So which M1 is right for you?
The specs are super desirable, but not everyone needs an M1 Max inside their Mac
FROM WHAT WE’VE talked about already, it may seem like going for an M1 Max–powered MacBook is a no–brainer. However, you should actually think carefully about splashing out on an M1 Max. Why? For a start, the price leap between an M1 Pro MacBook and an M1 Max MacBook is around $500 — a not insubstantial price for an upgrade. Before you put down that kind of money, you need to be certain that you’ll be making the most of the extra power it offers you compared to the M1 Pro. In fact, the biggest obstacle to us recommending people go out and buy an M1 Max–powered Mac is because the M1 Pro is just so darn good itself.
Sure, the M1 Max dominates it in seriously intensive graphical workloads, but when it comes to computational power, which will drive the bulk of many people’s day–to–day use, the two chips are actually extremely close. Let us explain further.
While there is a big difference when it comes to graphics potential between the M1 Pro and the M1 Max, with much of it due to the amount of cores the GPU has on offer, when it comes to the processor — the second part of the M1’s dual–chip design — things are a bit simpler, which ironically can make your decision more difficult.
You see, both the M1 Pro and the M1 Max have the same CPU: a 10– core processor that has eight high– performance cores and two high– efficiency cores. The M1 Pro and M1 Max will switch between these depending on what you’re doing. If you’re doing something intensive, the high–performance cores are used for increased speed.
However, the high–efficiency cores can be used for less intensive tasks, to help preserve battery life. Now, some people could be disappointed by this, hoping for the same kind of potential performance leap in processing power between the M1 Pro and the M1 Max that we see when it comes to graphics.
There is good news, however, as the processor in the new chips works incredibly well. According to Apple, the M1 Pro and M1 Max offer a 70% increase in CPU performance against the M1 chip. This means complex tasks, such as compiling code, perform much more quickly, with Apple stating that it allows for 3.7 times faster project builds using Xcode, and up to three times more Amp Designer plug–ins in Logic Pro compared to the M1–powered MacBook Pro 13–inch.
In our own tests using a range of Macs powered by all three chips, the performance difference is certainly noticeable between the older M1, and the new M1 Pro and M1 Max. We’re not just talking about intensive workloads (though we did run some compiling tests in Xcode and were incredibly impressed with the speed we were able to boot up and test out apps from scratch), but in general day–to–day usage, the M1 Pro and M1 Max made macOS Monterey feel incredibly slick and responsive, with apps opening and loading in a flash.
It’s in these regular tasks where you’re really going to see the benefit of the new M1 chips, but it’s also where the difference between the M1 Pro and M1 Max are arguably at their least noticeable.
If you’re going to be using your Mac for browsing the web, creating documents, or even doing some coding or web design, then the M1 Max becomes harder to justify. In our benchmark tests, which look at how capable the new chips are, there was little difference in numbers when it came to CPU tests. This isn’t particularly surprising, as they are essentially the same CPUs, but it means if you’re not going to need the graphical horsepower the M1 Max offers, the M1 Pro will start looking like a better investment.
However, there are still some significant differences between the M1 Pro and the M1 Max which affect their overall performance.
MEMORY GAMES
Like the original M1 chip, both the M1 Pro and the M1 Max use unified memory. So, the memory can be used as both regular RAM, as well as video memory for the GPU. It’s why all the M1 chips excel when it comes to graphical performance.
However, there is a difference in the type of memory, and capacity, the two new chips have. With the M1 Pro, the chip uses high bandwidth, low latency memory with a bandwidth of 200GB/s — almost three times the speed of the M1. The higher the bandwidth, the faster the chip can read and write to the memory. The M1 Pro also allows for a maximum of 32GB of memory. While 8GB or 16GB of memory is usually plenty for regular users, 32GB is suitable for people who like to do serious multitasking. The more memory your Mac has, the more things it can do at once, and the faster it is.
Meanwhile, the M1 Max offers a huge leap in memory specifications, supporting up to twice the amount of memory as the M1 Pro. While the M1 Pro has a 256–bit LPDDR5 interface, the M1 Max doubles this to 512–bit, and the memory bandwidth gets doubled to 400GB/s.
This makes the leap in price more justifiable. If you’re a creative professional, the extra, faster, memory is going to make a big change to your workflow. Add in the powerful graphics performance, and the M1 Max is worth that extra $500.
However, for the vast majority of users, the M1 Max is overkill. For people who will rely on processor– dependant tasks, don’t need loads of memory, and are on a budget, a new MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro is definitely the device to go for.
THE HIGHER THE BANDWIDTH, THE FASTER THE CHIP CAN READ/WRITE TO THE MEMORY