83 M3 MacBook Pros, and the one for YOU

With the M3 family of chips and new MacBook Pros, there are 83 new models to choose. From the base M3 to the M3 Pro, to the beastly M3 Max, we'll explore what these chips and MacBooks mean for you as a developer.
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Google sheet with all the models: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
💻 MacBooks in this video
M3 MacBook Pro 8GB/512GB
M3 Pro MacBook Pro 18GB/512GB
M3 Max MacBook Pro 64GB/2TB
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[@AZisk]

Correction: The M3 Max 14/30 has a memory bandwidth of 300GBps, not 400GBps. Spreadsheet updated, and thanks to all those that commented.JOIN: youtube.com/@azisk/join

[@NetvoTV]

Hey Alex, my name is Johnny, I'm a freelance logo designer, I wonder are you interested to have a logo for your channel to level up your branding? I would love to craft it for you, let me know if you interested! :-)

[@weinbergfahrer4048]

Alex, thanks a lot for your developer-centric videos! They really help to get a good perspective on what's required vs what's nice to have. One little request: could you please add the *version* of a benchmark to a chart's heading, e.g. Geekbench *6*? Thank you for all the testing! :)

[@s.k.sheikh233]

Hello, I am sahil. My interest in coding, web development. i want to become a good developer but i have no laptop and i am not able to buy it. i am belong to poor family. so please can you give me any good laptop in your treasure. And may I be grateful to you all my life

[@Labuda01]

and you can't get m3 max with 512 GB ssd

[@kroogy888]

after line 60 they all are M3 max. should some of those be M3 Pros?

[@Altabozz]

This channel is a gem. Straight to the point.

[@AZisk]

I appreciate that!

[@AZisk]

JOIN: youtube.com/@azisk/join

[@etlog9539]

not only does he present us data, he educates them and gives examples on how a certain field is used in the real-world. this effort really makes a difference and im all for it!

[@evexlyn]

I wish I could like this video a thousand times! This launch coincided with my first opportunity to buy a laptop since 2013, so I've watched what feels like a hundred videos about the new M3 line-up. Despite searching "m3 for software developers" and similar queries, I only landed on your channel today. This is the most useful review I've seen for my use case - thank you so much!

[@carlosgraterol]

This is what people need. Clear and concise explanations backed with facts + a spreadsheet with all the data. Well done! Looking forward to more developer tests!

[@evan_ram]

You have shared incredible value here. Thank you so much too for creating and sharing that spreadsheet. Wow.

[@userjrd]

I really liked the added plots to this video. Some of them were a little small on mobile, but it really helped. Keep up the good work :)

[@AZisk]

Glad it helped!

[@RushiLadani1995]

Thanks for the amazing review. And much much more thanks for compiling the excel sheet. I was desperately looking for something exactly like this. You’re awesome.

[@AndrewBarnesChannel]

You’re are a life saver thank you for the video and the spreadsheet ❤

[@beefsandwish]

Wow, the charts, and sheets are very helpful. Thanks, Alex.

[@kroogy888]

Thank you for spending time on making that spread sheet! It was quite helpful in sorting out and price planning!

[@AZisk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BleepBloop3636]

This is damn amazing. I love the effort you went into doing all these!

[@IcedTomLatte]

You go to the perfect amount of depth for all of these devices. Thank you for make this 🤙

[@passersb7136]

Amazing video! Would be interesting to see how the new M3 Pro compares with the M2 pro in regards to battery life, since it has traded it's performance cores for efficiency ones.

[@yenrab26]

Thank you for the spreadsheet and informative video. 😊

[@doxologist]

🎉🎉 been waiting for this video! And didn't disappoint!

[@AZisk]

Glad to hear it!

[@joseignacio97]

Thanks for the video Alex! Was waiting for it :)

[@AZisk]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@oterotube13]

what a nice touch Alex, thank you for that sheet!

[@LordBagdanoff]

Your videos are so helpful 😊

[@clintmallon]

Outstanding video, Alex!

[@sergeychekan2492]

Great content, watching every episode

[@icweener1636]

thank you for this thorough review. Fingers crossed for m3 air

[@RobRitchie-bs1ql]

Nice work Alex, looking forward to the next set of developer tests. BTW that was a very good fingerprint test - not sure we need to follow up with the schwarzenegger for a head to head comparison now. :)

[@RomPereira]

Still not convinced about the fingerprint test. You should try buffalo wings fingers next time. This is the test.

[@kamalaksh.shenoy]

Appreciate your effort!! Great work!

[@AZisk]

Thanks a lot!

[@RogerZoul]

Very good job, Alex.

[@etlog9539]

i am so glad this channel got recommended to me. unbiased and even gave us a spreadsheet for us to do our own research. i have truly found a hidden gem. will be sure to share this man’s amazing work.

[@AZisk]

Awesome, thank you!

[@joyKafka]

Thank you for the very informative video. It seems to me there are many rows that have the same specs but two different prices.

[@BlackMan614]

I just found your channel. You are by far the best detailed Mac reviewer for developers (like me). I wish I would have found you years ago.

[@dopagony9946]

man... your videos are organized, concessive, and fun. Good job, sir.

[@AZisk]

Glad you like them!

[@iamzxenxi2260]

great review alex!

[@AZisk]

thx!

[@NicholasOrr]

Thanks for jumping into the weeds from the software developer point of view. Videos are fantastic, condensed & bursting with information. I like how you don't read numbers off the screen and cut to the chase (seems lots of ppl are not aware there is a pause button if want to read...)😅🎉

[@user-rm9sc5hn8i]

Hi Alex! I loved your video. I'm trying to decide which new mac to purchase and would love your advice! I want to use it for 3D rendering including lighting/raytracing in programs like unreal engine. I'm stuck with the choice (because of price) between a refurbished M2max with 64GB of RAM or M3Max with only 36GB of RAM (the next available ram with the m3max is 96GB and I can't afford it). Would it be worth choosing the M3Max with less ram because of the new raytracing/meshing or would the M2max with extra ram still handle a lot of the 3D jobs anyway? Thanks!

[@Neilanstrong]

Many thanks Alex

[@GratuityMedia]

As a video editor with a Studio Ultra I think it is worth waiting still, cool to see the updates all the same!

[@mateusmiranda5472]

Oh yeah! I was very excited to see that video from your channel. I am considero my strongly to get the novel M3 chip. I’m a deep vision network dev and currently I’m using the M1 baseline Mac. It’s enough but I need more GPU and memory 😅 Thank you. 🇧🇷

[@AZisk]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@paulosoares1301]

Great video e thanks for the excel. 😊

[@AZisk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@miguelpereira9095]

Another great video! At this point, are MacBook's a viable machine for machine learning and deep learning? having into account the not existence of gpu card and the software compatibilities?

[@lucasalvarezlacasa2098]

Amazing video! Can you please do some comparisons on ML tasks? Such as training models, inference. Maybe even running some LLMs. Thanks!

[@phoenixbwp]

Thank you for your hard work! And letting us know what you do with your Apple Products, which gives the audience a better idea of which product they can purchase. I'll update my M1 Pro 14" MBP (trade-in) for either 14 or 16 inch M3 Pro base model. I'm not a heavy content creator with my machine these days, but when I need more I'll have more!

[@denniszenanywhere]

Great breakdown as always. You may want to review if the display link adapter actually works in M3 even if you have showed that it works on m2.

[@ollab5031]

man, you're either insane or incredibly crafted by some producer project (non of the options is hate) I'm impressed

[@JustAPersonWhoComments]

I appreciate the detailed breakdown of the new M3 MacBook Pros. The comparison between the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max is super helpful

[@JudgeFredd]

Perfect benchmark video

[@AZisk]

thanks!!

[@SoftwareManiacLSM]

By far the best overview of the M3. Thank you, Alex. I am upgrading from M1 Max to M3 Max. You convinced me.

[@dalatesthits3849]

why? i’m thinking if i should upgrade too but im not sure if i should. i want to future proof myself and i do a lot of ml and ai work

[@Muhluri]

Marques Brownlee cancelled his order because he realised the extra performance wasn’t gonna help him anyways. He’s sticking with his M1 Max

[@SoftwareManiacLSM]

@@dalatesthits3849 I do lots of creative work in both digital graphics and video transformations.

[@dalatesthits3849]

@@Muhluri well he also doesn’t use it as his main machine and does video editing, our workloads are different but he is the type of guy to get something new if he needs to upgrade.

[@la6188]

Why??? Update computer every two years?

[@andreasdisser5523]

@Azisk thank you for the great content! This helps a lot with the decision making. I want to buy a 16’’ M3 Pro. Do you think 18 GB of ram is enough for a developer? I saw your video with the ram comparison and the 16GB M2 did a great job. On the other hand the 16” is not really cheap and I do not want to save money on the wrong end.

[@alexh2665]

I’d love to see more single core tests between the binned and non binned M3 pro vs the base M3 specifically when working in Xcode

[@sweealamak628]

Thanks for the breakdown Alex! No one else does it quite like you. After much research and looking at the new Macs first hand, MacBook Pros are not for a python dev/data science guy like me. I don't require high end GPU cores but more RAM is crucial. Looking forward to the M3 Macbook Air next summer 😎

[@rainerdechet]

aww video, thx Alex 💻

[@paigeme886]

Seriously incredible video and have you have done all this! Many people in the market to get an m3 will ( or should!) thank you profusely! And your last point… all in all I think the refurbished m2 pro is probably the best deal of all ! What did apple do this year!? Again- incredible work you did putting all this together . Thank you and hope if you can you do the same next year when the release more ☺️

[@yohcg]

I became a suscriptor when this channel gave me a real test for devs. Actually, I bought a M1 Pro based on the information from this channel. Nice work really appreciate.

[@l.bogdan1360]

The fingerprint test made my day :)))). M3 looks like a good choice if you are upgrading from Intel or M1 mac :-?

[@pauljones9150]

Your background music BANGS

[@raiwet]

Hi Alex, I think you have an error on your table, the binned 30-core GPU M3 Max has a memory bandwidth of 300 GB/s, instead of 400 GB/s. Thanks for the fantastic video!

[@AZisk]

yes, thanks for catching it. ill update the table

[@su4onokzhe]

@@AZisk btw I can't see 128gb of ram configs in the table

[@Hisamuran]

I will be getting MacBookPro 16 in m3 max 16/40 with 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD. I expect this to last me about 7 or more years and still be able to do all my software development with ease (containers, browser with lots of tabs, local environments and so on). The multi monitor ability along with the strong graphics means I won’t be limited by the specs. It’s a very careful selection, given that you only get one chance to choose your spec. Thank you for the super detailed video and the amazing spreadsheet, this sets this channel a part 100% 👍

[@zenvignesh]

Hi Alex, thanks for sharing the sheet. I couldn't find a valid combination; or, there might be errors in the table. The specified configuration of 14 CPU cores, 30 GPU cores, 36 GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD isn't available on the Apple website.

[@RastaHenkie]

What's the minimum/best value RAM you need for LLM to run locally on MacBook pro. Feel like I'm force to go M3 max for all my needs but the upgrades price seem crazy. My budget was 3K but I feel like if I don't upgrade more RAM I'll regret it later......

[@mchlshmda8067]

Love the vid and what is said about getting a used. I looking at getting a MacBook but cannot decide between a new base m3 or a m1 14 inch 16gb,512 ssd which is advertised as unused, boxed,with apple one year warranty. It’s a good deal and certainly has enough power for my needs but I worry that sitting around in a box for 2 years may have had a detrimental effect in the internals. Could nyone shed any light on that?

[@RomPereira]

Darn, you never fail to impress me. Sweet video! I still believe that the best overall value is the top tier m3 pro. USD 2399 with the 1 TB drive. The 1 TB drive is the fastest of them all. Also, this tier is USD 100 less then last year's. IMHO the extra P core and 4 extra GPU cores, in the long run, will show the difference.

[@TheDanEdwards]

The memory bandwidth is a function of LpDDR chip count. Each LpDDR5 chip has a max bandwidth. The M3 Pro is fitted with three LpDDR chips this time around.

[@giovannimazzocco499]

Hi Alex, nice video. I'm thinking of buying a 14" Apple laptop equipped with Max processors, featuring substantial amount of shared RAM. My primary intention is to locally test Pytorch machine learning model prototypes, before scaling up on AWS. Could you advise if the M3 Max offers any substantial benefits over the M2 Max for this purpose, particularly considering both having the same amount of shared memory (i.e. 64GB)? Perhaps with a M2 Max I could save on SoC cost and purchase a machine with even more shared RAM (96Gb)? I'd be glad to hear your thoughts about that. Thx

[@yourfeedYT]

Honestly I’m happy with my M2 I’m excited to watch the MacBooks improve and just wait a couple generations until the M4 or M5 where it’s a larger leap

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

I look forward to competition from Qualcomm. I know competition is not something an Apple fan likes . .but it's good for all of us

[@OmnivorousOtter101]

@@LarsRyeJeppesen who says Apple fans don't like competition?

[@jitterrypokery1526]

Not to mention, better software support to further utilize the gpu

[@emo7122]

Excellent video Alex! Still waiting for my m3 max 14 128gb!

[@AZisk]

Nice! I am second guessing my purchase, and think I should have gone for the 128 myself.

[@mariozamora9684]

Hahaha, the fingerprint resistance moment almost killed me...

[@georgi.georgiev]

@AZisk Switching from windows. Banging my head here, should I get the 12core M3 Pro or the binned 14 core M3 Max. Some people suggest that the Max’es have also more SSD channels and so - more speed there too. Any plans to compare those models ? I really love your reviews as thy are programmer oriented while most of the reviewers do more designer oriented reviews, which are nice, but do not tell the whole story for us, poor coders.

[@kumiho1729]

Could you add SSD speeds as well? I understand it'd be an approximate, but seeing 512gb vs 1tb vs 2tb, etc would be nice.

[@caseyleedom6771]

Technically, the Memory isn't "on the SoC". The SoC has Memory Controllers on the Chip, but that's actually true of most modern Chips these days. What is true is that Apple A. has the Memory soldered down immediately next to the SoC, and B. has a Unified Memory Model, both of which help Memory Access Speed a bit (but leave you stuck with whatever Memory Configuration you buy). [[ You might find it interesting to run your "Pass Mark" test on some modern x86 platforms. ]]

[@caseyleedom6771]

Also, the Transistor Density is identical across the M3, M3Pro, and M3Max. The M3Max does have more Transistors (92B) as you note. This means that it's physically larger, and because Silicon Wafer Defects are typically measured in Defects/Area, that means that the Yield Rate for M3Max is lower - probably dramatically lower while TSMC is trying to get their 3nm Process Node's yields improved. Even without 3nm Node Yield Problems, you'd still see fewer M3Max Chips/Wafer, so the M3Max is actually a more expensive Chip for Apple.

[@geforce5591]

You should be able to desolder and solder on new RAM chips. Same for the SSD.

[@TheDanEdwards]

​@@geforce5591 And void the warranty. And few people will be able to do such things.

[@Mark-kt5mh]

@geforce5591 Even if that was an option, the replacement chips would need to meet very exact specifications to function to the point where essentially the only supplier would be from Apple. If that were a thing, we'd still be complaining

[@geforce5591]

Apple doesn't make NAND for memory. They get them from vendors. Give it a few months and the same modules in the M3 macbooks would be readily available for sale.@@Mark-kt5mh

[@saab_9]

Awesome review, What about battery life ?? :)

[@SSquirrel1976]

I finally pulled the trigger last night. Moving from a 2018 MBP to an M3 Pro 16/512 Refurb from Apple. It was 1700 and the M2 variant best price from other places was 1800 and Apple didn’t have a similar M2 one on refurb. This seems like great bang for the buck and I’m excited. Just wanted to share, bc last night I made a similar spreadsheet comparing discounted prices from Appleinsider’s price tracker and what Apple had on refurb. Gf was wanting a new system too and I was also comparing Minis

[@vukasin97]

I'm on M1 standard Macbook pro 13" 16GB and I'm planning to upgrade. I initially waited for M3 Pro, but now it does not impress me that much, I didn't expect that core cutdown. So I'm not sure if I should go for M3 Pro, find deal on M2 Pro or stretch out and get M3 Max. I'm using laptop for software development. Anyone has suggestions?

[@la6188]

Max is way more expensive. I would get the m3 pro without hesitating

[@pierre_smt]

Hey Alex, thanks for all the helpful information. What I also know from other KZbinrs in their reviews of the M2 Macbooks is that the next higher level of SSD or RAM use significantly faster BUS memory, can you confirm this? e.g. MacBook 14" from 1 TB to 2 TB or RAM from 36 GB to 48 GB

[@andrewsyd]

Dropping those boxes on the desk-that was triggering 😂😂

[@nicknorthcutt7680]

The most value will definitely come from the M3 ultra, can't wait to see how it performs.

[@sajjadsarkoobi]

Thanks for your videos. Regarding ML, could you do a test on training by comparison between Nvidia A100 80GB and m2 ultra 76 core GPU?

[@gurugamer8632]

Which spec is best for software developers, coding ?

[@oleksandr_korol]

Great video. Still holding to m1 air with 16 gb ram. Seems to be covering Python + react dev workflows

[@A_Planner_and_a_Dreamer]

Can anyone tell me what type of game developer would need a MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max? Can it handle AAA game development or at least AAA game demo development? And if someone wanted to make MacOS exclusive games, would a MacBook or Mac be a requirement? I’m considering a maxed out MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max or perhaps I’m gonna wait for the M4 Max to come out Oct 2024 until we get a good gauge on what gaming or game development on Mac looks like.

[@janesam3257]

Is the base M3 MacBook Pro in this video Space Gray or Silver? It's difficult to tell when placed next to Space Black machines.

[@amarmaruf8366]

Very nice. But the $3000 max config has a big bro, which is the $3500 config with the full max chip and 48gb memory, but with 512gb storage, would you recommend this as a software engineer?

[@CoffeenSpice]

Hey I noticed there might be a difference in m3 and m3 pro/max macbook pro. I believe the macbook pro m3 has only one fan. Does that effect the performance?

[@user-hz5cw4mi4k]

Alex, thanks for video) What you can recommend refurbished mb pro 14 m2 pro 32gb(16 gb) or m3pro 18gb, for mobile app development(Xcode, Android Studio etc). Thanks

[@giuseppesilveri3684]

Do you think the "new" MacBook Air 15 with m2 16gb RAM is still a good choice for developers or now with the new base M3 chip it is no longer a good choice? Thank you

[@JuanFmTech]

At that price a 14” M2 pro used or refurbished would probably be the same price and better in every way

[@DigiDriftZone]

Is the M3 Max the 14 core or the 16 core version?

[@SudhirMakhija123]

Do you have a similar sheet for the M1 and M2 Macbooks as well. If yes, please share.

[@kevin_mitchell]

Is it possible that a system could be engineered to allow expandable RAM modules to "hook" up to the M3 chip, even if it's not as fast as the unified memory on the SOC?

[@eyesmaterials]

I use 3 computers daily. 2 macs 1 windows laptop, I've been thinking on having just 1 mac laptop and virtualize 1 windows and 1 mac.. what would be a good recommendation? M3 Max 64 ram 2tb?

[@HAppy_Da56]

thank you for video!!! i have a question guys, i am junior developer, and i am thinking of getting mac. would you guys recommend get new m3 pro 18gb or m2 pro 32gb?

[@romkahehe]

It depends on your software stack and goals in general. Since I do not plan on running neural engines and video editing, my choice is m2pro+32gb.

[@user-wn5wf4dl2c]

hey bro recently watching your really nice ,I have some confusion because of I'm beginner UIUX designer which laptop comfortable to me I thought Macbook air m2 its ok or any suggestion

[@subbu7512]

I am currently a frontend engineer running/working on a big codebase , my current windows laptop is so slow . I want to upgrade to mac , thought about m3 pro ? But I can’t decide . Please let me know which one should i buy …

[@riccardoatwork5291]

How relevant do you think 125GB would be for machine learning development? Which might be the use cases?

[@AZisk]

The 128 would be very relevant!

[@andrawssantos3168]

Hey, your videos are always very good and informative! I need a little help! I have a 2015 MacBook with 16GB of RAM, an i7 processor with dual graphics. I'm a data scientist and usually work with Python to create and train machine learning models, including neural networks. I've been working with databases of at least 5 million entries, and in many cases, the models take more than 8 hours to train. I'm eyeing an M3 Max, but I have doubts about what to focus on: GPU cores, RAM, CPU cores, SSD? What do you suggest, considering that I work with large databases and various machine learning models? If you can recommend an option with no budget limit and two or three options below 3500 euros, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

[@zigmasslusnys3596]

Being a software engineer, and seeing m3 pro chip i think i wouldnt choose it because the performance cores that have been reduced. This is kind of forcing to move towards max chips which they lure successfully. Lower version of max chip would suffice for all the measures. M3 max 14 core is the new m2 pro. Is it not?

[@sreeharisreelal]

Can you make a video comparing the 18GB M3 Pro MacBook Pro to the 36GB M3 Pro MacBook Pro with regards to developers' needs, including VM?

[@halvedollar1768]

Doesn't the 12 core - 18 core m3 pro come with 3OOgb/s bandwith?

[@jeffersonmp4]

It would be better if you put the SSD speeds in large so that we can see it better on the phone

[@maninarmarttasn1614]

Thnak you!!!!!

[@alexbaumgertner]

Apple lineup tricks unpacked, great job!

[@AZisk]

thanks 🙏 alex

[@the_flushjackson]

Coming from a 2013 MBP, all of the Apple silicon options are insane in terms of an upgrade - yet I find myself having absolute paralysis over going lower end pro or just going reasonably high-end (not on storage) to stretch another laptop. I likely won’t be getting another 11 years out of it, but the spirit of the thought process is there. Hmmm, thoughts?

[@HasansHg]

For android development what machine do you recommend me an m3 pro 14 or XPS 15 Thanks in advance for your help

[@lucaban]

can you show the results of the web based tests like jet stream in a chart with the M2 and M1 models as well?