The new M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max Apple Silicon power the latest MacBook Pro laptops. Along with more powerful and efficient CPUs and GPUs, these MacBook Pros offer up to 128GB of memory, feature brighter displays, improved battery life, and a new Space Black finish. Join us for a detailed comparison of the differences and what’s new between the MacBook Pro M3 and MacBook Pro M1 lineup and for help answering the question: is it worth upgrading?
We’ll focus on MacBook Pro M3 laptops versus MacBook Pro M1 machines below, but we also have an M3 vs M2 guide:
MacBook Pro M3 vs. MacBook Pro M1 Laptops
CPU, GPU, memory, neural engine
M3 Apple Silicon chips feature configurations with 8 to 16 core CPUs, 10 to 40 core GPUs, and 8 to 128 GB of unified memory.
Here is the spec breakdown of the M3 compared to the M1 Pro and M1 Max:
| MacBook Pro M3 | MacBook Pro M1 | |
| Processor | M3, M3 Pro or M3 Max – up to 16 cores | M1 Pro or M1 Max – 8 or 10 cores |
| Storage | Up to 8TB | Up to 8TB |
| Unified memory | Up to 128 GB | Up to 64 GB |
| Memory bandwidth | Up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth | 400 GB/s memory bandwidth |
| Chart | Up to 40 cores with hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Up to 32 cores |
| Multimedia engine | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, video decode engine, 1 or 2x video encode engines, ProRes 1 or 2x encode and decode engines, AV1 decode | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, video decode engine, 1 or 2 video encode engines, 1 or 2 ProRes encode and decode engines |
| Neural engine | 16 hearts | 16 hearts |
Apple claims that the M3 chip’s efficiency cores are up to 30% faster than the M2 family and up to 50% faster than the M1 family.
For performance cores, the M3 family is 15 and 30% faster than M2 and M1, respectively.
And Apple claims that rendering on M3 is up to 1.8x faster than M2 and up to 2.5x faster than M1.
Apple also claims that the M3 chips represent the “biggest leap forward in graphics architecture” with dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading.
Display
The MacBook Pro M2 Pro/Max laptops featured the same display as the 2021 M1 Pro/Max models with Liquid Retina XDR display, ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz, increased resolution/pixel per inch density and lightweight frames.
Now, the M3 MacBook Pro models feature one main improvement: a 20% brighter display that displays SDR content at up to 600 nits. Apple highlights this as the Studio Display for consistent brightness.
| MacBook Pro 14″ M3 | MacBook Pro 14″ M1 | MacBook Pro 16″ M3 | MacBook Pro 16″ M1 | |
| Actual screen size | 14.2″ | 14.2″ | 16.2″ | 16.2″ |
| Resolution | 3024×1964 | 3024×1964 | 3456×2234 | 3456×2234 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:10 p.m. + notch | 4:10 p.m. + notch | 4:10 p.m. + notch | 4:10 p.m. + notch |
| PPI | 254 | 254 | 254 | 254 |
| Nits (brightness) | 1000 HDR sustained, up to 1600 peak; 600 SDRs | 1000 HDR sustained, up to 1600 peak; 500 SDRs | 1000 HDR sustained, up to 1600 peak; 600 SDRs | 1000 HDR sustained, up to 1600 peak; 500 SDRs |
| Liquid Retina XDR Display | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Promotion (up to 120 Hz) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| mini-LED backlight | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| True tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wide Color P3 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Like the M1 and M2 models, the latest MacBook Pros feature a notch at the top center of the screen for the 1080p FaceTime camera.
Face ID still hasn’t arrived with MacBook Pro M3 laptops.
MacBook Pro M3 I/O
The M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pro laptops have the same ports and layout as the M1 and M2 Pro and Max MacBook Pro.
This includes an HDMI port, an SDXC card reader and MagSafe. There are also 3 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4 ports.
However, the MacBook Pro M3 comes with one less Thunderbolt 4 port – the one on the right side has been removed.
But like M2 Pro and M2 Max, M3 Pro and M3 Max go further than the M1 with an HDMI 2.0 to 2.1 port upgrade that supports up to 8K output at 60Hz. This also allows audio output multichannel.
Two other upgrades include WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
| MacBook Pro 14″ M3 | MacBook M1 14″ | MacBook Pro 16″ M3 | MacBook Pro 16″ M1 | |
| Magic Keyboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Touch identification | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| FaceTime Camera | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| USB-C/Thunderbolt ports | 3 (2 for M3 models) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| HDMI | ✅2.1 | ✅2.0 | ✅2.1 | ✅2.0 |
| SDXC card reader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| MagSafe Charging | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E | WiFi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | WiFi 6 |
| External display support | M3: An external screen up to 6K/60 Hz
M3 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt, or 1 at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144 Hz over HDMI, or 1 at 8K/60 Hz or 1 at 4K/240 Hz over HDMI. Maximum M3: Up to 4 external displays: 3 at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144 Hz over HDMI, or |
M1 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60 Hz
M1 Max: Up to 4 external displays including 3 at 6K/60 Hz and 1 at 4K/60 Hz |
M3 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt, or 1 at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144 Hz over HDMI, or 1 at 8K/60 Hz or 1 at 4K/240 Hz over HDMI.
Maximum M3: Up to 4 external displays: 3 at 6K/60 Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144 Hz over HDMI, or |
M1 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60 Hz
M1 Max: Up to 4 external displays including 3 at 6K/60 Hz and 1 at 4K/60 Hz |
Colors, size and weight
The physical dimensions are the same between the M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Pro laptops. But this time, for the M3 Pro and Max models, a new space black color is available alongside silver.
Leaving the new color for the high-end, the MacBook Pro M3 only comes in Space Gray and Silver.
Here is the full color, size and weight breakdown:
| MacBook Pro 14″ M3 | MacBook Pro 14″ M1 | MacBook Pro 16″ M3 | MacBook Pro 16″ M1 | |
| Weight | M3: 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) M3 Pro: 3.5 pounds (1.61 kg) Maximum M3: 3.6 pounds (1.62 kg) |
3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) | M3 Pro: 4.7 pounds (2.14 kg) Maximum M3: 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg) |
4.7 pounds (2.1 kg) |
| Thickness | 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) | 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) | 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) | 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) |
| Width | 12.31 inches (31.26 cm) | 12.31 inches (31.26 cm) | 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) | 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) |
| Depth | 8.71 inches (22.12 cm) | 8.71 inches (22.12 cm) | 9.77 inches (24.81 cm) | 9.77 inches (24.81 cm) |
| Display size | 14.2 inches | 14.2 inches | 16.2 inches | 16.2 inches |
| Finishes | Silver or space gray for M3, space black or silver for M3 Pro and M3 Max | Silver or space gray | Silver or space gray for M3, space black or silver for M3 Pro and M3 Max | Silver or space gray |
Battery life
- The new M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pro 16-inch laptops offer 22 hours of video playback on a single charge (up to 21 hours with M1 Pro/Max)
- The new 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 offers 22 hours of video playback on a single charge (up to 17 hours with the M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro)
- The new 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro and Max offer 18 hours of video playback on a single charge (up to 17 hours with the M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro)
- The new MacBook Pro models continue to offer fast charging: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes (with a 96 W brick for the 14 inch and 140 W for the 16 inch).
Here are more details on the battery life of the new MacBook Pro laptops:
| | MacBook Pro 14″ M3 | MacBook Pro 14″ M3 Pro or Max | MacBook Pro 14″ M1 Pro or Max | MacBook Pro 16″ M3 Pro or Max | MacBook Pro 16″M1 Pro or Max |
| Wireless Web Battery | 15 hours | 12 hours | 11:00 | 15 hours | 14 hours |
| Video playback | 22 hours | 18 hours | 17 hours | 22 hours | 21 hours |
| Power adapter included | 70W or 96W | 70W or 96W | 67W or 96W | 140W | 140W |
| Battery capacity | 70Wh | 70Wh | 70Wh | 100Wh | 100Wh |
| Fast loading | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Price
The base configurations are cheaper with the M3 option this time around and are almost identical for most versions M3 Pro/Max vs M1 Pro Max.
But custom versions are more expensive with up to 128 GB of memory and upgraded chips. MacBook Pro M3 machines can top out at $7,199 – $1,100 more than the top-of-the-line M1 MacBook Pro.
| Model/price | MacBook Pro 14″ M3 | MacBook Pro 14″ M1 | MacBook Pro 16″ M3 | MacBook Pro 16″ M1 |
| Base | Starting at $1,599 | Starting at $1,999 | Starting at $2,499 | Starting at $2,499 |
| Custom builds | Up to $6,899 | Up to $5,899 | $7,199 | Up to $6,099 |
Conclusion MacBook Pro M3 vs M1
Reasons to buy
If you’re a professional (or aspiring professional) who needs the latest from Apple, the upgrade might be worth it. And the M3 MacBook Pro laptops will be very impressive for those coming from an Intel MacBook.
Reasons to succeed
But for those who already own a MacBook Pro M1 (or M2) Pro/Max and/or don’t have workflows that require the absolute best performance, this is probably the best solution for conserving what you have.
Decide on specifications
For those unsure which M3 MacBook Pro specs to choose, you can get the same 11, 12, 14, or 16-core processor with the M3 Pro and M3 Max in both the 14-inch and 16-inch models. The main cost difference is the improved GPU power, including the more capable media engine and increased external display support with the M3 Max chip.
As for unified memory, if you have medium to heavy workflows and/or plan to keep your new MacBook Pro for several years (or more), going with 36GB or more will likely be worth the upgrade.
You’ll soon be able to find the new MacBook Pro at Apple, Amazon, and other retailers.
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