Apple's long week of Mac updates is paying off.
Earlier this week, the company debuted the M4- and M4 Pro-powered Mac mini models, and on Wednesday, Apple introduced the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips for the MacBook Pro, its most powerful laptop model.
With that announcement comes the question for future MacBook Pro buyers: Should I buy the M4 MacBook Pro or the M4 Max or the base MacBook Pro? The best way to answer this question is to consider what you intend to use the laptop for. That'll help guide you on how much power you truly need in your next laptop.
First, let's compare the laptops side by side. Then, we'll discuss the most important differences between the two and help you decide which model to buy.
M4 vs. M4 Max MacBook Pro: Specs compared
| Header Cell - Column 0 | M4 MacBook Pro | M4 Max MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,599 starting | $3,199 starting |
| CPU | 10 cores (4 performance, 6 efficiency) | 14 cores (10 performance, 4 efficiency); 16 cores |
| GPU | 10 cores | 32 cores; 40 cores |
| Neural Engine | 16 cores | 16 cores |
| Unified Memory | 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB | 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB |
| Storage | 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD |
| Display | 14.2" Liquid Retina XDR (Adaptive 120Hz, 1600 nits peak) | 14.2" or 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR (Adaptive 120Hz, 1600 nits peak) |
| Battery life | Estimated up to 24 hours with video streaming on 14.2" model | Estimated up to 18 hours with video streaming on 14.2" model; up to 21 hours on 16.2" model |
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), HDMI, 3.5mm jack, MagSafe 3, SDXC card slot | 3x Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C), HDMI, 3.5mm jack, MagSafe 3, SDXC card slot |
| Camera | 12MP webcam with Center Stage | 12MP webcam with Center Stage |
| Audio | Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers | Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers |
| Dimensions | 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches | 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 3.4 pounds | 3.6 pounds |
M4 vs. M4 Max MacBook Pro: Which should you buy?
As someone who reviews laptops for a living, I'm confident saying the M4 MacBook Pro is plenty powerful for most people. If you only intend to use your laptop to answer emails, stream media, browse the web, hop on video calls, or carry out a few simple AI commands, the M4's 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine will be sufficient.
Heck, even if you plan to play casual games on your MacBook Pro, the M4 chip may be sufficient. If you're down with cloud gaming, even better. In our M3 MacBook Pro review, we noted its "solid gaming performance" as a pro, and were able to play a lot of popular titles with decent frame rates. With two extra CPU cores, the M4 chip should provide an even stronger gaming experience.
Now, if you want the best gaming experience an Apple laptop has to offer, you'll unfortunately need to cough up $3,199 for the M4 Max MacBook Pro. Considering how strong gaming performance was in our M3 Max MacBook Pro review, I can't wait to see how Apple levels up with this newest model.
Furthermore, Apple says the "M4 Max is the ultimate choice for data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who push pro workflows to the limit." If you need a laptop for any type of graphics-intensive task on a regular basis, you'll likely benefit from the extra power the M4 Max MacBook Pro has to offer.
Or, if you want to splurge on a more future-proof laptop that'll last you years from now, you certainly won't be disappointed with buying the M4 Max MacBook Pro over the M4 MacBook Pro (but your wallet might be).
You can pre-order the M4 MacBook Pro starting at $1,599 or pre-order the M4 Max MacBook Pro starting at $3,199, and both should arrive by November 8.
