Between the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max, a complex choice between 10 MacBook Pro configurations

Are you going to need the Apple M1 Pro? M1 Max? 32 or 64 GB of unified RAM? 16, 24 or 32 graphics cores? We try to see more clearly.

Apple introduced its two new MacBook Pros, the 14 inch and the 16 inch. Until then, everything was planned. One of the big novelties is the new range of Apple Silicon chips, on one side the M1 Pro and on the other the M1 Max.

With the arrival of the Apple M1 chip, we got used to a certain simplicity, we just had to choose between two configurations with more graphics cores. The Apple M1 seemed to be a remarkable blend of power and efficiency, the M1 Pro and Max are much more willing to upset that balance and tip the scales in favor of raw power when needed.

10 different configurations

On the Apple M1 Pro and Pro Max, we are therefore left with 10 different configurations : 8 to 10 cores for the CPU and 16 to 32 cores for the GPU. In addition, depending on the M1 chip, you can configure 16, 32 or 64 GB of unified RAM. For us, it is a real complexity that we have summarized in a table. For newbies, it can be even more complicated.

Example with the 14-inch MacBook

Apple added a few explanations to help us make the right choice. It is thus specified that the Apple M1 Pro “ can easily run several professional applications at the same time (…) It is also capable of handling CPU intensive tasks, such as photo editing or code compilation, and GPU-driven tasks, such as 3D visualization or video effects processing. “.

A story of external screens and power

On the M1 Pro chip, one of the things that stands out is the number of external displays supported: two maximum. The M1 Max chip can support up to four external displays. While the M1 Max can play up to 5 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video, Apple mentions 20 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video on the M1 Pro.

Half word, Apple seems to explain that the M1 Max chip is more suitable if you plan to process large files, such as 8K definition videos, multicamera video editing or complex 3D scene renderings. This M1 Max chip goes a long way, it can encode videos 2x faster than the M1 Pro chip, according to Apple, and it integrates two ProRes accelerator cards. While the M1 Pro catches up with and outperforms the competition from laptops in terms of performance, the M1 Max aims to deliver something never seen before. With a 32-core GPU, the maximum you can configure is no longer an SoC with an integrated GPU but a GPU with an SoC around it. Moreover, Apple compares its chip to a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU… except that the Apple chip consumes much less energy for similar performance.

The size comparison between Apple M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max chips

Finally, Apple equips its MacBook Pro with up to 64 GB of unified RAM (with the M1 Max chip), and the bandwidth of these chips goes up to 200 GB / s on the M1 Pro and up to 400 GB / s on the M1 Max, which is 2 and almost 6x more than the M1 chip.

What we can say is that no laptop can match Apple on these configurations. However, we advise you to wait a few benchmarks to get a more precise idea of ​​the expected performance. Currently, it is impossible to clearly identify which configuration to choose according to your needs: Apple M1 Pro? M1 Max? 32 or 64 GB of unified RAM? 16, 24 or 32 graphics cores?

In addition to the MacBook Pro and the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the apple company focused on other new products, such as new AirPods 3 wireless earbuds, a new Apple Music subscription at knockdown price but also new very pop colors attributed to HomePod mini.

Find all the announcements to remember from the Apple keynote dedicated to the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and AirPods 3. We commented on the…
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