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Apple M3 Max vs Apple M3 Pro Comparison

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CPU to replace
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Apple M3 Max

16 Cores | October 2023

Apple M3 Max
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Apple M3 Pro

12 Cores 12 Cores | October 2023

Apple M3 Pro
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Apple M3 Max vs Apple M3 Pro Comparison Overview
Apple M3 Max Apple M3 Max
See at AMAZON
Apple M3 Pro Apple M3 Pro
See at AMAZON
Apple M3 Max
See at AMAZON
Apple M3 Pro
See at AMAZON

In this review, we will be comparing M3 Max and M3 Pro, two CPUs by Apple. Apple M3 Max was introduced to market in October 2023 and Apple M3 Pro was launched in October 2023. Both M3 Max and M3 Pro were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

M3 Max and M3 Pro are members of Apple's M3 series of CPUs. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Apple M3 Series History
Model Release Date Fabrication Process Cores / Threads
Apple M3 Pro
October 2023 3nm 12 / 12
Apple M3
  
October 2023 3nm 8 / 8
Apple M3 Max
October 2023 3nm 16 / 16

Here is a brief look at the main features of Apple M3 Max and Apple M3 Pro before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Apple M3 Max Key Specs

  • Launched in October 2023
  • Laptop Type CPU
  • Cores / Threads: 16 / 16
  • Fabrication Process: 3 nm
  • Max RAM Support: 128 GB

Apple M3 Pro Key Specs

  • Launched in October 2023
  • Laptop Type CPU
  • Cores / Threads: 12 / 12
  • Fabrication Process: 3 nm
  • Max RAM Support: 36 GB

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how M3 Max and M3 Pro compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Apple M3 Max over Apple M3 Pro
Cores
16 vs 12 More Cores, Good Multitasking
Threads
16 vs 12 More Threads, Good Multitasking
Performance Cores / Threads
12 / 12 vs 6 / 6 More Performance Cores and Threads
Reasons to choose Apple M3 Pro over Apple M3 Max
Technically, no significant reason to choose Apple M3 Pro. You may consider its price.

Common Strengths of Apple M3 Pro and Apple M3 Max
Integrated GPU
Yes vs Yes Has Integrated GPU
Common Weaknesses of Apple M3 Pro and Apple M3 Max
Launch Dates
October 2023 vs October 2023 CPUs are older than 1 year
Apple M3 Max vs Apple M3 Pro: Specs Comparison Table

In this section, we will be comparing the specifications the Apple M3 Max and the Apple M3 Pro.

Processor
Brand Apple Apple
Model M3 Max M3 Pro
Release Date 2023-10-30 2023-10-30
Type Laptop Laptop
Integrated GPU Apple M3 Max GPU (38-core) Apple M3 Pro GPU (19-core)
Instruction Set ARMv8 ARMv8
Code Name Apple M3 Apple M3
Memory
Supported Memory Type LPDDR5-6400 LPDDR5-6400
L1 Cache 192K (per core) 192K (per core)
L2 Cache 32MB (shared) 16MB (shared)
L3 Cache None None
ECC Support No No
Memory Channels 8 3
Max. Memory Bandwith 409.6 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Cores & Clock Speeds
Cores / Threads 16 / 16 12 / 12
Perf. Cores / Threads 12 / 12 6 / 12
Eff. Cores / Threads 4 / 4 6 / 6
Multiplier 40x 40x
Unlocked Multiplier No No
Connections and Others
Peak Temperature 100 °C 100 °C
Socket Apple M-Socket Apple M-Socket
PCI Express Version 4.0 4.0
Integrated GPU Specs
IGP Name Apple M3 Max GPU (38-core) Apple M3 Pro GPU (19-core)
GPU Base Clock 500 500
GPU Boost Clock 1600 1600
FLOPS 16.4 TFLOPS 7.4 TFLOPS
ShadingUnitsCores 5120 2304
TMUs 320 144
ROPs 160 72
Execution_units 640 288
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