Apple introduced its latest MacBook Pro models this week, featuring the new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chipsets. The M4 Pro chip showcased remarkable results in the Mac mini, making it the fastest Mac to date. However, the M4 Max elevates performance to unprecedented levels, rivaling the best PC chips on the market.
It’s important to note that all comparisons mentioned here are based on Geekbench 6. While different workflows may yield varying results, Geekbench serves as a straightforward comparison point until these new Macs are in users’ hands, providing a rough estimate.
M4 Max Compared to Previous Apple Silicon
Upon launching the new MacBook Pros, Apple claimed the M4 Max would be approximately 20% faster than the M3 Max and would stand as the fastest laptop chip available. Initial Geekbench findings, however, present a more encouraging scenario.
The first Geekbench score for the M4 Max indicates a single-core performance of 4060 and a multi-core score of 26675. In comparison, the M3 Max recorded a multi-core score of 21097, suggesting that the M4 Max outperforms it by around 26%, at least according to Geekbench data.
The M4 Max also surpasses the M2 Ultra by approximately 24%, which posted a multi-core score of 21471.
M4 Max Compared to PC Chips
Additionally, we can evaluate the M4 Max against some of the leading PC chips currently available, specifically the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and the Intel Core i9-14900K—the top offerings from both companies.
In Geekbench comparisons, the highest score achieved by the 9950X shows a single-core performance of 3630 and a multi-core score of 26653, which is slightly below the M4 Max’s multi-core performance. However, the single-core score of the M4 Max is significantly higher.
Regarding Intel, the best score available for the Core i9-14900K reveals a single-core score of 3144 and a multi-core score of 23044. The M4 Max outperforms Intel’s top desktop option by about 15%, despite being classified as a laptop chip.
Furthermore, we are still awaiting the release of Apple’s M4 Ultra chip, which is expected to effectively double the performance of the M4 Max. Apple’s UltraFusion technology combines two Max dies, delivering nearly double the performance with minimal efficiency loss.
The M4 Ultra is anticipated to debut in mid-next year, in devices such as the Mac Studio and Mac Pro.
