M4 Pro vs M4 Max MacBook Pro: Do You really need to Max out?
M4 is insane but Some of Apple’s forceful M4 Max Pro upgrades still make M4 Pro a better option
I was always convinced that the M4 Max MacBook Pro would be Apple’s strongest computer yet — stronger than even the Mac Pro. But what i wasn't probably expecting was that even the M4 Pro chip, in its own right, would not only rival but beat out the Mac Pro, claiming the title of the second-strongest Mac chip for now. If these Geekbench 6 Scores were to be believed.
But its not the Macs, Apple is dominating performance charts with the M4 chips as well as the broader comparisons.
These machines have already hit the market, many of us are sitting on the fence, trying to figure out which Mac to buy. Should you go for the M4 Pro or splurge on the M4 Max?Well, if you look with the eyes of IT professional like me who has spent considerable time assessing different tech and hardware configurations, the answer might surprise you.
M4 Pro vs M4 Max MacBook Pro: Same Machines, Different Chips
It’s important to note that when it comes to the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros, the differences lie mainly in these chips only.
There’s no change in the display, speakers are the same, we have same the camera, other main hardware features are also very much the same. The real difference is in the performance you are going to get, depending on which chip you choose.
Discussing M4 Pro:
The M4 Pro starts at $2,000 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which includes a 12-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. If you want the full 12-core CPU with the 20-core GPU, it’ll cost you $200 more. For the 16-inch MacBook Pro, it starts at $2,500 with the full M4 Pro chip — no lower-end option here. So, the starting point for the 16 inch version is definitely higher.
Issue with the M4 MacBook Pro Memory:
The M4 Pro base model starts with 24GB which is great but it gives you only one upgrade option of 48GB for an additional $400. However, I find it strange and point out this intresting fact that Apple doesn’t offer a 64GB option on the M4 Pro MacBook Pro, especially since (even) the M4 Pro Mac Mini comes with a 64GB option.
Given the MacBook Pro’s popularity, wouldn’t it make sense to offer more configuration flexibility here ? MacBook Pro M4 deserves more options than the Mac Mini.
Is the M4 Pro Upgrade Worth It at $200 extra?
Now, you might be wondering if it’s worth the extra $200 to upgrade to the full M4 Pro chip. While we don’t have leaked benchmarks for the base M4 Pro, we can run some calculations based on the available 14-core CPU benchmarks.
Here’s a bit of math
“To estimate the performance of the 12-core M4 Pro, we can divide the (leaked) benchmark score of the 14-core version by 14 and then multiplies the result by 12.” here’s what we get.
No lets do the math agains (same way) for GPU performance:
So, what do we get, well, by extrapolating the performance, we can estimate that the full M4 Pro chip with its 12-core CPU should offer a 21% improvement in multi-core performance. On the GPU side, stepping up to the 20-core GPU should give you around a 22% boost in graphics performance.
For an extra $200, you’re essentially getting a 20% improvement in both CPU and GPU performance. If that’s something you value, this upgrade seems like a reasonable deal. In fact, this (M4 Pro) might be one of the best-value upgrades you can make in the entire MacBook Pro lineup. But hold on , let’s get into the details of M4 Max for comparison.
The M4 Max: Is It Really Worth the Price?
If you’re eyeing the M4 Max, You are basically spending all of money. The cheapest 14-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro starts at $3,199, which gives you a (lower end) 14-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. You might be wondering why is that big of a price jump. Apple is basically forcing you into a few upgrades that you don’t necessarily need.
First all you must get M4 Max with 1TB of storage (no 512GB option), secondly, the M4 Max comes with 36GB of RAM (no 24GB option), there is no option for the lower value RAM. So, basically, if we get an M4 Pro with similar specs again, you can chose between 48 GB and 24 GB RAM (no 36 GB option), so, on the lower you have an $800 USD upgrade from M4 Pro to M4 Max, plus $200 USD for 1TB storage.
So the question we have to answer
Is an upgrade from M4 to M4 Max really worth it?
Lets add another possible, suitable scenario, if we 48GB RAM to the M4 Pro, which is 12GB more than the 32 GB M4 Max and with 1TB of storage you still come $400 USD cheaper than the M4 Max.
So is M4 Pro (in this case) worth more than the M4 Max, well, Its very shocking, but this 14 core M4 Max has the same core count as the M4 Pro.
Lets do some match again on M4 Pro and M4 Max and see the results.
So what you are getting, only the faster GPU ?. Yest thats what it looks to be.
Based on current benchmarks, the M4 Max GPU is nearly double the performance of the M4 Pro GPU, but here’s the problem: the improvement is only relevant if you’re working with GPU-intensive tasks like 3D rendering, gaming, or advanced video editing. For most users, this boost might not justify the steep price, it is a useless step unless your are into that sort of work.
In fact, the base M4 Max — despite its impressive specs — seems like a poor value upgrade compared to the M4 Pro. The CPU performance is identical, so you’re essentially paying a hefty sum for a 32-core GPU that delivers a 32% improvement in graphics over the M4 Pro.
Upgrading to the 16-core M4 Max at any cost ? Whats a balanced Approach
If you’re still considering the M4 Max, the next logical step is the 16-core M4 Max. For just $300 more than the base 14-core M4 Max, you get two additional CPU cores and an 18% improvement in CPU performance, plus a 23% boost in GPU performance. However, Apple again forces you into a memory upgrade — there’s no 32GB RAM option for the 16-core M4 Max, so you’re looking at a minimum of 48GB RAM.
This means that, in addition to the $300 for the chip upgrade, you’re now spending $500 more for the 48GB of RAM. While this gives you better performance, it also means you’re paying a significant premium for more RAM that you might not even need. It’s a tricky decision — especially for those who don’t require a ton of memory.
Final Thoughts: Which MacBook Pro Should You Buy?
In all honesty, for most users even with pro level work, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro offers the best value. With the base M4 Pro configuration, you’re getting a machine that outperforms the Mac Pro in terms of CPU power (thats huge), and it handles GPU tasks quite well for the price. If you need more memory, the jump to 48GB is a bit pricey, but it’s your only option if you need more than 24GB.
As for the M4 Max, unless you’re heavily invested in GPU-intensive tasks, I would recommend staying away from the base 14-core version. The lack of a CPU performance boost makes it a poor value, and you’re essentially paying for a 32-core GPU that only offers modest improvements in performance. If you can justify the additional cost of the 16-core M4 Max, then the performance gains might make sense, but again, you’re forced to upgrade the memory.
Final word is, if you don’t need top-tier GPU performance, the M4 Pro is the best option. However, if you’re working with high-end graphics tasks or need massive memory and CPU power, the M4 Max is a good — but very expensive choice.
