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InnoReviews

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)
68.2Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
72.6Inno Score
66.2Performancespec-basedchip69.4
74.3Displayspec-based74.3
77.1Batteryspec-based89.3
53Portabilityspec-based56.2
3 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

InnoReviews verdict

Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra wins this laptop face-off, 72.6 to 68.2. Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) 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)

No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.

Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

  • 78% higher RAM: 64 GB vs 36 GB
  • 25% higher Peak brightness: 2,000 nits vs 1,600 nits
  • Lower launch price: $2,600 vs $3,499

Display

Display comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Screen size16.2 ″+8%15 ″
Panel typeMini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR)PixelSense Ultra mini-LED (touchscreen)
Resolution3456x22343270x2180
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,600 nits2,000 nits+25%

Performance

Performance comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
ProcessorApple M3 Max (14-core)NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X
GraphicsApple M3 Max 30-core GPUNVIDIA Blackwell RTX (6144-core)
RAM36 GB64 GB+78%
RAM typeLPDDR5 (unified)LPDDR5x
Storage1,024 GB1,024 GB
Storage typeNVMe SSDSSD (removable, Gen 5)

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Geekbench 6 (single)3,120Top 11%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)20,200Top 9%—

Battery

Battery comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Capacity100 Wh+9%92 Wh
Web browsing endurance13 h—
Charging140 W140 W

Design

Design comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Weight2.16 kg2 kg+7%
Thickness16.8 mm+7%18 mm
MaterialAluminumAnodized aluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Ports3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm3x USB-C/USB4 (one with Magnetic Connect), USB-A 3.1, HDMI 2.1b, SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.3Bluetooth 5.4
Webcam1080p FaceTime HD1080p Full HD
BiometricsTouch IDFace recognition (Windows Hello)

Software

Software comparison: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
SpecApple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max)Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
Operating systemmacOS SonomaWindows 11 Pro (Arm)

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