14" M3 Pro MacBook Pro & 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro Review

Apple’s 2023 M3 MacBook Pro models come in a somewhat confusing array of configs and the usual 2 sizes. We look at the middle configurations that many folks are actually considering rather than the highest and lowest end models available. In this review we cover the 14” MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro (12 core CPU / 18 core GPU) and the 16” MacBook Pro with an M3 Max (14 core CPU / 30 core GPU). These are retail configurations rather than BTO and can be found in stores for $2,399 and $3,499 respectively. We compare benchmarks and real world 2D/3D performance between these two models and with the 16” M1 MacBook Pro M1 Max (10 core CPU / 30 core GPU).
** Get the M3 MacBook Pro at Best Buy: howl.me/ckZXML...
** Get the 16” M3 MacBook Pro on Amazon: amzn.to/3SFOJXF
** Get the 14” M3 MacBook Pro on Amazon: amzn.to/3syXp7v

[@ahmedthecreator]

Lisa you're a treasure to this platform. Your videos are always the most direct, honest and straightforward. You've been doing this so long and we really respect and appreciate your insights. Please keep up the great work!

[@The1Weapon]

Thanks Lisa. These two configurations are the exact ones I’ve been waiting to hear about.

[@jimtipton8888]

Great review Lisa! Still loving my 16” M1 Max. Glad I over built it for my use case. Going to stick with it for a while. Maybe the M5 or M6.

[@psysword]

how much memory?

[@jimtipton8888]

@@psysword I went with the 10CPU/24GPU 32GB Ram 2TB HD configuration. Hit the sweet spot for my use.

[@coreywallace8147]

Hey I watched this channel since 2013 it’s 2024 now good to see your doing good. I really like the new look!

[@harshpatel105]

Awesome. I am getting 14 inch 12 CPU/18 GPU/36 GB/1TB M3 Pro model in Silver!

[@bryans8656]

Those M3s are tempting, but common sense (and my budget) tell me to stick with my M1 Pro MBP 14 since it still more than meets my prosumer needs.

[@snappycattimesten]

Yep. Wait until m4 or m5, which will include wifi 7, thunderbolt 5 and possibly OLED, along with a speed bump.

[@walpoleandworcester]

Same here. Very happy with my current Macs and they still get the job done perfectly now. M1 Mac Mini with 16 gigs of unified memory is still a beast for me now.

[@stevens7409]

You should still be good. I need something to emulate my M1 Ultra 128 on the road. Hence, M3 Max 128. *sigh

[@Errcyco]

The first review I saw of yours was an LG G2 when I first got it. Oh how the years fly by.

[@BenjaminEmm]

I really would like to get into the mac ecosystem, but coming from the PC space the premium Apple charge for RAM and storage just stops me in my tracks every-time! Great review as always Lisa.

[@rdp6096]

I use the mac for productivity and my PC for gaming and some graphic design projects. Airdropping from the ipad to the macbook to get stuff printed is so painless i love it. If you ever get a chance, the m2 Air is beast in its own right :D

[@gosman949]

@@rdp6096 air dropping for printing for real photo pros is a no-no. We are warned to not accept air drop when installing a printer driver.

[@nicksower6064]

Two things: First, thanks for clearly explaining the various permutations available. Second . . . where did you get that shirt? I want one!

[@davegrodzki]

I always wait for your reviews as they really set the bar for interesting, concise, and useful advice. Thanks again for doing what you do!

[@user-cw4bs8ub2b]

As always, useful, practical and interesting, the only review that makes every word count.

[@nikanzare3099]

Thank you for still making qualiy videos and reviews.. been a fan since forever. one of the absolute best in depth tech videos on youtubehands down!

[@rg975]

My M1 Max is aging like a fine wine

[@NF30]

Yes! I have M1 Pro 16" and it still works great. But next time I get a Mac I will definitely get a Max chip. Maybe even a desktop...

[@duncanwallace7760]

I agree, I was thinking of getting the Lenovo Yoga i9 Pro, which sounds awesome, but the battery life on that was supposed to be hopeless. When I'm travelling I need something that can work for a good while without being plugged in so I can download my photos, do some basic lightroom edits / culling and back them up. So I took the big step of ordering my first Mac (the base M3 Pro upgraded with 36gb ram and 2gb hard drive).

[@fernandolanderos4600]

Think your going to like it for that fact. Windows battery life always stinksfor me. I hadam2 max and loved it but this was announced and I was within my return period so I returned that to get a m3 max. The m2 max had great battery life while using the internet, photoshop and illustrator. I hope the m3max is similar

[@2RosarioVampire]

I came to accept that for personal gaming, I go Windows. For anything remotely actually laptop related, there's no contest. The Macbooks with M silicon floors the rest. You will love your Macbook. It's super fast, clean, well built and you never hear the fan. And the battery actually goes for a day. Windows from my experience doesn't even go an hour after two months. Macbooks however has a solid battery life even after over two years. Also, the speakers and display on the Pros are honestly beautiful. Macbook Pros are extremely well built machines and probably the best laptops out there. The only frustration I have (and a lot has) is how much Apple prices these machines to ridiculous ranges. That said, I hope you enjoy your Macbook Pro. I think you will have a better realization of why so many people love Apple products end of day. The price is steep but the quality delivers. It's a one time expense for a major quality of life improvement.

[@fmax3000]

@@2RosarioVampireAnd a much better resale value, better security and privacy, better echo system, UI, UX, more compact, etc.

[@9ofClovers]

Lisa as usual giving us the best of reviews. Thanks for all of the years providing us excellent content.

[@kallex7741]

I love you t shirts and your new hair cut, you're one of the few honest tech reviewers, may you never get corrupted by commercial success

[@MichealWhiteetihWlaehciM]

I always look forward to your informative reviews.

[@taffy4801]

I always love watching your reviews! The funny shirts remind me of my elementary school librarian and always make me feel happy :)

[@Cenot4ph]

Pricing is a joke 😂

[@adiposerex5150]

Great review: complete and concise.

[@GrooveYouVerse]

Thank you for not using click bait titles

[@GG2002_NJ]

Thank you, Lisa. Not sure I’d compare 14” PC architecture w/ a throttled RTX 4070 to a much larger and more expensive 16.2” MBP M3MAX. A more reasonable comparison would be Lenovo Slim 7i Pro priced $1400 less.

[@tylertyler82]

I just ordered a 16” M3 Pro black 36gb/ 1tb 😁 Great review! 👍

[@stevenoconnor5693]

Happy new year Lisa

[@neelkrishna]

I was on the fence between a base 18GB RAM 16" pro, and a loaded 24GB RAM 15" air - went with the pro, not because I need the processing power, but I am too swayed by that high refresh screen, good speakers, and dual monitor support. As a web software developer, the pro processor is complete overkill for me but I guess I'll treat myself this year

[@moow950]

Excellent review again!!! Thanx 👏👍

[@francisyuweh706]

thank you for this review, this help us decide on things^ keep it up

[@mr_red13]

Bravo. Such a great review.

[@malcolmarmstrong7761]

Excellent reviews here!

[@VincentPascual]

Thanks for your video, Lisa! It is very helpful in helping me with buying a new MacBook Pro. I'm trying to decide between 2 different 16-inch models: M3 Pro (12-core CPU/18-core GPU) or the entry-level M3 Max (14-core CPU/30-core GPU). Both would have 36GB Unified Memory and 1TB SSD Storage. The price difference is $400 and the entry-level M3 Max can be purchased in store while the M3 Pro would have to be custom ordered. There haven't been many articles/videos/social media comments that talk about the 16-inch M3 Pro. What are your thoughts?

[@fmax3000]

Get the Max and never look back. The M3 Pro is a downgrade to the M2 Pro in many aspects, while the M3 Max is a big upgrade. The M3 Max has double memory bandwidth at 300GBps vs 150. 4 Supports external monitors vs 2. Has double the encoders. More cores more performance and better efficiency. Better resale value. You pay extra 400 but you save time, nerves and gain performance, efficiency, longevity and resale value. It’s a no brainer for power users.

[@Hof79905]

LG is the best tech advisor I have ever seen.

[@mikerahl123]

Just got the M3 Pro Macbook pro 14, and I love it!

[@cheettaah]

Great video! Wished you had tested and compared the ssd speeds too.

[@mobiletechreview]

I should have mentioned, they were the same between the 2 M3 Macs, which makes sense since they both had 1TB SSDs. They were slightly faster than the M1 Max 1TB, but not excitingly so.

[@cosmicfxx]

Was hoping youd explain about the 2 different 14" MB PRO M3 PRO's ... one with 11 core the other with 12 core ... why the 2 different??

[@jeffrey3498]

Haven’t seen you in a while Lisa. Love the new haircut!

[@TheOneMonk]

Great review Lisa! Many YT channels are obsessed with the M3 Max. You are showing how powerful the M3 Pro already is. However, there is one thing that is really limiting for thr M3 Pro model: the max RAM of 36GB. I dont understand why Apple is not offering a 64GB model. Well, of course they want to drive peps towards the MAX. Which sucks as a M3 Pro with 64GB would probably be more than enough for most use cases. In my case - music production with large sample libraries - 36GB unfortunately is not enough. It is a pity that upgrading the RAM is only possible by buying an overkill CPU.

[@jamfin6644]

I’m in this camp. I was looking for a chance to “downgrade” to a 14” from a 16” M1 Max and I wanted 64gb. Lo and behold I picked out a 14” M1 Max, but am more concerned about battery life/heat that I would’ve preferred a M1 Pro with more efficiency cores.

[@joelv4495]

32gb has been fine for me on a 14 M1 Pro; and I'm no lightweight when it comes to memory. 40+ Chrome tabs, multiple VS code windows, dev server and docker images running, etc. I also don't stare at the memory monitor, because I'm actually working... 🤷‍♂ What's actually been a bit underwhelming is the battery life. Doing all of the above, I'm usually getting ~5hrs battery life from 100 to ~20% after 235 cycles, 88% health.

[@jamfin6644]

@@joelv4495 40 chrome tabs at once, are you a masochist? All my home desktops now have 64GB and up for video/photo editing, and since I'm buying a new laptop I might as well be consistent.

[@chupacabraj4539]

What color are these? space gray or space black?

[@maheshgvelly]

Which is better choice of the price difference is $700 . M1 Max with 64 Gb Ram , 4tb ssd vs M3 Max with 36 Gb Ram , 2tb ssd ?

[@Ivan_1986]

If you do not need the extra cores - go with M1 Max for sure. 64 GB of RAM and 4TB ssd will allow you to work for carious projects for years to come. I am on an almost maxed out 14" MacBook Pro 14 with M1 Pro / 32 GB / 4TB SSD (everything other than SSD, which could be 8 TB) and… I absolutely have no reason to upgrade to anything. Like the only real upgrade would be 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro, but at the moment - I not CPU limited at anything that I do, I am not RAM limited at anything that I do and … I do not game :) So… literally I have no reason to upgrade and just feel great with my purchase. On top of that - 14" is the sweet spot for me, since it is great for travels and I use a second external display both at home and at the office. I would only go for Max CPUs in 16" chases though. Thats for sure.

[@maheshgvelly]

@@Ivan_1986 that helps went with M1 Max

[@kennysponto6568]

Does the most powerful m3 max actually have better gaming and 3d rendering performance than an i7 12650 rtx 4060 gigabyte 5???😊

[@AffablyAndrew]

You are my favourite tech reviewer. Love watching all your videos. Fantastic review! I went from M1 mbp base model with 16gb to that $2400 M3 pro. Besides the performance boost, the new color, 1tb of storage and the new 14in body with more I/O was quite a compelling reason to upgrade.

[@GWVEEN]

Thank you for picking and testing the sensible configs. I was really waiting for some M3 Max 14/30 review.

[@NeoDiNardo]

Anyone get the 8TB SSD? Was it worth it?

[@LukaBrazy.]

Been waiting for this review

[@jeremycush]

hate the dam notch , not needed on a laptop , makes it look cheap

[@granpaking508]

Hey there my girl Lisa how you doing it's been awhile I'm glad to see you again this was a beautiful review of the Apple MacBook yes

[@kevin9284]

that haircut bussin bussin ong

[@AnonymousBoss1]

Lisa Reply to my comment!! Please do a full review with internals of the M3 Max please!!

[@mobiletechreview]

Given that nothing is upgradable, I don't usually cover the internals for Macs.

[@vernearase3044]

Lisa - you do the very _best_ reviews of any computational product. Pay no mind to the haters.

[@chateau7]

I was waiting for your review! Finally!!! Thank you. I'm - definitely - leaning toward trading in my MacBook Pro 16" M1 for the a new MacBook Max 16" M3.

[@sefakpsz]

can you help me anyone m3 16.2 18gb vs m3 14.2 36gb ????

[@VladPayne]

Lisa is a Scotty Kilmer of tech

[@jpenalverty14]

Love you Lisa!

[@dw.imaging]

Cool shirt.

[@dave-eu4vc]

I heard the M10 max is gonna be the sweet spot when it comes out in 2050. $100 grand. Still won't be able to run Crysis. 😅

[@vernearase3044]

Probably can under Parallels.

[@AnonymousBoss1]

By then We will have gone through Another pandemic!! 😂😂

[@vernearase3044]

@@AnonymousBoss1 Here's a video of it running on a M1 Max MacBook Pro under CrossOver. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6GQpoeMd6Z7bbcsi=i_Z_o7hci8ycWgHL That's a two generation old Apple Silicon SoC, on a machine which was first available in 2021. I actually _own_ a 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro and they're really fabulous machines (and capable of processing workloads waaayy beyond my needs). I actually bought it to replace a 16" 2019 core-i9 MacBook Pro which though top-of-the-line was _scads_ less capable by every metric.

[@osbert]

stayed for the junji ito cat diary t-shirt

[@CR_Crosswalk]

I like the new hair!!

[@Mario.alsanchez117]

I'm the biggest fan of Mac I want my first brand new Apple ® MacBook Pro

[@espressoshot21]

I love your cat shirt, Lisa! 😹

[@johnshepherd2666]

I would go for the extra 2 inches every time😅

[@BruceLeroyUK]

Oooooof!

[@richardmckrell4899]

People sell computers on street corners near you?

[@JasonRodriguez-i3j]

I love her hair !!

[@tminusoftexas3224]

I’m tired of Apple doing us dirty

[@joshkerr]

Dig your cat t-shirt.

[@POVwithRC]

The shirt. I know that shirt. Love the panels. You truly are a woman of culture.

[@matiasotero9649]

Nice Hair cut

[@johandavid9774]

I am actually starting to convince myself to buy macbook and pay extra 200 euros for 8 gb of ram if only batteries on these machines were replaceable

[@kenpinzky4798]

Woooooooo - Nice hair - I like the look

[@Cccoast]

I wish these worked better with more programs and I would be 100% an Apple guy😂.

[@johnnydoe3603]

It’s Not a Bad Configuration People. Just Drop another $200 for the RAM like it’s Not your Money. 😅

[@SuperRomanHoliday]

There is no grey in space

[@raffitchakmakjian]

fellow nerds, help, need to know the game plez @8:28

[@BruceLeroyUK]

Resident Evil: Village

[@raffitchakmakjian]

​@BruceLeroyUK dang, nice, thanks!

[@jpcreech99]

You look more like a queen! Seeing you makes my ❤ melt!! Im available for review when if you want queen!!

[@DJAYPAZ]

Sharp have very recently released a new AMD powered laptop that features a battery life that is claimed to be up to 24 hours !! It would be interesting if Lisa could review a sample unit,

[@alterX2ego]

i want a shirt like that

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

14" M3 Max 14/30 with 36GB RAM and 1TB ssd is the best buy.

[@geoffseyon3264]

I agree. I am hopefully picking this up on Wednesday!

[@m-stat9]

you dont speak for us. 14“ with a Max is always a stupid combination. 14“/Pro or 16“/Max. Thank me later.

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

@@m-stat9 Explain why or begone grasshopper! If you think it's thermals you're wrong!

[@VincentPascual]

@@timothyandrewnielsenI’m considering the same model except in 16”.

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

@@VincentPascualYea that part makes little difference imo. Personal preference. 16" has better battery and thermals. You can save a lot of money and still get a good system with these specs.

[@EnzoFoove]

yayyy

[@Mr.Mister1974]

Here, I am still on Macbook Pro 2019. Until Silicon Macs support windows natively, I won't be buying them.

[@dasx86]

I think you're going to have your 2019 pro for a very long time

[@Mr.Mister1974]

@dasx86 yeah then back to pc when the time comes.

[@lifeindivine]

Sir I am curious, why. Windows?

[@Mr.Mister1974]

@ayuharimau few games that mac os doesn't support.

[@Mr.Mister1974]

@ayuharimau been easier had apple continued to sell Intel along with M series or go AMD . Let those of us who want it even if special order item continue to buy them. See Steve Jobs not only somewhat understood business, he could see from the consumer prospective. As someone else said, Tim Cook can only see Ipad, Iphone sales figures. Who knows what will happen whenever who takes over Apple next.

[@PerpetualPreponderer]

Dude!! Did U get shocked by a live wire or something??!!

[@johnnykeener3727]

Crapbook

[@tenaciousscaler5149]

please grow back your hair 😞

[@JBrown-go8ru]

I love how your reviews aren’t over the top, especially when compared to other reviewers that feature Apple products. No annoying visuals. No annoying laughter. No annoying, social media voice. No annoying jokes. No annoying music…Just straight to the point with what potential buyers are looking for.

[@kennysponto6568]

Of course it's confusing. Intentionally confusing to screw people. Deceptive specs and bogus grifter disclosures. All laptops should have to list in easy to understand specs what the performance actually is! And not deceptively hide information to scam and screw the unsuspecting buyer!!!! 😮 And all prices on all laptops should cost half of what they are priced at now ! Especially commieapples! 🟥 🍎.

[@jorgehabib8661]

It’s so bad. Sad state of affairs. Thank god for this lady!

[@bradleycochran4595]

Hi Lisa, this is my first Mac and I decided to go with the base model 16 primarily for the screen size. Thank you for the great reviews.

[@Kevvi1994]

But you could also buy the 15-inch MacBook Air if you are really only want the display size.

[@tsze06]

I got the base 16 inch macbook. Yea you can go get a window 17inch while you go back to 15 inch air. We don't go backwards in life

[@D37fit]

?@@tsze06

[@leonmadara3903]

8gb for $1600 is a fucking robbery!!!

[@rlaranang]

I love your shirt, can you share where you got it? 🙏🏻😼

[@suburbanflyer]

It's so refreshing to see a review without all the hype and actually focussing on what matters, thanks for that! I'm still holding out between a pro and max chip for a development machine until I get a bit more info between battery and performance between the two

[@anthonyharris955]

Having just been gifted the 12 core / 18 core M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14" (coming from a 2019 16" base model) I'm absolutely blown away with the power. My intel machine would take about 17 minutes to render my jewellery model images. Now it's more like a minute or so. It does still get a bit hot and noisy, but it does it for such a short time.

[@Derkaramma]

Crazy that Lisa is still out here making great videos 10 years later ❤🎉

[@slendytheman]

Upgraded from a late 2016 Intel to an M3 Pro. This generation seems to be the last call for any Intel holdouts as it's just so refined.

[@dbbgba]

Honestly my day brightens every time I see a review by you!

[@Burps___]

Thanks, Lisa. I struggled hard studying these expensive M3 MacBook Pros when I am so happy with my 2021 16 McBPro M1Pro 16GB RAM but needed a second one for work. But, alas, I found BH Photo had M1Max 16-inch with 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD for $2799...so I went with that. Same config in M3 space black was $4200! It's pretty much what you mention in your review to do since I don't game or 3D render. Good advice!

[@gosman949]

Bh had an even better deal on their M1 4TB before Christmas. Should have gotten one but I figured it was two generations behind, so no go for me.

[@deandollahite4779]

Thanks for the reviewing the 14 core version of the max chip instead of the 16 core

[@Zigzipy]

Looking funky, Lisa! Great review as always.

[@adamuofm2002]

Best M3 Max review yet! Thanks Lisa!

[@geoffseyon3264]

Yes I agree. Thanks for specifically getting and reviewing the 14-core M3 Max, which is most likely what many people would buy. I don’t know why all other KZbinrs only want to review the highest end version.

[@deandollahite4779]

@@geoffseyon3264cuz they got free review samples of the maxed out versions with the 16 core

[@mobiletechreview]

To be fair, it wasn't so much reviewer choice (for those very early reviews by large channels/outlets), rather Apple sent out the maxed-out 16" config to reviewers, so it's what Apple wanted covered. @@geoffseyon3264

[@survivor303]

No stupid hype, just pure facts and professional touch. Thank you Lisa.

[@SuperMachead1]

For 95% of the people out there…the m1 MacBook Air for $750 is the way to go…..fanless and fast and light…great battery life….save your money 💰

[@SuperMachead1]

@@DrAllDoRespect …it’s average…use the free version of DaVinci resolve 😎

[@silentwalker-ns9cy]

Just so long as you choose 16GB of ram. Otherwise forget it. It’s a crime to still offer 8GB of ram in 2024

[@SuperMachead1]

@@silentwalker-ns9cy I have three m1 devices with 8gbs …and haven’t had any problems yet 🤓

[@enriqueFelix2000]

I think I’m the 1% that wants the m3 max 14”

[@AnonN-sr6uu]

@@SuperMachead1the only thing you do is watch KZbin in one tab of safari. Some of us have 30 tabs, 5 excel spreadsheets, Final Cut Pro, and countless files/apps open at the same time. You know, doing actual work. We need much more than a fanless MacBook Air.

[@angelherg1997]

Almost to 1M! I’ve been around since the Acer Iconia Tab vs iPad 2 video iirc back in ~2011!

[@steveellsworth2547]

I appreciate the review, but I did not hear you mention the 60ish ms screen response time. It would be difficult to purchase a higher end machine with a screen with a huge issue. Anything above 25ish ms screen response time would start to create blurs in any sort of game play, to include games on your favorite sports network.

[@GGg-ic9ku]

Love your glasses … what kind/model? Exactly what I’m looking for. Great videos as always - simply the best!

[@nunuvyurbiz123]

3:53 I think you meant to say 10 performance cores (in the 14 core CPU)

[@PrinzMegahertz]

Hi Lisa, with the rise of AI everywhere, could you maybe add a section for future videos on how able these devices are for locally hosting LLMs with Ollama or LM studio? Especially for us programmers, being able to run a local model for pair programming without all your intellectual property being sent to OpenAI will become more and more important.