What are the differences between the MacBook Pro M1, M2, M3 and M4?

MacBook Pro M1 (late 2021)

MacBook Pro M2
(early 2023)

MacBook Pro M3
(end of 2023)

MacBook Pro M4
(end of 2024)

M1 Pro
M1 Max

M2 Pro
M2 Max

M3
M3 Pro
M3 Max

M4
M4 Pro
M4 Max

5nm engraving (N5)
Based on the A14 Bionic chip from iPhone 12 (2020)

5nm enhanced engraving (N5P)
Based on the A15 Bionic chip from iPhone 13 (2021)

3 nm engraving (N3B)
Based on the A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)

3nm enhanced engraving (N3E)
Based on the A18 chip of the iPhone 16 (2024)

CPU clock speed of 3.20 GHz

CPU clock speed of 3.49 GHz

CPU clock speed of 4.05 GHz

M4 : Processor clock speed of 4.4 GHz

M4 Pro and M4 Max : CPU clock speed of 4.5 GHz

M1 Pro : CPU up to 10 cores with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores

M1 Max : 10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores

M2 Pro : up to 12 CPU cores with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M2 Max : 12-core processor with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M3 : 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M3 Pro : CPU up to 12 cores with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores

M3 Max : CPU up to 16 cores with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M4 : 10 CPU cores with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores

M4 Pro : Up to 14 CPU cores with 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M4 Max : Up to 16 CPU cores with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores

M1 Pro : GPU up to 16 cores

M1 Max : GPU up to 32 cores

M2 Pro : GPU up to 19 cores

M2 Max : GPU up to 38 cores

M3 : 10-core GPU

M3 Pro : GPU up to 18 cores

M3 Max : GPU up to 40 cores

M4 : 10-core GPU

M4 Pro : GPU up to 20 cores

M4 Max : GPU up to 40 cores

GPU architecture update

Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency

Dynamic caching

Hardware-accelerated ray tracing

Ray tracing twice as fast, still hardware accelerated

Hardware-accelerated mesh shading

Neural engine

40% faster neural engine

15% faster neural engine

Neural engine twice as fast

Video decoding engine

Higher bandwidth video decoding engine

Same video decoding engine as the M2 generation

AV1 decoding support

LPDDR4X memory

LPDDR5 memory

LPDDR5X memory

M1 Pro : 200 GB/s memory bandwidth

M1 Max : memory bandwidth of 400 GB/s

M2 Pro : 200 GB/s memory bandwidth

M2 Max : memory bandwidth of 400 GB/s

M3 : 100 GB/s memory bandwidth

M3 Pro : 150 GB/s memory bandwidth

M3 Max : memory bandwidth of 300 GB/s or 400 GB/s

M4 : 120 GB/s memory bandwidth

M4 Pro : Memory bandwidth of 273 GB/s

M4 Max : memory bandwidth of 546 GB/s

M1 Pro : 16 GB or 32 GB unified memory

M1 Max : 32 GB or 64 GB of unified memory

M2 Pro : 16 GB or 32 GB unified memory

M2 Max : 32 GB, 64 GB or 96 GB of unified memory

M3 : unified memory of 8 GB, 16 GB or 24 GB

M3 Pro : 18 GB or 36 GB unified memory

M3 Max : 36 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB, 96 GB, 128 GB unified memory

M4 : unified memory of 16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB

M4 Pro : 24 GB or 48 GB of unified memory

M4 Max : 36 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB of unified memory

16-core neural engine, 11 trillion operations per second

16-core neural engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second

16-core neural engine, 18 trillion operations per second

16-core neural engine, 38 trillion operations per second

M1 Pro : support for up to two external displays

M1 Max : support for up to four external displays

M2 Pro : support for up to two external displays

M2 Max : support for up to four external displays

M3 : External display support

M3 Pro : support for up to two external displays

M3 Max : support for up to four external displays

M4 Or M4 Pro : support for two external displays

M4 Max : support for up to four external displays

High power mode available on 16-inch model with M1 Max only

High power mode available on 16-inch model with M2 Max only

High power mode available on any model with M3 Max

High power mode available on any model with M4 Max

500 nits of maximum DTS brightness

Maximum SDR brightness of 600 nits

1,000 nits peak brightness SDR

Nano-texture display option

Dedicated display engine

1080p FaceTime HD Camera

12MP central camera with Desk View support

Image Signal Processor (ISP)

Advanced image signal processor (ISP) with computational video

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth 5.3

Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C)

M3: two Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C)

M3 Pro Or M3 Max : three Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C)

M4: three Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C)

M4 Pro Or M4 Max : three Thunderbolt 5 ports (USB-C)

HDMI 2.0 port

HDMI 2.1 port

14 inches : built-in 70 watt-hour lithium-polymer battery

16 inches : built-in 100 watt hour lithium-polymer battery

M3 14 inch : built-in 70 watt hour lithium-polymer battery

M3 Pro or M3 Max 14 inches : built-in 72.4 watt-hour lithium-polymer battery

16 inches : built-in 100 watt hour lithium-polymer battery

14 inches : Built-in 72.4 watt hour lithium-polymer battery

16 inches : built-in 100 watt hour lithium-polymer battery

14 inches : 17 hours battery life

16 inches : 21 hour battery life

14 inches : 18 hours battery life

16 inches : autonomy of 22 hours

M3 14 inch : 22 hour battery life

M3 Pro Or M3 Max 14 inch : autonomy of 18 hours

16 inches : autonomy of 22 hours

M4 14 inch Or M3 Pro 16 inch : 24 hour autonomy

M3 Pro 14 inch : 22 hour battery life

M3 Max 14 inch : autonomy of 18 hours

M3 Max 16 inch : 21 hour battery life

Fast charging on 14-inch (MagSafe 3 and USB-C) and 16-inch models (MagSafe 3 only)

Fast charging on 14-inch (MagSafe 3 and USB-C) and 16-inch models (MagSafe 3 or USB-C via 240W cable)

Available in space gray and silver

M3 : Available in space gray and silver

M3 Pro Or M3 Max : Available in space black and silver

Available in Space Black and Silver