The most capable Apple macbook pro m3 max 16 inch ever
The newest and best variant of Apple’s potent prosumer notebook is the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch. With support for up to 128GB unified memory and a choice of the new M3 Pro or M3 Max CPUs, this is a very strong laptop perfect for severe tasks, particularly those involving graphic intensity.
This is also the first MacBook we would advise as a gaming device, with an upgraded GPU matched with macOS Sonoma’s Game Mode. Though it’s an amazing bit of technology, at this price it won’t be for everyone.
Pros
- Incredible performance
- Gaming on a MacBook is now a thing
- One pleasant new color choice is Space Black
Cons
- Very expensive
- Only nine months since last version
Update July 2024
Launching a mere nine months after the M2 Pro and M2 Max models, the M3 Pro and M3 Max editions of the 16-inch MacBook Pro shocked a lot of us. With the M3 series now approaching the same milestone, could Apple roll out a new 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by M4 Pro and M4 Max? Rumors have been spreading that MacBooks driven by the same CPU will arrive shortly because the iPad Pro (2024) launched in May was the first gadget to run on Apple’s new M4 chip.
Still, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) remains the most powerful MacBook Apple has ever produced until Apple formally reveals those M4 MacBooks. The M3 Max is such a great performer; even when the M4 Max finally shows up, this edition of the MacBook Pro won’t suddenly feel out of current.
Far from it: should you choose to buy the M3 Pro model or the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max), you will still be acquiring a professional laptop with future-proof capability spanning many years to come.
Review
Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max 16 inch
Apple’s October announcement of the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch line was a risky one in terms of time as well as surprising. Few Apple watchers anticipated that Apple will reveal a replacement to the M2-based MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) some time, but we imagined it would happen a just 10 months later.
This is a calculated risk for various reasons. Initially, it runs the danger of offending those who bought the last MacBook Pro 16-inch, especially the maxed-out M2 Max model, who would have expected they would have some time until the extremely costly laptop they recently bought was replaced.
Although being at the forefront of computing products is an absurd and costly hobby, and the M3 Pro and M3 Max announcement does not immediately render the M2 versions useless, I can understand why this would leave a bad taste in the mouth for a lot of consumers.
Apple is also keen to go from since it runs the danger of making the entire M2 generation seem like a misfire.
At least not until Apple released not just the M3 at its October Scary Fast event, but also the M3 Pro and M3 Max, along with replacements for 10-month-old laptops and a new iMac that totally skipped the M2 entirely (you can also read our Apple MacBook Pro 14-edge M3 Max review, and our Apple iMac 24-inch (M3).
Well, that’s great news for those who held off buying the M2 Pro or M2 Max 16-Pixel MacBook Pro, although it could be seen as yet another insult to anyone who did buy those laptops, especially if they did so only a few weeks ago.
The good news is that with a starting price of $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, you’re getting the performance enhancements of the M3 series for the same price at the previous generation started at.
Like past generations, you can select M3 Pro or M3 Max CPUs and up to 128GB of unified memory; but, since you cannot update the laptops later on, you should make sure you nail your choices before you buy.
Of course, an already pricey laptop will cost more the better features you pick for.
Furthermore, unlike the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, there isn’t a more reasonably priced alternative with the base M3 chip, hence I can only suggest the MacBook Pro 16-inch to anyone with the cash and need for such a strong laptop.
Should that be your situation, this may become your new favorite laptop. With a remarkable 16.2-inch display with a brilliant 3456 x 2 234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, which offers 1,600 nits of peak brightness for amazing vividness and dynamic contrast, it maintains the same best-in-class screen from past versions.
The ProMotion innovation also enables 120Hz refresh rates, which maintains the macOS operating system, and every app you run (or webpage you scroll through) feeling quick, smooth and responsive.
Professionals will have lots of freedom utilizing the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) when out and about thanks to a broad range of connectors, including lots of USB-Cs, an HDMI and memory card reader.
Performance-wise, Apple is improving on the already remarkable M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBooks on this flawless workstation.
Even when editing 4K footage with several 4K and 8K video files, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro performed an amazing job running the most recent games and was unable of handling any duty.
Indeed, Apple may have just released the first gaming MacBook with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and the 14-inch variant. Its “Pro” range of MacBooks are longer all works and no play.
Price and Availability
Announced at Apple’s Scary Fast event on October 30, 2023, the MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch will be available on November 7, 2023 That makes it little over nine months since the latest model was unveiled on January 24, 2023.
Given the 16-inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips were retired as soon as Apple revealed the new M3 Pro and M3 Max models, the launch may have set a record (and not a terribly nice one) for shortest of lifespan for a new gadget.
Many folks who merely purchased the most recent and powerful MacBook Pros less than a year ago will find that this irritates them.
You would also be reasonable in questioning whether, in just nine months, this new MacBook Pro 16-inch will itself become obsolete. Though I would have argued the same in January of this year there was a 14-month gap between the M1 Pro and M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros and the M2 versions that seems improbable.
And, even if Apple still supports the M2 models and the M1 models, if it stopped selling them, I wouldn’t blame you for being wary.
At the best of times, always having the newest model of a MacBook will be challenging and costly; however, for a replacement in just nine months, it feels a little arrogant. Would Apple try that with an iPhone?
Apple at least maintained the starting price of the new MacBook Pro 16-inch the same, at $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, which gets you a version with the M3 Pro processor, which comes with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB of unified memory and 512GB SSD.
For no extra money, the M3 Pro is basically giving you a significant jump plus more memory the rather strange 18GB compared to the M2 Pro model’s 16GB.
For those who had been evaluating the M2 Pro version up until a few weeks ago, that’s good; but, for those who have purchased the M2 Pro, it could be seen as another slap in the face.
The good news is that although Apple stopped marketing the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro 16-inch models, some stores are still carrying them and will probably be rather eager to clear inventory to make room for the M3 generation.
Given that those laptops are less than a year old, you could be able to find a still-excellent laptop for a great price even if you could be able to grab an M2 Pro or M2 Max model with a significant price decrease especially during the forthcoming Black Friday sales event.
For $2,899 / £2, 999 / AU$4,899 you can also purchase the 16-inch model with the same M3 Pro CPU, 36GB of memory and 512GB SSD.
The more potent M3 Max chip, with a 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB unified memory and 1TB SSD for $3,499 / £3,599 / AU$5, 999, follows next. At $3, 999 / $4,099 / AU$6,899, you may ultimately obtain a model with the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB Unified Memory and 1TB of storage.
Furthermore configurable on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro are 64GB or 128GB of memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage.
The fully-specced out form will cost you an incredible $7,199 / £7,299 / AU$11,699. Should you be among the few individuals who can a) afford this and b) require this type of power, you will need to let two to three weeks for delivery.
While this will put many people off, others who need significantly strong hardware for work may see this as a good investment the 16-inch MacBook Pro is clearly a premium laptop for a workstation with the price tag to validate it. The residual concern that Apple may drop a follow-up less than a year later notwithstanding.
Unlike the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3), which debuted alongside it, the 16-inch model isn’t available in a more reasonably priced version with the base M3 CPU this is the first time the spectrum of processor options has diverged between the two MacBook Pros.
Specifications
CPU: Apple M3 Max (16-core)
Graphics: Up to Integrated 40-core GPU
RAM: Up to 48GB
Screen: 16-inch, 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR display
Storage: Up to 1TB
Ports: 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3, HDMI, SDXC card slot, 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C).
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6e (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3
Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD webcam
Weight: 4.8 lbs (2.2kg)
Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches (356 x 248 x 17mm)
Design
Apple has hardly changed the design of the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch, except for a new color option called Space Black, which Apple claims is produced using “breakthrough chemistry” that lowers the retention of fingerprints by forming an anodizing seal.
Apple sent me a gorgeous MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch in that hue. Although Black is not the most interesting color for computers to come in, Space Black has a wonderful metallic polish that gives it a depth absent from other laptops of same hue.
Although you want from a mobile workstation like the 16-inch MacBook Pro to be serious and professional, it would be great to have some more vivid colors with the forthcoming MacBook Air.
I can also confirm that whatever (space) black magic Apple used to banish fingerprints works a treat after handling it for days, the MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch revealed nary a single fingerprint, whereas most MacBooks would be beginning to look a touch smudged by now.
As with the 24-inch iMacs, the power brick you plug into the wall socket remains white, which looks a bit inconsistent alongside the Black Space-colored MacBook Pro. Though the braided charging cable comes in black to match the color of the MacBook Pro it came with.
Although I enjoy the new Space Black color, some of my colleagues especially those who typically use MacBooks were not very impressed, pointing out that it looked more like a regular black laptop rather than a MacBook.
Given Apple has been marketing the gaming capabilities of its M3 series, one even remarked it looked like a gaming laptop. This is fascinating.
Other than that, the design is exactly the same as the model that was released at the beginning of 2023, which was essentially the same as the model from 2021. Despite this, I don’t mind because I think Apple nailed the design of the first 16-inch MacBook Pro two years ago.
The keyboard is responsive and comfortable, eradicating the bad reputation that older MacBook Pro keyboards had.
The Touch ID button allows you to securely sign in and make payments with a single tap, and the excellent array of ports includes an SDXC memory card slot, three Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, a full-sized HDMI port, and a headphone jack.
A few years ago, there was a fashion trend whereby computers were kept slimmer and lighter, usually at the expense of ports.
While that’s great for regular laptops, for workstations into which you’re probably going to want to plug a lot of peripherals, including hard drives, external monitors or projectors, and memory cards, having just two USB-C ports, one of which will often be used to charge the laptop, just isn’t enough.
For someone who travels a lot, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is a significantly more handy tool since you can leave almost all of your adapters at home and plug everything straight in to the laptop.
Six-speaker sound system, studio-quality mics and 1080p FaceTime HD webcam, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) offers what I have appreciated in past versions the fact that you do not necessarily have to plug in external screens, microphones or speakers so ensuring a high degree of flexibility and portability to creatives working in film, animation, music, and photography.
Yes, the “notch” surrounding the camera still exists, dipping down into the menu bar at top of the desktop. The slimline bezels around the screen still seem pleasant and modern (simply compare it to the previous 13-inch MacBook Pro to see what a difference a thin frame around the display can make).
Originally a non-issue today, the debate over this exaggerated back in 2021 when it debuted with the new 16-inch model. Like earlier iterations of macOS, macOS Sonoma fits it nicely, relocating menu items to either side of the notch and with the big 16-inch screen, you really don’t notice it since you have a vast, unobscuable workspace.
With a brilliant 3456 x 2234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, which provides 1,600 nits of peak brightness for stunningly vibrant colors and dynamic range, especially with HDR film, the 16.2-inch screen still is the greatest display you can buy on a laptop.
The P3 wide color gamut and support for one billion colors enable correct tones that will be crucial for video editors and photographers especially. Mini-LEDs and local dimming help make dark situations look just perfect.
The ProMotion technology of the 16-inch MacBook Pro which is also featured in the 14-inch model allows up to 120Hz refresh rates and can automatically change that rate to match onscreen content. This is especially clear while reading over documents or websites.
No matter how rapidly you scroll up and down, text, photos, and video footage all slide naturally and remain viewable. Along with computer games, TV shows and films also gain from this.
Apple has been eager to highlight the M3 lineup’s ability to run graphically-demanding games, and ProMotion a key selling point (high refresh rate screens are increasingly ubiquitous in premium gaming laptops).
By lowering the refresh rate when the MacBook Pro recognizes stationary material, ProMotion also helps prolong battery life of the machine.
At last, there is a MagSafe 3 port for simple power supply connection (and secure disconnection). It’s wonderful to have especially if you forget the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is plugged in and take it away since the charger will detach securely without harming any ports.
Though you can use one of those ports to top off the battery if you leave your MagSafe 3 cable behind, it also means you lose one of the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports when it has to be charged.
Though that isn’t a negative thing, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) does nothing new design-wise. Why play about with such outstanding design?
Apple could have included a touchscreen, or even *shudder* resurrect the Touch Bar above the keyboard, and at 3.6 lbs / 1.62kg, it is a heavy laptop to carry around, but honestly, this would just be tweaking for tweaking’s sake, and could cost some of the ports for a lighter and thinner design. I want Apple not to get lazy; for now, though, I’m glad the firm has stayed to a tested design.
Performance
Apple promised some big promises about the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips at its October launch event, and it sent me the MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch with the high-end M3 Max (with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU) and 48GB of unified memory, the most costly preconfigured MacBook Pro 16-inch you can purchase.
Less strong models exist; you may also set the MacBook Pro 16-inch to come with extra memory and SSD storage; I advise you to give serious consideration on what configuration best fits your demand.
Since this is an Apple device, it is notoriously difficult to upgrade yourself, thus the specs you choose before you buy will be the ones you will have to live with.
The model I received will be overkill for a lot of people, unless you are planning on doing some seriously intense workloads in graphics rendering and video.
Though you won’t get the identical experience I received with the highest-end model, if you do choose a lower-specced variant of the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3), you will still get a quite decent experience.
Apple claims that the M3 Max included within the 16-inch MacBook Pro provides up to 45% faster CPU performance than the M2 Max and up to 20% quicker graphics performance.
In just nine months, that’s not a bad jump up, and most likely enough of a gap to cause M2 Max owners regret of their purchase. Still, even with a decent trade-in value, it is insufficient to support substituting an M2 Max model with the M3 Max.
Regarding the earlier M1 Max, Apple claims 80% better CPU speeds and 40% faster graphics performance, so highlighting a more obvious discrepancy.
Apple claims the M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro is up to 5.3 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro thus it is clear that when Apple discusses performance gains it truly wants to help Intel system owners be they Windows 11 PCs or older MacBooks. Here the performance gains are far more.
Although Apple is talking to the 2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch model, which came with a 9th generation Intel Core i9-9980HK in top configuration, that is an amazing boast. Remember that the last MacBook Pro to come with an Intel chip was back in 2020.
With a 35% improvement in Geekbench 6 in single core CPU performance and a significant 69% gain in multi-core performance, we most certainly witnessed a good leap between the M3 Max and M1 Max MacBook Pro 16-inches in our own independent benchmark tests.
With a 25% rise in single-core performance and a 98.9% increase in multi-core performance, Cinebench R24 experienced a comparable surge. This tracks; multi-core performance rises as expected since the M3 has additional better-performing cores.
With a surge of 188% for the M3 Max, the GPU performance likewise produced significant gains based on the Cinebench test. These are all really outstanding achievements.
For practical use, though, what do they mean? The M1 Max completed the task at 61fps (frames per second), while the M3 Max completed the task at 107fps, an increase in 76.6%, and with the higher fps, the task completed much more quickly thus, this is how the new M3 series of chips can impact you, as there is a clear cut in the time it takes to complete workloads, especially ones related to graphics.
The speed macOS Sonoma performed, which really surprised me in my daily use of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), let me have a window-full of Chrome browser tabs plus many applications open and running at once.
Once more, especially for creatives, the performance of the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Max makes working on the laptop quick and smooth. This is another experience that seems meant to expedite processes.
Rather than needing to wait for scenes to render, opening up and editing 4K footage in Premier Pro was quite speedy. I could apply effects and use AI-enabled tools and see the results immediately.
For professional video editors, this means projects can be finished faster, hence enabling you to take on more work. By accelerating processes like this, I was able to complete the editing far more rapidly. This somewhat costly laptop suddenly seems more like a reasonable investment.
Apple’s emphasis on gaming performance with the M3 family of CPUs is one of the most interesting advancements; I was eager to try this.
Running games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I was able to reach 108fps at the highest settings at 1200p resolution (twice what we managed on the M1 Max), while in Total War: Warwick III it hit 58.2fps.
I also loaded Baldurs Gate 3, a recently introduced turn-based RPG with a version designed for Apple’s M3 range. With various graphical settings on ultra the game on the M3 Max-powered MacBook Pro 16-inch looked great.
While I might not often hit that in a graphically-busy game like Baldurs Gate 3, the possibility to reach higher frame rates provides for a much smoother experience.
The ProMotion display also puts in fantastic work allowing me to cap fram erates at 120fps. Though they were only momentary, a few times inexplicable graphical glitches such as unusual lines in shadows appeared these could be related to driver support for the new M3 CPUs.
While playing Baldurs Gate 3 on the new iMac 24-inch (M3), the graphics settings had to be adjusted, so the power disparity was evident. Although it was good to play on an iMac, performance still suffered with hitches.
Based on this performance, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) then has the ability to compete several of the greatest gaming laptops; moreover, if you choose the Space Black color option, it looks the part.
Though the section of the chassis right above the keyboard did grow visibly hot to touch when gaming, impressively although the fans did kick in, they never got as loud as most gaming laptops get when running through games.
Battery Life
Particularly the 16-inch variants, which come with physically larger batteries, together with all the efficiency features of the M3 range, the battery lives of any kinds of MacBook have been rather remarkable since the changeover to Apple silicon.
With a lithium-polymer battery with 100 watt-hour capacity, Apple says the new MacBook Pro 16-inch “delivers that longest battery life ever in a Mac,” giving up to 22 hours of movie playback plus fifteen hours of online surfing.
Amazingly, in our battery life benchmark where we ran a looped 1080p video until the MacBook Pro switched off the battery lasted slightly over 24 hours.
Now it’s unlikely you’re going to be using the MacBook Pro 16-inch for just watching a local video file, but it shows how far we’ve come the fact that such a strong laptop with a rather large and brilliant screen can hit those kind of numbers is a real credit to what Apple has achieved with its M3 lineup.
The battery will run faster while using the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) for more demanding work; yet, during my time with it, I never felt the need to charge it midway through a day.
It’s also rather good to notice that the performance stayed same whether the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) was plugged into the charger or not since some laptops lower performance when running on battery power to extend the time before it has to be charged.
Gaming on the battery depletes even faster, therefore if you’re playing a graphically-intensive game, you’re looking at three to four hours of battery life. For a MacBook, that could sound startling, but even the greatest gaming laptops frequently only run that long.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) charged rapidly, using less than an hour to go from empty to 100%, with the 140W USB-C Power Adapter included in the review sample I got.
Purchase it if
You want the most potent MacBook you can afford
Whether you choose the M3 Pro or M3 Max model, you are getting a really strong laptop that will almost certainly handle whatever work you throw its way.
You are a creative professional that flies a lot
This is the sole tool most creatives need to carry with them; the power, beautiful screen, great speakers and port options make this indispensable.
You always needed a gaming MacBook
At last here is load the M3 Max on the MacBook Pro 16-inch to have a quite amazing gaming laptop from Apple.
Don’t Purchase it if
You have either M2 Pro or M2 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro
If you purchased the 16-inch MacBook Pro in early 2023, you might feel a little letdown that a new model is out; still, the M3 Pro or M3 Max are not worth upgrading for.
You have a budget
Although the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is still quite costly, its pricing has not changed since the previous iteration. Particularly with the base M3 chip, the 14-inch model is far more reasonably priced.
You only use casually
Trust me; unless you are a creative expert or power user, you are not going to require the raw capability the MacBook Pro 16-inch provides, particularly considering the M3 Max chip. The MacBook Air 15-inch (M2, 2023) will be a superior buy for routine use.
Conclusion
- Most Powerful MacBook: The Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch represents Apple’s pinnacle of performance with advancements in processing power and memory capabilities.
- Performance and Capability: Featuring up to 128GB unified memory and the potent M3 Max CPU it excels in managing demanding tasks including gaming, leveraging its enhanced GPU and macOS Sonoma’s Game Mode.
- Impressive Features: Offers standout features such as the Space Black color option catering to users looking for both style and substance in a professional laptop.
- Considerations on Price: While packed with cutting-edge technology its premium pricing may pose a barrier to potential buyers looking for a more budget-friendly option.
- Future Prospects: Speculation about future MacBook models featuring the M4 chip raises concerns about the longevity and value of the M3 Max yet currently it remains a solid investment for professionals needing top tier performance and longevity.
- Reliable choice: The MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch is well suited for those seeking uncompromising performance and future proof capabilities making it a reliable choice despite the ongoing advancements in Apple’s lineup.
