Apple M3 (8-core) vs Apple M4 Max (16-core)
63.3Single-core91.3
30.9Multi-core82.1
100Efficiency100
26.5Platform66.8
0 spec wins — Apple M3 (8-core)10 spec wins — Apple M4 Max (16-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M4 Max (16-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 85.1 to 50.7, pulling ahead mainly in Multi-core (+51) and platform (+40). Apple M3 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M3 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M4 Max (16-core)
- Stronger Single-core score: 91 vs 63
- Stronger Multi-core score: 82 vs 31
- Stronger platform score: 67 vs 27
- 433% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 24 GB
- 200% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 4
General
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M4 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2024 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M4 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 16+100% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 8 | 16+100% |
| Boost clock | 4.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz+11% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M4 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Apple 40-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M4 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X-8533 |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 128 GB+433% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M4 Max (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,090 | 4,020+30% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,700 | 26,300+125% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,900 | 2,230+17% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 10,400 | 28,100+170% |
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