Apple M2 Max and M4 Pro are both very powerful 12-core chips with major differences in clock speed and GPU core counts.
Is the new M4 Pro with a higher clock speed better than the slightly older M2 Max? 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 Pro has a 4.52 CPU Clock speed, While M2 Max has a 3.5 GHz CPU Clock speed.
- M2 Max is 1 year and 9 months older
- M4 Pro has an 1800 MHz GPU clock speed while M2 Max has a 1398 MHz GPU clock speed.
- M2 Max is built on 5nm while M4 Pro is built on a 3nm fabrication process.
- M4 Pro has 16 GPU Cores compared to M1 Max has 38 GPU Cores.
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both CPUs.
| Apple M4 Pro | Apple M2 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 12 |
| Performance Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Efficiency Cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Performance Threads | 8 | 8 |
| Efficiency Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base Clock Speed (Performance Core) | 4.52 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock Speed (Efficiency Core) | 2.59 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Instruction Set | ARMv9 | ARMv8 |
| Socket | Apple M-Socket | Apple M-Socket |
| L1 Cache | 192K/core | 192K/core |
| L2 Cache | 16MB(shared) | 32 MB(shared) |
| Multiplier | 44x | – |
| Fabrication Process | 3nm | 5nm |
| Transistors | – | 67 billion |
| TDP | 38 W | 50 W |
| Max Temperature | 100°C | 100°C |
| Integrated Graphics | Apple M4 Pro GPU | Apple M2 Max GPU |
| GPU Core | 16 | 38 |
| GPU Base Clock Speed | 500 MHz | 450MHz |
| GPU Boost Clock Speed | 1800 MHz | 1398 MHz |
| Memory | LPDDR5X-8533 | LPDDR5-6400 |
| Memory Size | 64 GB | 96 GB |
| Memory Channels | 4 | 8 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| Release date | 07, May 2024 | 17, January 2023 |
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 Pro- 4640(+12%)
- M2 Max – 4147
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 33187(+24%)
- M2 Max – 26721
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 3815(+38%)
- M2 Max – 2751
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 20082(36%)
- M2 Max – 14699
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 177(+44%)
- M2 Max – 123
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 1628(+58%)
- M2 Max – 1027
Productivity benchmark tests
If you are wondering how these chips compare to each other for productivity and content creation, such as 3D design and video editing. Here, we are also sharing some productivity benchmarks with you.
Adobe After Effects (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 1352(+3%)
- M2 Max – 1311
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 12303(+25%)
- M2 Max – 9777
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- M4 Pro – 8877(5%)
- M2 Max – 8404
Price
The brand new Apple MacBook Pro(2024) with M4 Pro(12-Core) costs $1999, and the lowest price for the Apple MacBook Pro(2023) with M2 Max(12-Core) is available at resale for $2200. So, the New Apple MacBook Pro 2023 is about 10% 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(2024) with M4 Pro(12-Core) is 10% cheaper.
When it comes to the traditional benchmarks, there is a huge difference between the two chips in single-core benchmarks and multicore benchmarks. The M4 Pro(12-Core) significantly outperforms the M2 Max in every benchmark.
Now, speaking about productivity and content creation benchmarks, surprisingly, both chips perform almost identically except for Photoshop, where M4 Pro(12-Core) performs 25% better compared to M2 Max(12-Core).
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 Pro(12-Core) is the clear winner when it comes to raw performance. It’s also a better value for money because it’s cheaper compared to the Apple M2 Max(12-Core)
This video has the M2 Max beating the M4 Pro in most app tests:
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