M1 Pro vs M2 Pro vs M3 Pro MacBook - ULTIMATE Comparison!

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive comparison of the M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pro models, focusing on performance, customization options, and pricing. It highlights the physical similarities and internal differences, including CPU and GPU core counts, unified memory, and SSD speeds. The script also discusses the performance in everyday tasks, creative workflows, video editing, and 3D applications, revealing that while the M3 Pro excels in 3D with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, the M2 Pro provides comparable performance in most scenarios at a lower cost. The M1 Pro remains a strong contender for budget-conscious users, delivering nearly half the price of the M3 Pro with only a fraction of the performance difference.

Takeaways

• 💻 The physical design of M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pros is nearly identical, with the same dimensions, weight, ports, and screen quality, although the M3 Pro screen can be 20% brighter.
• 🛠️ Customization options are limited for the M1 and M2 Pro models as they are no longer sold new by Apple, whereas the M3 Pro can be customized.
• 📊 The base model M3 Pro has fewer CPU and GPU cores compared to the M2 Pro, but includes 2 GB more of unified memory and improved SSD speeds on the 512 GB variants.
• 🎥 The M3 Pro includes additional media engines and features like AV1 decode for better battery life during video streaming.
• 🔗 The M3 Pro has a slower memory bandwidth at 150 GB per second compared to 200 GB per second on the M1 and M2 Pro, which could impact performance under heavy load.
• 💰 Pricing for the base model 14-inch M3 Pro starts at $1999, with refurbished or secondhand M1 and M2 Pro models available at lower prices.
• 🔧 For everyday tasks, there is no noticeable difference in performance between the M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pros.
• 🛠️ The M3 Pro shows its strength in 3D workflows and gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is not supported in all apps yet.
• 📉 The M1 Pro, while older, offers significant performance for a much lower price compared to the M3 Pro, making it a good value choice.
• 🌡️ The M3 Pro runs cooler and has slightly better battery life during intensive tasks, but the difference may not be significant for all users.
• ❓ The decision to purchase an M1, M2, or M3 Pro MacBook Pro should be based on budget, specific workflow needs, and the value placed on the latest features and technology.

Q & A

What are the physical differences between the M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pros?

There are minimal physical differences. They all share the same dimensions, weight, ports, and screen types. The only notable difference is that the M3 Pro screen can get 20% brighter.

Can the latest M3 Pro MacBook Pro be customized?

Yes, the latest M3 Pro MacBook Pro can be customized, but Apple no longer sells the M1 or M2 Pro models new, so customization for those would require finding a used one with the desired specs.

How does the base model configuration of the M3 Pro compare to the M2 Pro and M1 Pro in terms of CPU and GPU cores?

The M3 Pro has fewer performance CPU cores and GPU cores compared to the M2 Pro, but it includes 2 additional GB of unified memory and has GPU-specific upgrades like hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

What is the memory bandwidth of the M1 and M2 Pro chips compared to the M3 Pro?

The M1 and M2 Pro chips both have a memory bandwidth of 200 GB per second, whereas the M3 Pro has 150 GB per second, which is 25% slower.

How does the M3 Pro's memory bandwidth affect its performance?

The slower memory bandwidth of the M3 Pro can affect performance during peak usage when the system is pushed to its limit, as it has fewer 'lanes' for data traffic compared to the M1 and M2 Pro chips.

What is the price difference between the base model M3 Pro MacBook Pro and the refurbished M1 or M2 Pro versions?

The base model 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro is priced at $19.99 new from Apple. Refurbished M1 or M2 Pro versions can be found at lower prices, with M1 Pro MacBooks ranging from around $1100 to $1300 and M2 Pro from $1400 to $1600.

In everyday usage, such as web browsing and multitasking, can you notice a difference between the M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pros?

No, in everyday usage, there is no noticeable difference between the three models. They all perform smoothly for tasks like web browsing, emails, and multitasking.

What is the impact of the M3 Pro's hardware-accelerated ray tracing on 3D workflows like Blender?

The M3 Pro significantly outperforms the M1 and M2 Pro in 3D workflows that support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, such as the latest version of Blender, due to its new GPU technology and specific app support.

How does the M3 Pro perform in gaming compared to the M2 and M1 Pro chips?

The M3 Pro's gaming performance is comparable to the M2 Pro, and in some cases, it may even be outperformed by it. The M1 Pro is the weakest of the three, but the differences are not huge.

What are the advantages of the M3 Pro's efficiency improvements over the M2 Pro?

The M3 Pro runs cooler and has slightly better battery life, offering about 10 to 15% more battery when performing intensive tasks. However, these advantages may not be significant for all users, especially when working at a desk with easy access to a charger.

Which MacBook Pro model would you recommend for someone on a budget but still wanting good performance?

For those on a budget, the M2 Pro offers great performance and is cheaper than the M3 Pro, making it a more cost-effective choice for most users, except for those who require the latest technology and customization options.

What is the main reason to consider the M3 Pro over the M2 Pro for 3D-based workflows?

The main reason to choose the M3 Pro for 3D-based workflows is its support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which significantly improves performance in apps like Blender that support this technology.

Outlines

00:00

💻 MacBook Pro Model Comparison Overview

This paragraph introduces a comparison of MacBook Pro models equipped with M1, M2, or M3 Pro chips. The author aims to guide viewers on choosing the right model, considering performance and cost. It highlights the physical similarities across the models and the internal differences, particularly in chip configurations. The M3 Pro is noted for having fewer performance cores and GPU cores compared to the M2 Pro, but includes additional unified memory and potentially better battery life due to a slower memory bandwidth. The paragraph also touches on the unavailability of customization for the M1 and M2 Pro models and the presence of new features like AV1 decode in the M3 Pro.

05:02

🔍 Delving into Performance and Practical Usage

The second paragraph discusses the performance differences between the MacBook Pro models during everyday tasks and more intensive workloads. It emphasizes that for general use, such as web browsing and multitasking, there is no noticeable difference between the models. The author also mentions a sponsored product, Pulseway, an IT management solution. When it comes to CPU performance, the M3 Pro outperforms the others, but the real-world impact of this is minimal for most users. Creative workflows in Adobe apps show improvement across generations, but the day-to-day user experience remains largely the same. Video editing performance is highlighted as being similar across models due to shared hardware video encoders and decoders, with the M1 Pro lagging only when using unsupported codecs.

10:02

🛠️ Advanced Workloads and the Impact of Hardware Choices

The final paragraph focuses on the performance of the MacBook Pro models in 3D workflows and gaming, where the M3 Pro shows significant improvements due to its new hardware-accelerated ray tracing technology. However, the gaming performance of the M3 Pro does not show a substantial leap over the M2 Pro, with some games even performing better on the M2 Pro. The author speculates on Apple's reasons for potentially handicapping the M3 Pro, such as differentiating it from the Max variant for profit or efficiency. The paragraph concludes with advice on which MacBook Pro to purchase based on the user's needs, budget, and workflow, with a specific recommendation for those involved in 3D work to consider the M3 Pro for its ray tracing capabilities.

Keywords

💡M1 MacBook Pro

The M1 MacBook Pro is the first generation of Apple's laptops powered by their own M1 chip, which is a significant departure from Intel processors. It represents a milestone in Apple's transition to its own silicon and is known for its performance and efficiency. In the video, the M1 is compared with the M2 and M3 Pro models to evaluate performance improvements and cost-effectiveness.

💡M2 Pro MacBook Pro

The M2 Pro MacBook Pro is an intermediate model between the M1 and M3 Pro, featuring an updated version of Apple's custom silicon. It offers enhanced performance capabilities compared to the M1, and in the video, it is positioned as a balanced option that keeps up with the M3 Pro in most tasks while being more affordable.

💡M3 Pro MacBook Pro

The M3 Pro MacBook Pro is the latest and most advanced model discussed in the video, featuring new upgrades and technologies. It's compared with the M1 and M2 Pro to highlight the performance differences and determine if the improvements justify the higher cost. The M3 Pro is also noted for having certain downgrades in terms of CPU and GPU cores and memory bandwidth compared to the M2 Pro.

💡Unified Memory

Unified Memory, also known as RAM, is a type of memory architecture used in Apple's silicon chips where the CPU, GPU, and other components share a common pool of memory. This design allows for faster data access between components. The video explains that the M3 Pro has a lower memory bandwidth than the M1 and M2 Pro, which could affect performance in intensive tasks.

💡Efficiency Cores

Efficiency cores are part of Apple's chip design that focus on power efficiency, handling less demanding tasks to save energy. The video mentions that the M3 Pro increases the number of efficiency cores, which could improve battery life and thermal performance but may not always translate to noticeable improvements in everyday use.

💡Performance Cores

Performance cores in Apple's chips are designed to handle more demanding tasks, providing higher computational power. The script notes a decrease in the number of performance cores in the M3 Pro's base model, which might seem counterintuitive for a 'Pro' model and could affect its performance in CPU-intensive tasks.

💡GPU Cores

GPU cores are responsible for graphics processing and are crucial for tasks like video editing and 3D rendering. The video discusses the difference in the number of GPU cores between the M1, M2 Pro, and M3 Pro, highlighting that the M3 Pro has fewer GPU cores in its base model, which could impact graphics-intensive applications.

💡AV1 Decode

AV1 Decode is a feature mentioned in the video that is included in the M3 Pro, allowing for more efficient video streaming and battery conservation. This feature is part of the media engines in Apple's chips, indicating the M3 Pro's potential advantages in handling certain types of video content.

💡Memory Bandwidth

Memory bandwidth refers to the speed at which the RAM can be accessed by the CPU, GPU, and other components. The video script points out that the M3 Pro has a slower memory bandwidth compared to the M1 and M2 Pro, which could impact performance when the system is under heavy load.

💡Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing

Hardware accelerated ray tracing is a technology that enhances 3D rendering by simulating the physical behavior of light, resulting in more realistic visuals. The M3 Pro supports this technology, which gives it an edge in 3D applications like Blender, as mentioned in the video, especially with the latest version that includes ray tracing capabilities.

💡SSD Speed

SSD speed refers to the data transfer rate of solid-state drives, which is important for the overall system performance. The video script notes that the base model M2 Pro has slower SSD speeds compared to the M3 Pro, which could affect tasks that require fast data access.

💡Pulseway

Pulseway is mentioned in the video as an IT management solution that allows users to monitor and manage various devices from a central platform. While not directly related to the MacBook Pro comparison, it serves as an example of a sponsor that could be relevant to the video's audience, particularly those working in IT or managing multiple devices.

Highlights

Physical differences between the M1, M2, and M3 Pro MacBook Pro models are minimal, with identical dimensions, weight, ports, and similar screen brightness.

The M3 Pro screen can get 20% brighter, beneficial for use in bright environments.

Internally, the cooling solutions and fan setups are almost identical across the models.

Customization options are limited for the M1 and M2 Pro models as Apple no longer sells them new.

Base model Pro chips comparison shows the M3 Pro has fewer performance CPU cores but more efficiency cores and 2 additional GB of unified memory.

The M2 Pro has slower SSD speed on the base model 512 GB variant compared to the M3 Pro.

The M3 Pro includes AV1 decode for conserving battery life while streaming video.

M3 Pro has GPU-specific upgrades like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and dynamic caching.

Memory bandwidth is 25% slower on the M3 Pro compared to the M1 and M2 Pro, affecting performance under heavy load.

Pricing for the base model 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro is $1999, with refurbished options available for M1 and M2 models.

No noticeable performance difference in everyday tasks like web browsing and multitasking across all models.

Pulseway, the IT management solution sponsor, offers monitoring and automation for efficient device management.

CPU performance differences are not significant in real-life workflows for most users.

Adobe apps show improvement between generations, but the difference is not stark during everyday use.

Video editing performance is similar across all chips due to shared hardware video encoders and decoders.

M1 Pro falls behind in non-supported video codecs due to its less powerful GPU.

3D workflows show significant improvements with each generation, especially with the M3 Pro's hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Gaming performance on the M3 Pro is comparable to the M2 Pro, with the M1 Pro being the weakest.

The M3 Pro's performance limitations might be due to intentional design choices for efficiency or market strategy.

The M3 Pro runs cooler and has slightly better battery life, especially during intensive tasks.

The M1 Pro offers significant performance for a much lower price compared to the M3 Pro.

The M3 Pro is recommended for those who require the latest technology and use 3D apps like Blender.

The M2 Pro is a cost-effective choice that keeps up with the M3 Pro in most areas.

Transcripts

if you're looking to pick up either an

M1 M2 or M3 Pro MacBook Pro it's really

easy to make a very expensive mistake

should you get the latest and greatest

or maybe just an older version to save

some money and if you do how does it

compare performance-wise so I made this

video to hopefully make the decision a

little bit easier for you and

potentially even save you a couple of

hundred and yes I bought all of these

Max with my own money this is not

sponsored and yes I do need help uh or

at least a cheap hobby so let's start

with the easiest part of this video

which is the physical differences or

rather the lack of I mean they're all

the same same dimensions same weight

same ports even the screen is the same

although the M3 Pro screen can get 20%

brighter which might be important if you

use your MacBook in really bright

environments like outside even when I

pop off the back cover and look at the

internals the cooling solution and fan

setup is almost identical this is

because the biggest difference are on

the inside starting with how you can

configure each MacBook now bear in mind

only the latest M3 Pro MacBook can be

customized Apple no longer sells the M1

or M2 Pro brand new so if you want any

customizations you'll need to find one

with the exact specs you want now in my

opinion this is a pretty big negative

right because there are quite a few

customizations possible now in this

particular video I am comparing the base

model Pro chips with no upgrades here's

a comparison chart showing you some of

the differences the configuration of the

base models in this video on the left

and the number in brackets on the right

is the maximum possible configuration

you can select for the CPU you'll notice

the M3 Pro actually decreases the number

of performance CES but increases the

number of efficiency cores the GPU is a

similar story there's two less GPU cores

on the M3 Pro base model compared to the

previous M2 Pro generation so right off

the bat it almost seems like the M3 Pro

is almost a downgrade of sorts at least

in terms of the number of CPU and GPU

cores but you do get an extra 2 GB of

unified memory otherwise known as RAM on

the M3 Pro and in terms of SSD speed on

the base model 512 GB variants the M2

Pro is noticeably slower but more on

that in this video linked down below

moving on all of these chips have the

same media engines with the exception of

the M3 Pro which also has something

called av1 decode which is great for

conserving battery life while streaming

video the M3 Pro also has a number of

GPU specific upgrades like Hardware

accelerator rate tracing mesh shading

and dynamic caching but more on that

later but perhaps one of the biggest

differences between these chips is the

memory bandwidth now we already know

that Apple silicon chips take advantage

of something called unified memory that

is all the ram can be accessed by the

CPU the GPU and any programs currently

running on the Mac where memory

bandwidth comes in is how fast this Ram

can be accessed both the M1 and M2 Pro

chips have a memory bandwidth of 200 GB

per second versus 150 GB per second on

the M3 Pro which is 25% slower so why is

this important well think of it like a

highway of sorts the M1 and M2 Pro chips

both have four lanes for traffic to use

for example but the M3 Pro only has

three lanes doesn't make a difference

when there's not much traffic but in

peak hour AKA when you're pushing the

system to its limit that may not be the

case and we'll see how this impacts the

performance of these chips a little bit

later on first let's talk about pricing

the base model 14in M3 Pro MacBook Pro I

have here is $19.99 brand new from Apple

if you want the previous M2 or M1

versions you can buy them refurbished

from Apple if they have the

configuration you want in stock and it's

the same with some other stores like

Best Buy for example I found this base

model M1 Pro MacBook Pro for

$439 otherwise you're going to have to

buy on the secondhand market so I spent

a few hours researching used prices and

I found base model M1 Pro MacBooks from

around 1100 to 1300 versus the M2 Pro

from roughly 1,400 to ,600 and that's in

us okay so let's get into the

performance differences between these

three chips starting with just general

everyday usage stuff like web browsing

emails and multitasking you are not

going to be able to tell a difference

between any of these machines I mean

flicking between different apps is

smooth I can have five or six different

apps open at once with no beach ball of

death or freezing even more intense

multitasking like rendering a blend

animation while browsing the web with 20

plus Google Chrome tabs open no

difference so if this is what you do you

know 90 or 95% of the time on these

machines and you're not really doing

anything super intensive or if you do

it's every now and then uh honestly you

are if you had them all side by side

honestly I'm telling you now you really

will not notice a difference between all

three of them and speaking of

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infrastructure today okay so now it's

time to look at some more intensive

tasks and see how performance differs

between these three chips let's start

with the CPU again these are all base

model configurations with no upgrades

and I'm going to make a bold claim here

and say there's realistically not a huge

amount of difference sure the M3 Pro is

clearly the superior CPU especially when

it comes to anything multi-core related

being 34% faster than the M1 Pro and 15%

faster than the M2 Pro but that doesn't

always translate into real life work

flows if you're a programmer compiling

code for example it means a few minutes

difference between a 3-year-old

secondhand M1 Pro and a brand new M3 Pro

is that really a massive difference it's

a similar story with creative workflows

on the Adobe apps you're going to notice

a decent Improvement between Generations

but while actually using these apps and

doing everyday things like timeline

scrubbing or adding 3D effects the

improvements aren't going to be super

obvious moving on to video editing

you're going to spend 95% of your time

playing back footage or scrubbing

timelines and I couldn't tell a

difference between either version even

with fairly demanding multicam timelines

with color correction or Clips with

heavy noise reduction applied for

example it's the same when it comes to

rendering or applying effects like

stabilization to a 120 FPS 4K clip and

there is a really simple explanation for

this it's because all three chips have

the same Hardware video encoders and

decoders so as long as as you're using

one of the supported codecs which is the

case 95% of the Time video editing

performance difference between the three

chips will be minimal however if you

choose to use a nonsupported video Codec

the M1 Pro does start to fall behind the

M2 and M3 Pro chips due to its less

powerful GPU so that's something to

consider moving on to some popular 3D

workflows it is not a competition here

at all there are significant

improvements between each generation the

m 3 Pro in particular destroys the

others because not only does it have the

new hardware accelerated rate tracing

technology among other GPU improvements

which the others do not but this rate

tracing technology is also supported in

these apps specifically blender which

gained rate tracing capability in the

latest 4.0 version now remember there

are still a lot of apps that do not

support apple silicon rate tracing so if

that's the case you're going to be

looking at results like this still

pretty good but you know R tracing

definitely does add a big advantage and

that brings me to my next point which is

gaming at the time of recording this

video Mac games do not support this new

R Racing Tech so we get quite strange

results like this the M1 Pro is clearly

the weakest performer although not by a

huge margin but the gaming performance

of the M3 Pro is pretty much equal to

the chip it's supposed to replace the M2

Pro in some areas even being

outperformed by it and yes this includes

games specifically designed for Apple

silicon like Resident Evil Village and I

think this is a good time to explain why

the performance of the M3 Pro kind of

seems a little bit lackluster compared

to the previous generation the M2 pro at

least in a few specific areas like I

mentioned before Apple kind of

handicapped the M3 Pro it has less CPU

performance cores it comes with less GPU

cores and the memory bandwidth is 25%

slower and I can only think of two

reasons why Apple would do this number

one intentionally making the pro chip

less powerful to make the upgrade or the

max variant chip seem like a better

choice which you know means more profit

for apple or number two to make the M3

Pro a more efficient platform or who

knows maybe it's just a combination of

the two but a more efficient platform

does come with quite a few advantages

firstly I noticed the M3 Pro would run a

few degrees cooler than the M2 Pro but

this was only noticeable when I was

slamming each laptop with a really

intensive task also the M3 Pro seems to

have slightly better battery life I

would usually get about 10 to 15% more

battery left on the M3 Pro compared to

the M2 Pro uh but only mainly when doing

intensive tasks like compiling code or

gaming for example but controversial

opinion uh I don't really care about an

extra 10 to 15 % battery life because

when I'm doing those intensive things

it's almost always at a desk and there's

a charger right there so you know 10 to

15% is it going to be a deal breaker I

personally don't think so especially

because if you're just browsing the web

or typing up emails and stuff like that

uh you are pretty much going to notice

no real difference and bear in mind

almost all M2 and M1 Pros out there are

at least 6 to 12 months old at this

point if not older so the battery is

going to be slightly consume so it's not

a 100% fair comparison so which one

should you buy well it depends I'm only

joking I will give you some specific

advice the M3 Pro only really makes

sense if budget is not really an issue

and you just want the latest and

greatest and of course all the nice

things that come with it like warranty

and being able to customize it via the

Apple Store duh obviously but if your

workflow is also 3D based and you use

apps like blender for example uh that's

really the only area where you're going

to see a significant improvement with

the M3 Pro and that's mainly because of

the new Ray tracing tech for everyone

else I just don't think you can beat the

M2 Pro I mean it's cheaper uh

performance- wise it keeps up with the

M3 Pro in almost every single area I

mean if you're a programmer the M2 Pro

is just as good do you use the Adobe

suite sure the M3 Pro gets a nice boost

but not by a huge amount video editing

you won't notice a difference and of

course I can't forget the M1 Pro this is

kind of the MacBook that started at all

at least in terms of higher performing

Apple silicon MacBooks right and this

bad boy right now you can get it for

almost 50% the price of a brand new M3

Pro and if you look at those performance

charts that I put in this video the

performance is definitely not 50% worse

than the M3 Pro the exception being of

course if you do a lot of 3D stuff like

blender or Cinema 4D for example you

just cannot beat that built-in Hardware

accelerated rate racing on the M3 Pro

now if you are deciding between if you

should go for a pro chip or a Max chip

you should definitely check out this

video I made comparing all three of the

max chips the M1 the M2 and the M3 Max I

did all the exact same tests as this

video so you can compare if you should

maybe save some money and go with the

pro or spend a bit extra and get a

pretty decent performance perance boost

with the max

chip