Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
VS
66.2Performance44
74.3Display41.6
77.1Battery68
53Portability65.9
7 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)2 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 68.2 to 52.6, pulling ahead mainly in display (+33) and performance (+22). Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 74 vs 42
- Stronger battery score: 77 vs 68
- 167% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 600 nits
- 125% higher RAM: 36 GB vs 16 GB
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition)
- Stronger portability score: 66 vs 53
- 23% lower weight: 1.66 kg vs 2.16 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,550 vs $3,499
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16.2 ″+8% | 15 ″ |
| Panel type | Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR) | HDR PixelSense LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 3456x2234 | 3270x2180 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,600 nits+167% | 600 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 Max (14-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X2 Elite (12-core) |
| Graphics | Apple M3 Max 30-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAM | 36 GB+125% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | Gen 4 SSD (removable, M.2 2230) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,120Top 28% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,200Top 19% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 100 Wh+52% | 66 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | 13 h | 14 h+8% |
| Charging | 140 W+115% | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.16 kg | 1.66 kg+23% |
| Thickness | 16.8 mm+8% | 18.3 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum (100% recycled) |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x USB-C/USB4, USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, Surface Connect, microSD |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p Full HD (Windows Studio Effects) |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Facial recognition (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 15-inch (8th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
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