Do You Need an M1 Max?
Mac Life|May 2022
Apple's latest MacBook Pros come with two powerful versions of its M1 chip – but which do you need?
By Matt Hanson
Do You Need an M1 Max?

Late last year, Apple announced the MacBook Pro 16-inch and the MacBook Pro 14-inch with a pair of new chips inside, the M1 Pro and M1 Max. Both of these are substantial upgrades over Apple's original M1 chip (which powers the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch), with the M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro being by far the most powerful laptop Apple has ever made. The kind of performance the M1 Max provides comes at a price, however, with the 14-inch model starting at $2,899.

With that kind of investment, you need to make sure you're getting your money's worth, and for most people, the M1 Max is overkill. The good news? The M1 Pro is a more affordable, brilliant performer. As for the M1 Max, if you're going to be doing some serious creative work, such as complex 3D modelling, then it'll be worth investing in a MBP that packs it. Read on to find out whether you should get an M1 Max-powered MacBook.

What’s inside the M1 Max?

А EFFICIENCY CORES

The CPU of the M1 Max is made up of 10 cores; two efficiency cores and eight performance cores. When you're browsing the web and don't need a lot of CPU power, the M1 Max will use the efficiency cores to preserve battery life.

B NEURAL ENGINE

The 16-core Neural Engine handles the chip's machine learning (ML) duties, like computional photography. The Neural Engine in the M1 Max helps deliver 11.5x faster ML performance when tracking moving objects in Final Cut Pro.

C GPU

This is the GPU of the M1 Max. Coming in both 28-core and 32-core configurations, this particular part of the chip is much larger than the M1 Pro. It allows the M1 Max to offer more graphical performance.

D PERFORMANCE CORES

This story is from the May 2022 edition of Mac Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2022 edition of Mac Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.

RELATED STORIES
Next on Apple tv+ - APPLE IS REDEFINING STREAMING ENTERTAINMENT
Techlife News

Next on Apple tv+ - APPLE IS REDEFINING STREAMING ENTERTAINMENT

Apple TV+ has quietly but steadily emerged as a formidable competitor in the streaming race With a sharp focus on producing top-notch content and assembling a talented lineup of actors, directors, and creators, Apple TV+ is now the home of premium entertainment, setting itself apart from Disney+ and Netflix to set a new standard for at-home entertainment

time-read
6 mins  |
May 27, 2023
APPLE IS REDEFINING STREAMING ENTERTAINMENT
AppleMagazine

APPLE IS REDEFINING STREAMING ENTERTAINMENT

Apple TV+ has quietly but steadily emerged as a formidable competitor in the streaming race With a sharp focus on producing top-notch content and assembling a talented lineup of actors, directors, and creators, Apple TV+ is now the home of premium entertainment, setting itself apart from Disney+ and Netflix to set a new standard for at-home entertainment

time-read
5 mins  |
AppleMagazine #604
Mini vs Studio
AppleMagazine

Mini vs Studio

BUILD A MAC WORKSTATION ON STEROIDS

time-read
5 mins  |
AppleMagazine #603
Should you replace your MacBook battery or pay Apple to do it?
Macworld

Should you replace your MacBook battery or pay Apple to do it?

It's a tradeoff on comfort and model year-the newer it is, the harder it is to replace.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2023
MAKE YOUR MAC MINI A MAMMOTH PERFORMER
Macworld

MAKE YOUR MAC MINI A MAMMOTH PERFORMER

THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN DO TO UPGRADE YOUR MAC MINI AFTER YOU BUY IT.

time-read
10 mins  |
June 2023
Why ads on Apple TV+ are as inevitable as a 'Ted Lasso' spinoff
Macworld

Why ads on Apple TV+ are as inevitable as a 'Ted Lasso' spinoff

It’s a question of when, not if.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2023
Steve Jobs' words are brought to life in free handbook designed by Jony Ive
Macworld

Steve Jobs' words are brought to life in free handbook designed by Jony Ive

The Steve Jobs Archive publishes 'Make Something Wonderful' with photos and speeches from the late Apple founder's life.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2023
Apple Music Classical and 5 other reasons to switch from Spotify to Apple Music
Macworld

Apple Music Classical and 5 other reasons to switch from Spotify to Apple Music

The grass may be greener with the red icon.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2023
How to pick the right combination of internal and external SSDs for the Mac
Macworld

How to pick the right combination of internal and external SSDs for the Mac

Apple's prices for built-in SSDs remain far more expensive than the general marketplace.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2023
Should you shut down your Mac every night?
Macworld

Should you shut down your Mac every night?

What are the advantages of putting a Mac to sleep rather than shutting it down? We explain what each method has to offer.

time-read
7 mins  |
June 2023