Apple (Re)Asserts Silicon Lead with M3 Family, Simplifies Laptop and iMac Lineup [updated Nov-6]
In an unusually timed virtual event, Apple announced not only the new Apple Silicon M3 processor, but the performance variants as well: M3 Pro and M3 Max. At a time when rivals are announcing 4nm chips due out next year, all three of Apple’s new M3’s are based on TSMC’s most advanced 3nm process and will be in Macs available for purchase next week.
The M3 features big jumps in CPU performance and efficiency, especially when compared to the first generation M1: the M3 needs half as much power as the M1 for the same performance, or 30% faster performance cores with full power. The M3’s NPU is 60% faster than the one on the M1 for running AI tasks. The biggest improvements were made to the GPU, with up to 2.5x faster rendering. Apple is using dynamic caching for local memory on the GPU in real time, which increases utilization and performance (this is just the GPU cache itself, not the shared RAM across the Apple Silicon die). The GPU also features hardware accelerated mesh shading and hardware accelerated ray tracing for the first time. Finally, AV1 joins the hardware codec accelerators on the M3, which should improve efficiency when streaming video.
In the past, Apple would introduce the base model of a new chip separately from The M3 has an 8 core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 10 core GPU, and a maximum of 24GB unified memory. Scale up the M3 to 12 CPU cores (8 performance cores), 18 GPU cores, and up to 36GB of unified memory and you get the M3 Pro. Scale it up further with 92 billion transistors (!), 16 core CPU (12 performance cores), 40 core GPU, and up to 128GB shared memory (!) and you have the M3 Max.
Apple chose to compare the M3 with the M1 partly because the numbers look better than M2 comparisons, but also because it does not reasonably expect anyone with an M2 product to upgrade. The bigger target, though, is Intel users. Half of Apple’s MacBook Pro installed base is on older Intel models, and as Apple points out, not only will they get 5.5x faster performance gains by upgrading, they will get 11 hours of additional battery life. (Truthfully, many will get even more than that, as older batteries have likely degraded over time.) If Windows Intel users get the message that Apple Silicon is better and switch, Apple won’t mind one bit.
Apple is putting the M3 family into three products to start: the MacBook Pro in 14” and 16” sizes, and the 24” iMac. The 13” MacBook Pro stopped making sense a generation ago, and it is now being discontinued. The existing 14” and 16” MacBook Pro hardware is excellent, and the main changes here are the processors and a new Space Black colorway that looks great.
This section added November 6, 2023:
The base M3 chip is only being offered on the lowest priced ($1600) 14” MacBook Pro model. The rest of the line gets M3 Pro or M3 Max options. The M3 Pro is the best balance between performance, efficiency, and budget. The M3 Max is really only necessary for those with enormous computing, GPU, and memory requirements — if you need 64GB or more of shared RAM, that is only available on the M3 Max.
Apple sent over a MacBook Pro M3 Max review unit, and I have begun testing it. I haven't come across a workload that stresses it even a little. I plan to run artificial benchmarks, but I started by editing a massive video that brought my old Intel MacBook to its knees. I was able to do so on the MacBook Pro M3 Max without plugging it in, and with minimal battery life impact. It is astonishing to think that the most powerful PC I have in the office isn't the giant gaming PC with a 900-watt power supply plugged into the wall, but a 3.5 lb. laptop that works equally well plugged in or on battery -- and can do so for 2+ days of work before recharging. Of course, there are scenarios with Windows-specific software or where having an Nvidia RTX4080 can do things that the M3/MacOS can't, but that moat is eroding.
Apple's M2 chips are also powerful and efficient, so I can't fault Apple for adding interest by decking the new M3 MacBooks with a distinctive colorway, Space Black. It looks even better in real life than it does in photos, and it is coated in such a way that rejects (most) fingerprints.
With the new MacBook Pro 14” and 16”, Apple has right-sized its laptop lineup and made it blessedly simple for buyers to choose which Mac to get. The 13” MacBook Air is the entry point. It is often purchased by students, but powerful enough for most workloads. The 15” MacBook Air offers a blend of performance and battery life plus a larger screen without adding much bulk. It is still the easiest recommendation for most Mac buyers. Stepping up to the MacBook Pro models brings incredible performance for those who need (or just want) it, better displays, and a choice between 14” portability or 16” display size.
In the past, Apple also offered 21.5” and 27” iMacs, but Apple now offering just the single 24” AIO (all-in-one). Apple told me that this size should appeal to the broadest base of consumers, and that if consumers want a larger display, they can get a Mac mini or MacBook and attach the 27” Studio Display. That’s certainly a possible approach, but I don’t envision too many consumers spending $1600 on 3” of additional screen real estate. Given the general purpose, consumer nature of the iMac buyer, keeping the decision process simpler to a single size is probably a virtue. There are still choices to make around storage, core specs, and color. Unlike its phones and laptops, Apple offers the iMac in seven vibrant colors. The M3 is actually overkill for the browsing, image editing, and productivity work most people need from an iMac, but consumers keep these machines for a long time, so the silicon is essentially an exercise in future-proofing. Apple claims that the iMac is the best-selling AIO, and by keeping the starting price at the same $1299, that is likely to continue.
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