5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) wins this laptop face-off, 71.5 to 68.2, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+19) and performance (+4). Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Editor's note
The newer chip or the bigger canvas — Apple's own overlap problem. The 14-inch M4 Pro wins single-core outright (3,850 versus 3,120) and matches the M3 Max within noise in multi-core, for $1,500 less. The 16 M3 Max still earns its price only if you need the GPU-heavy headroom or the 36GB base memory and the larger display for actual work. For most buyers the M4 Pro 14 is the correct answer and the residual $1,500 buys a very nice monitor.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Stronger performance score: 70 vs 66
Stronger portability score: 72 vs 53
26% lower weight: 1.6 kg vs 2.16 kg
23% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,850 vs 3,120
Lower launch price: $1,999 vs $3,499
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Stronger battery score: 77 vs 70
100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
50% higher RAM: 36 GB vs 24 GB
46% higher charging: 140 W vs 96 W
38% higher capacity: 100 Wh vs 72 Wh
Display
Display comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Spec
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Screen size
14.2 ″
16.2 ″+14%
Panel type
Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR)
Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR)
Resolution
3024x1964
3456x2234
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Peak brightness
1,600 nits
1,600 nits
Performance
Performance comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Spec
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Processor
Apple M4 Pro (12-core)
Apple M3 Max (14-core)
Graphics
Apple M4 Pro 16-core GPU
Apple M3 Max 30-core GPU
RAM
24 GB
36 GB+50%
RAM type
LPDDR5X (unified)
LPDDR5 (unified)
Storage
512 GB
1,024 GB+100%
Storage type
NVMe SSD
NVMe SSD
Benchmarks
Benchmarks comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Spec
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Geekbench 6 (single)
3,850+23%Top 6%
3,120Top 14%
Geekbench 6 (multi)
20,500+1%Top 9%
20,200Top 11%
Battery
Battery comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Spec
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Capacity
72 Wh
100 Wh+38%
Web browsing endurance
14 h+8%
13 h
Charging
96 W
140 W+46%
Design
Design comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Spec
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
Weight
1.6 kg+26%
2.16 kg
Thickness
15.5 mm+8%
16.8 mm
Material
Aluminum
Aluminum
Connectivity
Connectivity comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) versus Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
