Early reviewers have seemingly been testing their M4 Macs, as the first Geekbench 6 benchmark scores have started showing up online. First, the 2024 Mac mini’s M4 Pro chip was put to the test, showing the redesigned desktop is currently the fastest in Apple’s lineup. The M4 Pro outperforms the M2 Ultra in single-core and multi-core tests.
I said earlier that the M4 Max chip, currently exclusive to the 2024 MacBook Pro models, will be the only Apple chip to top the M4 Pro. That was always going to be the case.
It looks like the first tests for the M4 Max MacBook Pros are coming out. The scores show that the new laptop is the most powerful Mac in Apple’s fall 2024 lineup and its entire history.
The M4 Max scores almost 4,000 points in single-core tests, with the multi-core score topping 26,000 points.
The M4 Max configuration used in these scores features a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and 128GB of RAM. That package starts at $4,699, assuming you don’t perform other customizations and buy the 14-inch version. The unified memory alone, an 80GB upgrade from the base 48GB associated with this chip, costs $1,000.
Back to the M4 Max’s performance, the 2024 MacBook Pro is 25% faster than the M2 Ultra chip, which features a 24-core CPU. That’s the same chip the M4 Pro beat in the previous benchmark tests.
The 14-core M4 Pro scored around 3,600 and 22,000 points in the same tests. Meanwhile, the M2 Ultra reaches 2,800 and 21,300 points in Geekbench 6.
Put differently, the M4 Max will give you a performance bump of about 20% compared to the M4 Pro. Conversely, these early benchmarks should help you decide whether to buy an M4 Pro MacBook Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro for your needs. I’m talking about professionals seeking the best performance possible from a MacBook Pro.
On the other hand, if you require the kind of performance the M4 Max offers, you must buy a 2024 MacBook Pro. You don’t have other options. Again, the M4 Max isn’t available for the new Mac mini or iMac.
Most people buying the M4 MacBook Pro for less professional computer use will not even have to worry about getting the M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. The base M4 chip would do just fine. The M4 topped 3,700 and 14,500 points in Geekbench 6 tests earlier this year when Apple released the M4 iPad Pro. The M4 version for the base model should provide similar performance.
As a reminder, Apple upgraded all its Macs to 16GB of RAM. That makes the base $1,599 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro a terrific computer. The M4 MacBook Air, which will be available in early 2025, will be an even better choice for Mac users in need of an upgrade.
