M1 Pro vs. M1 Max Buyer's Guide
This week, Apple announced a major update for its high-end MacBook Pros, with the new machines featuring a complete redesign, larger mini-LED displays with ProMotion, an HDMI port and SD card slot, full-sized function keys, and more. The new machines contain one of two scaled-up variants of the M1 System on Chip (SoC), the M1 Pro or the M1 Max.
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When choosing your MacBook Pro configuration, should you choose the M1 Pro or M1 Max? Despite both being powerful Apple silicon chips with some overlap, they do have different capabilities. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two chipsets for the high-end MacBook Pro is best for you.
*Comparing the M1 Pro and M1 Max*The M1 Pro and M1 Max feature the same basic architecture based on the M1 chip, resulting in the same core functionality. Apple lists these identical features of the two SoCs:
-Similarities-
· Up to 10-core CPU with eight performance cores and two efficiency cores· 16-core Neural Engine· Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW· Video decode engineApple's breakdown shows that the two chips share most of their basic features, but they have several differing capabilities.
-Differences-
*M1 Pro*
· Up to 16-core GPU· 200GB/s memory bandwidth· Support for up to 32GB of unified memory· ProRes encode and decode engine· Video encode engine*M1 Max*
·
· Up to 32-core GPU· 400GB/s memory bandwidth· Support for up to 64GB of unified memory· Two ProRes encode and decode engines· Two video encode engines
*Pricing*The base-level 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,999 as standard and starts with the M1 Pro with 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU. On the other hand, the base-level 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,499 as standard and starts with the M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU. It is possible to upgrade the chip in both machines for an added cost:· Apple M1 Pro with 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine· Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – *+$200*· Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – *+$300*· Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – *+$500*· Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – *+$700*With the 16-inch model already starting with the top-end M1 Pro chip, the upgrades to the two M1 Max options are priced at $200 and $400 respectively on that model.
It is worth noting that adding the M1 Pro with 10‑core CPU or better to any 14-inch MacBook Pro configuration also includes the 96W USB‑C Power Adapter, worth $20, as a free upgrade.
In addition, adding the M1 Max to a MacBook Pro configuration automatically adds 32GB of memory for an additional $400, making the cost of adding one of the two M1 Max options to the base 14-inch model $900 and $1,100 respectively in real terms.
*Final Thoughts*Overall, the M1 Pro is a highly capable chip and the best option for most professional workflows. The M1 Max is not uniquely specialized toward specific tasks, so M1 Pro users are not missing out on any abilities. Instead, the M1 Max is simply a more powerful variant of the M1 Pro that most users will not need.
A maximum of 32GB of memory should be enough for many professional users, but if you need more than 32GB of memory, the M1 Max is the only Apple silicon chip to support this.
The M1 Max is better suited to extremely demanding workflows, such as high-level graphic design, 3D modeling, and video editing. Users who often work with video may also benefit from the M1 Max's additional video engines. You will probably know if you fall into the bracket of users that needs this added performance.
The M1 Max is also likely to be a more future-proof chip in the coming years, so if you plan to keep your MacBook Pro for several years, you may consider getting a more powerful chip than you need right now.
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