Should I get the M3 Max or wait for the M4?

[Few_Interview_8890]

Point to perhaps consider if buying new with an M4 Max is the possible wait time with delivery. Demand may be high for them so you’ll need to think in terms of both the date of their announcement and then actual availability.

Yeah that's a good point.

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

now that those iPads dropped I’m definitely waiting for M4 to get to the Mac Studio before buying one.

Yeah I could do that, hopefully it won't be to long of a wait for the M4 Macbook Pro's to come.

 

[Populus]

Really? How so?

I said in my opinion, because I know what happens if you enter in technical details on this forum: there will always be a blunt, rude, tech expert that will look into what you say to point out that little detail that is wrong and how you don’t know about what you’re talking about. So I wanted to keep it short. Fortunately those users end up banned or suspended, so thank you mods.

I said that in my opinion this is the biggest jump since the M1, because 1) the IPC from what I’ve read has increased substantially, 2) according to the leaked benchmarks the single core and multi-core scores have increased 22% and 25% respectively, and that’s just in a tablet. IIRC neither M2 nor M3 achieved those gains. 3) you get a whole new CPU microarchitecture, and a much more efficient SoC: remember that we now have 6 efficiency cores and 4 performance cores. 4) The first M series chip finely tuned for AI: the computational units that measure machine learning (Trillions of Operations Per Second) have jumped from 11 on the M1, or 15 on the M2, or 17 on the M3, to… 38 TOPS on the M4. Outstanding.

The GPU seems like the same architecture that was introduced on the M3 but it’s definitely more capable on the M4. A 15% faster according to some leaked benchmarks. All while constrained by the thin iPad chasis, as the GPU gets usually pretty hot. This chip on a Mac with active cooling is gonna be a killer!

Now, you can point any mistake I’m sure I’ve made, but you get the idea. For me, this is the biggest jump since the M1 launch.

 

[Onimusha370]

Typing on my maxed out M3 Max, which is a monster. It will breeze through your workflow - get it and enjoy it

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

I said in my opinion, because I know what happens if you enter in technical details on this forum: there will always be a blunt, rude, tech expert that will look into what you say to point out that little detail that is wrong and how you don’t know about what you’re talking about. So I wanted to keep it short. Fortunately those users end up banned or suspended, so thank you mods.

I said that in my opinion this is the biggest jump since the M1, because 1) the IPC from what I’ve read has increased substantially, 2) according to the leaked benchmarks the single core and multi-core scores have increased 22% and 25% respectively, and that’s just in a tablet. IIRC neither M2 nor M3 achieved those gains. 3) you get a whole new CPU microarchitecture, and a much more efficient SoC: remember that we now have 6 efficiency cores and 4 performance cores. 4) The first M series chip finely tuned for AI: the computational units that measure machine learning (Trillions of Operations Per Second) have jumped from 11 on the M1, or 15 on the M2, or 17 on the M3, to… 38 TOPS on the M4. Outstanding.

The GPU seems like the same architecture that was introduced on the M3 but it’s definitely more capable on the M4. A 15% faster according to some leaked benchmarks. All while constrained by the thin iPad chasis, as the GPU gets usually pretty hot. This chip on a Mac with active cooling is gonna be a killer!

Now, you can point any mistake I’m sure I’ve made, but you get the idea. For me, this is the biggest jump since the M1 launch.

Oh for sure, sorry if you thought I was coming across bring rude and all. I was just curious to hear about it whether its opinionated or not. I will definitely keep this in mind though, thank you.

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

Typing on my maxed out M3 Max, which is a monster. It will breeze through your workflow - get it and enjoy it

Oh I bet! If I don't mind asking, when did you purchase your M3 Max?

 

[TracerAnalog]

Standard answer: if you need a new computer NOW, buy one. Otherwise wait until you need one. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

Standard answer: if you need a new computer NOW, buy one. Otherwise wait until you need one. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yeah for sure. I think the only reason why I making it hard for myself is because buying a new laptop is like a long-term purchase for me, so I want to make sure that I pick out the right one.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I think my PC should indeed be able to handle those tasks. But to be honest, I'm not a big fan of using Windows other then gaming. Also, as for someone who does most of my work at a coffee shop since I work hybrid, having a portable and powerful laptop with me like a Macbook Pro will come in handy, and I really like MacOS a lot more than Windows. I know getting a Windows Laptop is another option, but one of my biggest dislikes for some Windows laptops especially gaming laptops is you need a charger plugged in at all times in order for the laptop to provide its performance for you. Unlike for Macbooks, you don't have to have your charger plugged in. And there can be times where I need to use my laptop some place else other then at a coffee shop like at work if I was ever called in to be there.

My second option incase if I'm still unsure is probably try and go for the 13-inch M3 Macbook Air with 24GB RAM and save more money. Only downside is there's no fan on the Air, so running Python & Machine Learning might be a problem. but since you mentioned that Python & Machine Learning & presumably AI is only "coming" in notable ways for Mac, there's probably not a lot to do at the moment on the M3 Max Macbook Pro, and I can just try to use what's available for me on the M3 Macbook Air.

One of the biggest problem with windows/linux laptops/workstation is GPU RAM, laptops are worse, even the high end GPUs are limited to 16GB VRAM on windows. As ML/AI matures, you will appreciate the Unified memory On Mac. If you upgrade every few years, might as well wait and upgrade to best available Mac you can afford.

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

One of the biggest problem with windows/linux laptops/workstation is GPU RAM, laptops are worse, even the high end GPUs are limited to 16GB VRAM on windows. As ML/AI matures, you will appreciate the Unified memory On Mac. If you upgrade every few years, might as well wait and upgrade to best available Mac you can afford.

Yeah I always had the idea of buying a Macbook as a laptop. I only use my Windows computer for gaming. And even if I wanted to game on the go, I have my Steam Deck. In terms of upgrading every years, i'm not too worried about that. I think its best for me to get the best Macbook Pro I can buy in terms of performance, and having it with me for a very long time until maybe Apple does a refresh on the Silicon Macbook Pro such as adding OLED display or Face ID, which I heard that's going to be a while until Apple add those features, not until like 2027 or 2028.

 

[PsykX]

Make your idea after WWDC.
I'm starting to wonder if the Mac Studio with M4 Max and Ultra won't be announced next month.

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

Make your idea after WWDC.
I'm starting to wonder if the Mac Studio with M4 Max and Ultra won't be announced next month.

Yeah i've heard people said that too, so I'm probably going to do that as well since the event is not that far away.

 

[nathansz]

Hi Everyone,

Hope all is well! I was wondering if you guys can please help me out on giving me buying advice on whether its worth buying the M3 Max Macbook Pro or wait for the M4? I'm currently using the (2019) Macbook Pro with (2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9, Radeon Pro Vega 20 4 GB, 32 GB 2400 MHz DDR4) and pretty lately its starting to show its age where its booting up slow, daily tasks are getting slower, overheating is always there, and mainly my battery lasts two hours. I do want to upgrade soon but I was wondering if its worth waiting for the M4 Max to come out instead of getting the M3 Max? After hearing Apple's announcement on the ipad pro going straight to the M4 chip, I'm guessing we may get the Macbook Pro with the M4 chip sooner then later. But then I read a post from Mac Rumors funny enough that the M4 Pro and M4 Max is rumored to come out between the end of 2024 and early 2025, which that might be a long wait if say the M4 Max Macbook Pro comes out in early 2025 in my opinion if I was willing to buy that. In conclusion, do you think its still worth getting the M3 Max, or is it better off waiting? I would appreciate again for your help and want to thank you for your time reading this post.

Here's the article from Mac Rumor about the rumored M4 Macbook's incase anyone wanted to read it: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/11/apple-reportedly-developing-m4-macbook-pro/

Here's the apps I plan to use for the M3 Macbook Max if I end up buying one:

• Parallels Desktop or Vmware Fusion
• Microsoft office (Mostly Microsoft Excel)
• Python & Machine Learning (Not like any serious coding, its more of a hobby. But I do hear that its best to have a good amount of RAM in these cases especially for Machine Learning.)
• Final Cut Pro/Photoshop (Basic to standard video editing & Photoshop)

Personally I would start with a fresh os instal and see if it gets some snappiness back. Then maybe think about a new battery

 

[realtwang]

Hi Everyone,

Hope all is well! I was wondering if you guys can please help me out on giving me buying advice on whether its worth buying the M3 Max Macbook Pro or wait for the M4? I'm currently using the (2019) Macbook Pro with (2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9, Radeon Pro Vega 20 4 GB, 32 GB 2400 MHz DDR4) and pretty lately its starting to show its age where its booting up slow, daily tasks are getting slower, overheating is always there, and mainly my battery lasts two hours. I do want to upgrade soon but I was wondering if its worth waiting for the M4 Max to come out instead of getting the M3 Max? After hearing Apple's announcement on the ipad pro going straight to the M4 chip, I'm guessing we may get the Macbook Pro with the M4 chip sooner then later. But then I read a post from Mac Rumors funny enough that the M4 Pro and M4 Max is rumored to come out between the end of 2024 and early 2025, which that might be a long wait if say the M4 Max Macbook Pro comes out in early 2025 in my opinion if I was willing to buy that. In conclusion, do you think its still worth getting the M3 Max, or is it better off waiting? I would appreciate again for your help and want to thank you for your time reading this post.

Here's the article from Mac Rumor about the rumored M4 Macbook's incase anyone wanted to read it: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/11/apple-reportedly-developing-m4-macbook-pro/

Here's the apps I plan to use for the M3 Macbook Max if I end up buying one:

• Parallels Desktop or Vmware Fusion
• Microsoft office (Mostly Microsoft Excel)
• Python & Machine Learning (Not like any serious coding, its more of a hobby. But I do hear that its best to have a good amount of RAM in these cases especially for Machine Learning.)
• Final Cut Pro/Photoshop (Basic to standard video editing & Photoshop)

I'm waiting simply because M4 is the first chip designed with AI in mind. With the way it's becoming such a big part of the OS from here on out, I think it will pay to wait - even though I really need to update this year.

 

[transpo1]

Yeah that's a good point.

At the earliest, they’ll likely being shipping late October / early November as per the usual…

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

Personally I would start with a fresh os instal and see if it gets some snappiness back. Then maybe think about a new battery

Yeah I could try. It might be a hassle, but if I were to wait for the M4 that might be a good idea so I can keep using my current Macbook Pro

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

At the earliest, they’ll likely being shipping late October / early November as per the usual…

Yeah hopefully, I did hear however from this MacRumors post that the M4 Pro and M4 Max Macbook Pro's are rumored to come out in end of 2024 and early 2025. I hoping its not early 2025 as that would be a long wait, and I remember how long it took Apple to release the M2 Pro and M2 Max Macbook's in early 2023, but I also heard that is mainly due to pandemic chip shortage. Who knows, it could be worth the wait as what @realtwang said, the M4 is going to be the first chip with AI mind.

Here's the MacRumors article incase your curious on reading about it: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/14/when-are-m4-macs-launching/

 

[Few_Interview_8890]

I'm waiting simply because M4 is the first chip designed with AI in mind. With the way it's becoming such a big part of the OS from here on out, I think it will pay to wait - even though I really need to update this year.

Oh that is a very good point, and probably well worth the wait, as I heard Apple talked a lot about AI when they were talking about the ipad pro with the M4 chip.

 

[ericlp]

For you, definitely get the M1/2/3... It will be much better than the intel garbage you got now. The sweet spot is the M2, but if you are on budget get the M1.

If you are waiting for the M4, might as well wait for the M5.

 

[Squirrrrel]

The M3 is already incredibly overkill for what you need it for. Having said that, just wait until Apple actually announces it first if you can wait, and then see what reviewers say. Otherwise, just upgrade now. You won't believe how much faster the M-series chips are compared to Intel. It's kind of ridiculous.

 

[Capeto]

I’ll echo the sentiment above– for your use case, it sounds like an M1 Pro or M2 Pro should be enough. My M1 Pro (base model 14” MBP) breezes through MS Office, Photoshop, and Premiere Rush (what I use for simple video editing) without breaking a sweat. Not sure how it would do with Windows virtualization or AI but I haven’t heard anyone complain. You should be able to get a new or refurbished one at a nice discount that allows for better future proofing (extra RAM/storage) at a lower cost.

Edit: Here’s a price comparison.

16” M1 Max, 32GB RAM, 512GB storage: $1900 at MicroCenter (Best Buy can price match)
16” M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB storage: $2300 at Apple
16” M3 Max, 34GB RAM, 1TB storage (no smaller storage available for this config): $3200 at Apple

The M1 Max vs. M3 Pro is essentially a ~20% faster CPU for ~20% more money, but you get 32GB of RAM with the M1 Max config at that price. If you’re patient enough you might be able to find a 14” for even cheaper.

 

[Squirrrrel]

I’ll echo the sentiment above– for your use case, it sounds like an M1 Pro or M2 Pro should be enough. My M1 Pro (base model 14” MBP) breezes through MS Office, Photoshop, and Premiere Rush (what I use for simple video editing) without breaking a sweat. Not sure how it would do with Windows virtualization or AI but I haven’t heard anyone complain. You should be able to get a new or refurbished one at a nice discount that allows for better future proofing (extra RAM/storage) at a lower cost.

The only reason I wouldn't recommend an M1 is because of the HDMI 2.0 port. The M2 and above have the HDMI 2.1 port. It's insane that such an expensive computer is using HDMI tech from 2013.

 

[Luna Murasaki]

Make your idea after WWDC.
I'm starting to wonder if the Mac Studio with M4 Max and Ultra won't be announced next month.

Another big WWDC question: Is this going to be the year that macOS finally sheds Intel Mac support? You know they have to be just itching to do that with how inconvenient it must be to support an entire architecture they don't sell new anymore. They have the perfect nonsense excuse they can spout this year and this year only about how since macOS 15 will be all about AI and since the Intel chips don't have the Neural Engine, that it doesn't make sense to use macOS 15 on an Intel Mac and hey, macOS 14 is basically the same without the AI stuff right? Then they can be exceptionally quiet about making Intel Macs go away.

If this is the case then it would become a lot less pleasant to be stuck on Intel since you'd lose consistent security patches starting this September/October which may or may not be around the time the M4 MacBook Pro comes out.

I'm waiting simply because M4 is the first chip designed with AI in mind. With the way it's becoming such a big part of the OS from here on out, I think it will pay to wait - even though I really need to update this year.

Yeah I think this is yet another reason to wait for WWDC because I think then we'll have a better idea of what you miss out on if you have an M1/M2/M3 Mac, if anything. Even if one doesn't care about generative AI, I don't think one wants their brand new laptop to be a second class citizen when it comes to software support because of what that could mean for support for the latest macOS long-term.

This is also why I don't think it's a great deal to get an M1/M2 even though it's cheaper - you clearly aren't going to get as long a support life and will need to buy a new machine sooner to remain secure.

Arm Windows is not Full Windows

I think this was absolutely true of Windows 8/RT and to some degree Windows 10 as well, but with Windows 11, it's really just another build of Windows now. Windows formerly came in x86_32 and x86_64 builds, and now instead it comes in x86_64 and Arm64, and that's all. You can't generally mix architectures within the same process, which is why device drivers, programs that rely on virtual device drivers, antiviruses, and programs that otherwise integrate into existing processes are the things that don't work without an Arm-specific build, just like with the x86_64 transition we went through 20 years ago. The Arm build of Windows is not technically inferior, it gets equal attention from Microsoft, and I really don't think it's accurate to think of it as a soy imitation Windows anymore like what a lot of people here seem to be saying. Been using it with Parallels and while I predictably can't run WindowBlinds on it, it otherwise works fine. Binary translation has been very seamless and reliable too. In comparison to Apple's Arm transition, I think Microsoft is badly behind when it comes to hardware but the software is very much past the finish line now.

I always hated Boot Camp because it required shutting down my entire computer to use it, but I agree that losing it puts you in a weird spot if you depend on it. I don't think it was really needed for anything but gaming and some niche cases though. Gaming is best done on a desktop machine anyway - there's just no way to have your cake and eat it too when it comes to 3d graphics and portability no matter what OS you go with. And I don't think I'm alone in really feeling like I need a laptop as my main machine. I have an Xbox One for gaming and an old Windows tower PC for Second Life.

I personally think this would be a really bad time to get a Windows laptop because of viable Arm Windows laptop hardware being just around the corner, which would be an overwhelmingly better experience than x86 for everything except gaming. I agree that's not important with desktops though.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I would skip past M1, but for the apps you list M2 or M3 max with minimum 64 GB RAM (96 or 128 better still) will provide superb, modern performance. It really is about the RAM and Apple's Unified Memory Architecture. M4 will rock for sure but those apps do not demand M4's (or even M3's) specific benefits like CAD or Blender or 3D would.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Yeah for sure. I think the only reason why I making it hard for myself is because buying a new laptop is like a long-term purchase for me, so I want to make sure that I pick out the right one.

For long term get plenty of RAM.