 Max (16-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 71 vs 54
- Stronger multi-core score: 71 vs 36
- 700% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 16 GB
- 212% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 24,200 vs 7,760
- 200% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 4
General
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020 | 2023 |
| Process | 5 nm | 3 nm+40% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 16+100% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 8 | 16+100% |
| Boost clock | 3.2 GHz | 4.1 GHz+27% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 8-core GPU | Apple 40-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR4X-4266 | LPDDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 16 GB | 128 GB+700% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M3 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,340Bottom 34% | 3,130+34%Top 11% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,350Bottom 29% | 21,200+154%Top 8% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,500Bottom 28% | 1,950+30%Top 25% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 7,760Bottom 23% | 24,200+212%Top 12% |
| PassMark | 14,122Bottom 27% | 41,192+192%Top 12% |
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