Apple M4 Max was the most powerful chip in the lineup when it launched back in 2021. Now, the Apple M4 series is available in the market.
Does the most powerful chip from 3 years ago defeat the base chip of the latest M4 Series?
Here, we have compared both 10-core chip variants in-depth with benchmarks and performance to determine which gives you better value for money.
Main Differences
- M4 has a 4.41 CPU Clock speed, while M1 Max has a 3.2 GHz CPU Clock speed.
- M1 Max is 2 years and 7 months older
- M4 has an 1800 MHz GPU clock speed, while M1 Max has a 1296 MHz GPU clock speed.
- M1 Max is built on 5nm, while M4 is built on a 3nm fabrication process.
- M4 has 10 GPU Cores compared to M1 Max, which has 32 GPU Cores.
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both CPUs.
| Apple M4 | Apple M1 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 10 |
| Performance Cores | 4 | 8 |
| Efficiency Cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 10 | 10 |
| Performance Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Efficiency Threads | 6 | 2 |
| Base Clock Speed (Performance Core) | 4.41 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock Speed (Efficiency Core) | 2.59 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| Instruction Set | ARMv9 | ARMv8 |
| Socket | Apple M-Socket | Apple M-Socket |
| L1 Cache | 192K/core | 192K/core |
| L2 Cache | 16MB(shared) | 24MB(shared) |
| Multiplier | 44x | – |
| Fabrication Process | 3nm | 5nm |
| Transistors | 28 billion | 57 billion |
| TDP | 22 W | 50 W |
| Max Temperature | 100°C | 100°C |
| Integrated Graphics | Apple M4 GPU | Apple M1 Max GPU |
| GPU Core | 10 | 32 |
| GPU Base Clock Speed | 500 MHz | 450MHz |
| GPU Boost Clock Speed | 1800 MHz | 1296 MHz |
| Memory | LPDDR5X-7500 | LPDDR5-6400 |
| Memory Size | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Memory Channels | 4 | 8 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| Release date | 07, May 2024 | 18, October 2021 |
Benchmarks
Now that we have compared basic specs, let’s compare some popular benchmark standards between these two CPUs to find out which one comes out on top in performance.
Passmark Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 4601(+20%)
- M1 Max – 3838
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 24386(+10%)
- M1 Max – 22110
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 3869(+63%)
- M1 Max – 2369
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 13460(10%)
- M1 Max – 12210
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 174(+57%)
- M1 Max – 111
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 976(+22%)
- M1 Max – 797
Productivity benchmark tests
If you are wondering how these chips compare to each other for productivity and content creation like 3D design and video editing. Here, we are also sharing some productivity benchmarks with you.
Adobe After Effects (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 943
- M1 Max – 1080(+45%)
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 10975(+25%)
- M1 Max – 8755
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 4843
- M1 Max – 5588(15%)
Price
The brand new Apple MacBook Pro(2024) with M4(10-Core) costs $1450, and the lowest price for an Apple MacBook Pro(2021) with M1 Max(10-Core) is available at resale for $1000. So, the New Apple MacBook Pro 2024 is about 45% more expensive right now.
Note: Prices are at the time of creation of this comparison. It may not have been updated to the latest price when you are looking at this comparison.
Conclusion – Which one should you buy?
Now, it’s time to look at all the data and figure out which one is the best option for you. First up, the Apple MacBook Pro(2021) with M1 Max(10-Core) is 45% cheaper.
When it comes to the traditional benchmarks, there is a huge difference between the two chips in single-core benchmarks. The difference shrinks significantly when it comes to multicore benchmarks. However, M4 still outperforms M1 Max.
Now speaking about productivity and content creation benchmarks, the M1 Max(10-Core) performs significantly better in After Effects and slightly better in Premiere Pro compared to the M4(10-Core). Surprisingly, the M4 (10-Core) performs 25% better in Photoshop.
Apple chips aren’t particularly great at gaming, so we have skipped that comparison. If you are looking for a Gaming CPU, you are better off with Intel or AMD. They provide far better value compared to Apple.
In conclusion, Apple M4(10-Core) is the clear winner when it comes to raw performance. However, the Price of M1 Max(10-Core) has dropped significantly, and it can go head-to-head with M4(10-Core) in overall performance.
So, if you are looking for value for money, the Apple MacBook Pro with M1 Max(10-Core) is a better choice, given you can grab it for around $1000.
