I'm a software developer and I love Macs, but damn these prices are ridiculous--$400 to get a 1Tb drive, $200 for memory that costs 1/3 or less of that. Apple, come on! We're not all billionaires.
yeah tell me about it. but... I am using this machine for work over the next 3-5 years. a few hundred bucks to not have something I'll regret/hate/have to work around the limitations of for 5 years is worth it. buy once cry once etc.
@@Solunexxx When using Samsung products make certain to keep the BIOS updated via Samsung Magician. I learned that lesson the hard way. A bug in the BIOS incorrectly marked portions of the drive as unusable. If I had applied the BIOS update before the error reached a critical level, then the 2TB NVMe M.2 would have been repaired. Instead, I now have a 2TB read-only archive in an external enclosure that Windows cannot access. When I want to extract data from that drive I have to mount it on a Mac.
@@CaramelCraftbecause they can't charge you $400 then. They're upgrade strategy is all about milking the most money from the customers for every upgrade.
I’ve been watching a lot of MBP M4 comparisons, and this was the only video that had the exact info I was looking for. Fan noise, temperature difference, cost to benefit discussion, real world differences…..THANK YOU
They did a really sneaky move this time where you can only get 64GB if you opt for the 40C Max. And it's not like they're limited in component choice since the mini can be specced with 64GB.
Apple centers everything they do on greed. This is why I only buy Apple products second hand. My motto is, let their stupid fan boys and girls pay full price.
Right? Locking up the possibility to upgrade to 64GB+ memory behind the M4 Max (and at that, _only_ the highest spec M4 Max chip) was pretty cheeky, to put it mildly. Every single person in my industry (film and TV music scoring) needs at least 64GB for a viable workstation, but we definitely do _not_ need double the GPU cores over an M4 Pro. It's almost like Apple realized that far fewer people would buy the top-spec M4 Max MBP if they could get an M4 Pro version with the amount of memory and storage they need, so what better way to ensure that doesn't happen than to lock that option out....
@@tbirdparis The limit is 64GB since the Pro chip runs out of memory controllers. But it seems completely arbitrary that you can't get 64GB on the macbooks on the pro chip.
@@tbirdparis Well, I'm rather glad that you commented, because I was looking forward to getting the M4 Pro 48gb. That fact that it might not quite cut it is slightly concerning.
The Max is only useful for video apps that benefits from two or more video encoders. Otherwise the Pro will give you 90-95% (in some cases near-tie) of the max in non-video tasks like Capture One and Photoshop. Also, the Pro will save you $500 to $1000 depending on the config.
@@AdmiralCecil yeah, that's wrong - the max is needed for ai/machine learning with the ram that you can use for the max being far greater then any gpu - and still a FAR better price then an a100 card (which is fairly lowend) 5 years ago, your comment would have been accurate - but the max chips are excellent for ai and machine learning - and i'm finally getting the max for that reason - really waiting for vids to drop that show the improvement there over the m3 max *shrug*
For sure. Literally no one needs this unless they need a mini supercomputer for extreme workloads. The vast majority of people would be doing great with an M1 Pro, I feel like a lot of people buying these now either have FOMO or are upgrading from Intel Macs.
I’m halfway through the video but it seems you forget to mention the fact that the max chips have dual media engines. That is quit substantial for video exports!
@@shem44Bro don’t bother. It will only save you a few seconds and if it’s a big video a couple minutes. It’s not a big deal at all. Not worth 1000 extra dollars to go from the pro to the Max.
The prices are ridiculous, however, the M4Max is not for everyone. Those who it is for know who they are. Everyone else can live quite well with lower spec Macbooks. I got the M4Max and it is very much worth it for me and my workflow as an architect working on large highly complex 3d models of buildings where the software I use, Archicad, makes great use of the multi-core processing and the real time raytracing of the GPUs. The high memory amount is helpful as sometimes there are billions of polygons in the 3d models I'm editing. If you're just editing videos, playing video games, etc., then just get a Macbook Air. It will be plenty for you.
You are completely right! Luke is testing but 99% of people don't need anything more than an Air M1 and should stop wining over prices of computers which they will never need. But the way: why did you buy a laptop and not a desktop?
Make sense when telling people not to buy a certain MacBook for someone who is an extreme user the M4 Max is perfect, and if your buying a pro computer that's high end obviously you should be more than prepared to spend more. I ordered one and I have no regrets money well spent.
Basically, I’m going all-in with the maxed-out 16-inch M4 Max, not just because I’m crunching data like a pro analyst, but also because I need the horsepower to sneak in some Steam gaming on Parallels during those ‘light workload’ moments at the office. Multitasking, am I right?😉😉🤐
So many videos I've seen in the last few days are all criticising Apples' upgrading platform as 'broken'. Look at how much it costs to upgrade the Ram and HD on a base M4 Mac Mini and it's the price of a base Mac Mini. On the M4 Pro 512gb of Ram is $200 but you only get 256gb for $200 upgrade on the base M4. They need to sort this out.
512GB RAM? That would be amazing! But, I’m not getting your point. Yes, the base upgrade for a M4 Mac Mini to 512GB storage is indeed $200, but the M4 Pro version starts with 512GB. The base M4 Mac Mini is intended to be intended to be as entry level as possible. Even if you upgrade to the base RAM/storage of an M4 Pro, it’s still $400 more for the Pro. Are you complaining about the RAM/storage upgrade costing too much or the M4 Pro upgrade costing too little?
14" isn't doing so bad at all, the reduction in performance vs the 16" isn't too bad, considering the lower cost, and increased portability of the 14" machine.
Dual media engines are the reason why I bought the pro Max. This video can be very misleading for those who are relying on you for expert advise instead of you looking for a profit as a UA-camr. I own several machines all of which are far more expensive than my M4 pro Max and non of them can handle my ProRes RAW footage like this new M4 pro Max. Literally.
I agree with this. my 7950x/4090 pc is awesome for 3d work and heavy compute tasks but when it comes to video editing, specifically in premiere, the m4 max just flies. the media engines work so well. Apple did a great job at solving most video pros pain point which is timeline performance.
@@williamhelena7592In the same situation with the same pc config, wish it did it all but my maxed M3 max just destroys any video based task bought the m4 Max & returned it due to it only gaining me only 9 secs, lol. I'll be scooping up the M5 max for sure.
Personally, I’m really excited about the (unbinned) M4 Max 16” MacBook Pro that my work is going to buy me at half off in a couple of years, when this monster is discontinued.
@ This is how I got my M1 Max MacBook Pro when it was discontinued. It was very close to 50% discounted. I think the retailer had way too many of them and it might never happen again, but you never know
I got the M4 max 40 gpu cores. I did not buy it for the value, I bought it because my M1 MBA just wasn't cutting for my machine learning applications. I got it the first day it was out and I was super excited to use it. I have two PCs with pretty hefty GPUs and this outperforms a DESKTOP 4080 in blender rendering. It's absolutely insane. I do not regret getting this one bit. Now, I can travel without missing out on any compute. This is the most powerful laptop and it's as portable as it is. I can work in the field and program my drones without thinking about carrying a hefty machine around. I can get the performance when I need it and I am usually near a wall outlet when I do need it. The fans do not bother me as it is silent for almost 90% of my tasks. I bought this for the 10% of the task and I don't mind paying 4k for it.
It's always been like that for Apple Silicon machines. Year over year performance growth at 20 % (M4 and M4 Pro are exception) but massive discounts on previous gens. One has to be stupid or rich to over look that.
Where are these clearances? I don't live in the US but I intend to buy a Mac from the US with the help of a friend living there. He doesn't know anything about computers though, and I don't know what to tell him. I would prefer to get a MacBook Pro with an older CPU, but with decent RAM (>24GB) and I have a budget of about 1500$.
I need 64 gigs so... not available in m4 pro, or binned m4 max... virtual machines, I'm a network admin and run GNS3 network simulation VM, windows VMs, etc. plus I want to game on it. this spec is a desktop replacement for me. yeah, its expensive, but combined with some external storage it is going to replace TWO machines - my old M1 Pro MacBook, and my desktop PC. In AUD, both of those prior machines were 3500-5000 AUD EACH. The m4 max spec with 64GB/2TB/nano texture was 6800... My previous M1 Pro is a 14". I find that if you run the thing on low power mode the fan noise is cut down a lot without much impact to performance. Suspect that the max with slower clocked (but double the quantity) GPU cores on low power mode will still perform better than a pro on high performance profile. and the pro won't get me the RAM... I also went 14" because I carry the thing to/from work daily. 16" is just unwieldy... I don't need the CPU and GPU power all the time, just the RAM.
M4 Max: more external monitors (not considering possible DisplayLink ones), I personally use 3 extra monitors on my M1 Max (you might not need them, I do)
True, but that is not a good value if you are mostly a CPU user, why not just get the same CPU configuration on an M4 Pro and use a DisplayLink dock to enable at least 3 external monitors? You are likely to anyways have a dock where you connect a camera, a mic, an external SSD, some USBs and some other peripherals… I almost made the mistake of buying a max chip just because of the 3rd monitor setup until I figured the DisplayLink docks are anyways a must when using multiple monitors.
@@adamthurmond9092 agree, BUT: I like and use the speakers of my m1 16" and in clamshell mode you lose this (I mean the quality). Seems I am keeping my laptop for now
@@drdudewinI don’t like to deal with displaylink adapters. The max drives all my 3 screens without weird adapters. And I want 64-128GB of RAM since I have 64GB with my M1 Max already. So I can only take the M4 Max.
I really think the way Apple puts "+300" but it really means "+800" because they upcharge the RAM as the only configuration should be illegal. If choosing an M4 Max upgrades the Ram that cost should be in the price of the MAX not separate on a part of the page I can't even see
You don't buy a M4 Max for value .... LOL you buy the M4Max for the performance. For the instances where you need every ounce of juice, get a thermoelectric laptop cooler (Peltier cooler) with your M4Max MBP14. Run it full tilt when you absolutely need it. And you can still carry the laptop with out on the go.
@@theo5675 yep, "performance" means different things to different folks. As a gamer, even the Max lacks in performance compared to the 4090 laptops. It's probably more comparable to a 4060.
You are bang on - I can't believe how little this is mentioned. Heavy load most commonly pushed at the desk - give it a hand with cooling, problem solved.
I really wish there was a direct comparison between the fully specced m1max and the two m4max variants. That is the struggle that most people are looking at. The m4pro is just not gonna cut it for video editors as an upgrade..
I like your videos not just because they are to the point, but also because you have a very clear pronunciation and because there is no stupid background music that interferes with narration
As I already commented on your video about the M4 Pro: A refurbished M3 Max would be the way to go for me. I have one as my work machine (binned version, 36GM RAM), provided by my employer, and I'm very happy with it. For personal use, I'm still rocking a pretty much maxed-out 16" Intel MBP, and even though it's beaten even by the first M1 in certain areas, I still love it. Whenever it dies, I'll probably get a refurbished high-end MBP again.
I bought the binned M4 Max (36gb, 1tb) from Best Buy because they have 2 years 0% interest and $150 off with Plus membership. Payments each month are low enough that I don't feel the pain, and it's a fantastic machine with the RAM sweet spot for the next 3-4 years.
@@jasonadams9355 agree, but what's the point of these two video encoders, it just makes things slightly faster in video editing and maybe a few more fps in games?
The M4 Max is incredible for 3D and game devs! I have a 16" M2 Max and it runs Unity and Unreal in epic settings perfectly but just the missing Raytracing the M3 and M4 has would be amazing! But when I see the performance gains of the M4, it must be INSANE for 3D and game dev.
I was gonna get the 16 inch 16 core m4 max, with 64 gb memory. It's for heavy music production, Low fan noise is really important for me, do I need to worry about that? I assumed the most powerful laptop would have the least noise is that not the case? I don't care about getting the best bang for my buck, I just want the best bang.. the buck isn't an issue.
Same here this is why I first got an iMac… and I am thinking to get a Mac Studio … but still need a mobile device and I absolutely do not know what to get… 🤗
Thanks Luke for such a quality content which helped me making my mind for this sweet spot: MacBook Pro 16" M4 Pro 14 Cores CPU 20 Cores GPU 48GB RAM 1TB SSD
Thanks for an excellent video. As an owner or the M1Max, would've loved to seen figures for that in comparison. This is the first time I've even considered upgrading since the original release.
M1 Max owner as well. I consider that the trade on M1 is worth $1100, I think it is best to wait for more worthy upgrades. I’m waiting for new display and WiFi 7 to have future proof upgrades for another 4 years. I’ll take another year or 2 of depreciation. Unless you are pushing 8K renders or GPU to the max the gains are not that meaningful. Apple made the M1 Max a killer machine.
The M1 Max is about half (50%) of the speed of M4 max in CPU and GPU tests. It's ANE (neural engine) is 3x slower. Its ray tracing/render speed with GPU is more than 3x slower. So you're getting twice the speed essentially over M1 Max.
I don’t follow macbook pro prices regularly but I think that each time when new chip is released the price range is pretty identical to the previous chip release. Only starting with m4 release Apple decided to upgrade RAM in all base models. Thanks for that, Apple!
Had a several MacBooks last 10 years. Will wait the M4 Max studio. 2000$ for that beast its the real deal. No throttling, no noise, no battery degradation or screen lamination issues
If you have an m1 max to trade in you could actually get $1,111 in trade in value for m4 max which is what i did and don’t regret it at all. Especially when you consider with tariffs Macs could be even more expensive next year.
when Luke shows benchmarks like this i gravitate towards the M3 max more because it seems like a better value and less noise is a great thing if you ask me...appreciate the effort Luke rad content as always.
People who buy these configs, likely will know if they need it. You likely write the cost off through client projects which probably pays for it in one go. If you just want a large screen MacBook Pro, the base model 16 inch or 15 inch Air should be fine.
I've only analyzed for less than 24 hours so far, but have come to the same conclusion. But I was wondering why you said "almost" 4k, until I realized you must have configured the 14". So I'll probably get the same specs, but for the 16" size. I'm curious though, is there anything you would have changed after getting it?
@@pegpenguin Since I got it through the army payment plan in Canada it's custom order and taking forever :( I don't have it yet lol But I hardly doubt I'll change my mind about the specs.
Good advice. The base M4 pro 14” is a really good portable machine, for value M4 max studio is the way to go, 2k unbinned is a pretty good desktop. On the windows side 9950x or 9800x3d are also great.
You said nothing about the desirability of a 16 inch screen over a 14 inch screen. But then you are probably not over 45 years old & your eyes have not yet begun to deteriorate so much. But just wait, your body will deteriorate over time. Are you ready for old age?
For Rendering Times it can be no super serious improvement to go for a M4 Max, but for Music Production it can be very desirable to get that cpu headroom.
Was going to post the same thing. Exactly - the through-put headroom is far better on the max chip. 410/546 GB/s bandwidth, compared to 273. I will be buying the max with the extra GPUs, even though I won't need graphics power - but for the extra bandwidth alone, it will be worth it. Also, for production core to efficiency cores ratio, (Which some DAWs can use the e cores, most don't) it is a huge upgrade.
I’m due for an upgrade for work from my M1 Max (not my money). I’m really in the fence. I do graphics intensive Final Cut editing. I use tons of custom built Motion templates. The Motion code is insanely inefficient (rendering a couple paragraphs of text can grind my $5000 laptop to a halt) so I find it just needs brute force. I’d be fine with the 20 core version of the Pro, but don’t want to be locked into 36GB, I’d prefer 48GB. I’m getting a 14” because I also travel with a lot of video gear. And honestly that makes the difference of whether I have to check bags or not as a 14” can fit into a personal item backpack, plus my bike bag when going between work and home. Trust me, the trade-off is worth it.
Depends on the situation, I have a i9 maxed out MacBook and very recently I wanted to buy the M2 Ultra studio, but it will be a long wait till than and a fully spec m4 max 16" was a pretty reasonable, but if I had m2 or m3, there is no reason to buy a new machine.
I'm set on getting the M4 Pro, would you recommend the 24 to 48gb RAM upgrade? I would use it as a daily driver, plus some programming projects. I want to future proof it, but it seems like a lot of money for 24gb of ram
I'm in the same boat as you, trying to decide which way to go with it. Not sure if you're in the US, but Best Buy actually has the 16" M3 Max from last year with 36GB RAM and 1TB SSD for the same price as the 16" M4 Pro with 48GB RAM and 512GB SSD. So I can't decide what to do.
The 14" M4 Pro thankfully has a dual internal fan architecture just like the 16" M4 Pro-Max to help cool down all that extra performance. Unfortunately the base model M4 MacBook does not so, loud fans for sure.
Buying a used product from the previous generation is almost always the best value solution for those on markets where that's an option, regardless of the product we're talking about
The cost is an annoying up front cost but I look at it like how much is it delivering over the lifetime of ownership of the machine. Its a lot easier to justify if your profession needs that power. Most people can be fine with the base model. People who use their computer moderately without pushing it to the limits will be fine with the m4 pro. The max chip will always be for people who need the maximum performance. Its not for most people at all but for the people it's for, the cost can easily be justified.
I almost bought an M3 Max on a discount a week before M4's were announced. Good thing I didn't. Excited to get a 16" M4 Pro when they arrive here. (a lifetime PC user)
One thing I'm noticing with reviews this generation is a lot of talk about fan noise and fans spinning up. I assume it's not to Intel levels yet and it's just noticeable compared to previous M-series Macs, but I'd be interested in a review focused on power draw, thermals, and noise across the M-series Macs. Maybe Apple is starting to push these chips too hard to maintain yearly gains. Qualcomm has shown that ARM is not inherently more efficient than x86 with the Snapdragon X series. I worry that Apple may be sacrificing efficiency for performance.
So you’re saying if I want an M4 Max machine, I should probably wait for the M4 Max Studio? Since I only upgrade about once every 6 to 7 years, the price is not my #1 concern. This is for a desktop replacement. I don’t want or need a laptop.
I just want to run 3x screens at home. And not lug around a 16" for remote work. I'm feeling inclined to Max out the Max to 16 core CPU for longevity. Don't love that fan noise but do love that performance.
Just picked up the M4 Pro 16" with 14 core CPU, 20 core GPU & 24GB unified memory with the 512GB storage. It was $50 more than a 14" with the same specs but with 1TB storage. To me the larger screen was more valuable than the extra storage since I plan on using external storage just like any other Mac user. Personally I wish there was a more capable GPU option with the Pro chip like the 32 core and save the 48 core for the Max only. But so far I'm happy with the purchase and find that the 16" is silent even when temps rise. The 16" is hefty though so if it's portability you need get the 14" . Mine stays on my desk, so I it's not an issue. Either way it's a beast of a machine even without the max chip.
Thanks for the great point! I just wanted to let you know that after watching your video, I went ahead and ordered an M4 Max. I can't wait for it to arrive to do video editing on it. Your "Click bait" videos are just disrespectful. :)
I really want to buy the Mac Mini, but it's either the base model or waiting for the Mac Studio update. The maxing out the Mac Mini puts it into the current Mac Studio pricing and assuming it remains the same, the Mac Studio will offer a better deal at the starting price.
I’ve in previous videos commented I upgraded from a m1 8gb to a m4 pro 24gb. And after a week I can say. Its been a amazing upgrade. Xcode dances through previews plural, Xcode "ai" auto complete just appears and if you are clever and use the sd slot and a transcend jet drive or something similar for storing small files, the 512gb ssd is fine. Obviously costly as a upgrade but I nearly didnt hold out and got a m3 pro as I was hitting my limits in coding in xcode, glad I held out is all I can say. Oh the weight difference is balanced by the not so hot lap when the air throttled. 🥵😉
Thanks for this review! This is why I’m thinking of getting M4 pro chip instead of the M4 Max chip because I’m getting a 14 inch, I’m planning on going with the 14/20 GPU, 48 gigs ram… Does this seem good for video editing? Thank you!
My M3 Max MBP (16 inch) is by far the best laptop I've ever had. It runs all day on a single charge for moderate use and it's usually silent because it doesn't need cooling except under heavy load. Coming from an Intel MBP was a revelation, and I think it comes as close to perfect as a laptop ever has, at lease for me. Seems a bit concerning that the M4 version is now starting to run into thermal throttling issues in the same chassis. One of the things that made the Intel MBP so unbearable compared to the M3 was it was always blowing its fans (sometimes, ramping them up on idle!) and would throttle under even slight loads. I don't want to see that coming back.
So this is what I'm looking at now. I'm hesitant to get a Macbook Pro without planning on future proofing it. I'm a Senior Software Engineer and I do work and will probably game a little on it. The Macbook M4 Pro Model I was looking at was 16" M4 Pro with 48GB RAM and 512GB SSD which is $2,899 right now at Best Buy, and I think you get like $150 off with Best Buy plus. However, the M3 Max 16" right now with 36GB RAM and 1TB SSD is also $2,899. So its basically the same price for last years Max Chip with a little less RAM but bigger SSD than this years Pro. Tough decisions ahead, I'm leaning towards getting last years M3 Max model because I feel like it'll be the better all around for me.
@@Jeremy-zp6yt Depends on how much memory you need. Nothing wrong with saving on last year's model. In four years when you want to resell, they'll all be equally outdated/normal.
I agree, and this is the reason.... When M3 came out, the Max chip got the BIG improvement. When M4 came out, the Pro chip got the BIG love. So at least for MacBook Pro, M4 Pro is much better bang for the bucks. What about Mac Mini/Studio? We know that Mac Studio with M2 is kind of silent while Mini M4 Pro will def make the fan make noise during "heavy" workload, so Studio M4 will probably be a much better buy, then M4 Max is a better choice for desktop Macs by that reason.
Title „Don’t buy M4 Max MBP!” is such a clickbait. More power=more money, at some point you pay much more for tiny bit of performance upgrade, more news at 11!
I think you’re off base with this. Prices go up sure, but the amount Apple charges in their price ladder strategy is predatory just because they know they have a captive audience
Another great video Luke Miami! 😂 Would it be possible to chart the performance per price chart for each category? Tablet/Desktop/Laptop? Then we would be able to see if the forced ram upgrade for the chip is worth the extra money?
I use Redshift. The problem is that you're not comparing what it would cost on the PC side to get similar performance, which often means comparing it to a box pc, and not laptop. Redshift WILL use all that power and to get an equivalent elsewhere is also very expensive.
It’s like everything in the tech world if you know you need it you know and therefore can afford it and justify the expenditure. For most people the M4 or M4 Pro will be absolutely fine!
Currently eyeing a 14" M4 Pro with the unbinned chip and nano texture display. RAM and storage aren't worth the prices they charge and I can keep stuff on my NAS rather than paying out the nose.
@EverythingDigital5779 between my glossy glass MacBook Air and my matte plastic Dell work laptop I much prefer the Dell in anything but a dark room. I'm pretty sure I'll be onboard but I do plan on visiting an Apple store to see it in person before forking over the cash.
Recover it by Wondershare is a tool I have been looking for a long, long time. I’m buying it. I have dozens of hard drives I need to recover. Some are 25 years old! Thanks Wondershare for sponsoring this video. 😃😊
The interesting fact is not how much the fan runs when absolutely hammering the laptop. No matter what you do you will never be loading a laptop at 100% cpu non-stop. The question is if the CPU fan is an issue in day to day usage. My guess is, it won't be an issue at all. And keep in mind that even with the new M4 Max, it's still substantially more quiet than the old Intel laptops where the fan kicked up with even a moderate load. The main issue with the new generation is that the ram choices have been limited, so you're forced to go for the M4 Max if you want 64gb or above.
It will be brilliant if you can add the 32 core M4 Max into the comparison, would love to see the thermal and performance differences between those machines.
Thanks for the competition, Apple had to start moving forwards again. This generation the smartest buys are: #1 - Base Mac Mini (M4) #2 - 14in MBP (M4 Pro) Those options don't have any better alternatives from Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung or MediaTek. When you move up to the 16in MBP, the x86 systems compete much better due to having bigger batteries, processors, and cooling potential. And when you upgrade the Mac Mini (for example the $1500 Pro version) suddenly you can get similar performance out of a Windows Machine at a similar Price.
The price bracket is more competitive after $1000, but I still think the M4 Pro mini is a solid buy, especially with the TB5 ports, it's extremely futureproof
A slightly different perspective. I usually upgrade my Macbooks every 1-2 years, and my ideal setup is the 16” M4 Pro. However, according to my calculations, the M4 Max has a better residual value, meaning I take less of a loss when selling.
My go-to laptop has been the MacBook Pro 16” with a Pro chip, first M1 and then M2 and surely M4 on the next upgrade. As you point out, there are definite gains in performance with Max, but the cost to get those gains is off-putting. Many Mac users prefer to get refurbished equipment and have adopted a five year promise to keep their best Macs for 5 years before upgrading - a good amount of time to wait before getting a great previous-generation refurbished Mac. But the economics are changing with these 30-50% speed gains over the previous generation. Now it makes more sense to sell your M1 M2 M3 as soon as the new generation comes along so you get the most towards your new system at the same general price. As others point out, Apple Intelligence and LLMs in-general are going to be huge, so you need the fastest and most efficient AI runners you can get, and the M4 is hard to beat. So they put this in the iPad first??
thats odd. I have the 14" M4 Pro and 16" M4 Pro (same exact specs)- and with high powered mode on both computers enabled - the 16" beat the 14" in export on final cut pro by ~40 seconds.
We’re aligned perfectly. I bought the 16” M4 max day 1 because it was available. But I’m most likely going to trade it in for the 14 inch M4 pro with nano texture.
@@NaomiK1 I edit video and pictures mostly. I don't see myself maxing out the GPU enough to justify the price. I game on console so don't need it there. Right now I would prefer a more portable setup. Nano texture is great on my iPad and would be nice in the field while reviewing my shots and importing.
The fully maxed-out 14” MacBook Pro doesn’t perform as well as the 16” due to thermal throttling. So, if you’re going for the 14”, choose it with the Pro chip, and if you need the performance of the Max chip, the 16” is the better choice.
This is why this level of fragmentation amongst devices is absurd compared to how it was done when the intel core duo and core 2 duo came out 20 years ago. (💩 I’m old) The m4 should’ve been in a MacBook with minor upgrades. Then the m4 pro would’ve been in the MacBook Pro (keeping the classification synched) and leaving the max/ultras to machines like the desktops (iMac pro, Mac Pro and Mac Studio). Things that could handle the power and heat more efficiently. That’s how it was done before and worked out well. You also knew the value of the product with those kinds of tiers. Not like now with the 50¢ upcharge from 2 base level Mac minis to get a single Mac mini with double the hardware specs of the base model.
It’s weird I’m happy I don’t need the Max but at the same time I’m not because when I get to the point where I need it.. things are going really really well! In the meantime I’m rocking my M3 Pro chip which has been getting things done for me for now.
I think a more fair comparison would be to put it up against its Wintel competition. I think then we'll better know if the value we're getting is worth it or not. At least this applies to someone like me, who will seek out a machine for its 3D DCC app performance.
I dunno about it being a more fair comparison, since generally people buying Macs are looking at new Macs to upgrade, and vice versa for people who need or prefer Windows. But it would definitely be a useful and interesting comparison video for everyone to get an idea of the market in general, for sure.
Eah, totally agree about MAX is not SO much needed (to me comparing to PRO), but in my country 1TB SSD has only MAX version.. for PRO it is only 512GB. Mean always to keep in mind, that as less there free space left, as: 1) faster SSD will wear out and 2) worrying about if I can download some more photos/videos, or it is time to transfer "unnecessary" data to external HDD/SSD. Additionally with PRO version there is only 24 or 48 GB RAM to choose. According new functionality about "Apple intelligence" seems need about 16GB RAM (as iPhone has now in 2024), so there remained 8GB for other goods ... seems not so much (could be enough, I'm totally new about MacBook - ... using Linux). So need to get slightly more RAM --> 48, but this seems too much already (to pay for unnecessary RAM). That is why I ordered MAX version with 36GB of RAM and 1TB SSD and yes, price of this is *like cost for 1 seat in "Crew Dragon" to fly to space* .
A minor detail not getting much attention is that the Mac Mini now offers a 64GB RAM upgrade. Sure, it’s expensive…but if you’re working in Fusion in DaVinci Resolve, the M4Pro with 64GB RAM is very compelling.
I plan on browsing Safari, watching UA-cam, taking notes, and using the calculator for simple equations. I think I might buy a fully specced M4 Max
Make sure you get the 128GB of memory or the calculator will lag
Don't forget to get the 8TB of storage cuz you'll that
I know reasonable man when I see one.
Calculator is some serious shit
As if people don't buy expensive windows laptops for the same exact reasons minus the safari..lol.
I'm a software developer and I love Macs, but damn these prices are ridiculous--$400 to get a 1Tb drive, $200 for memory that costs 1/3 or less of that. Apple, come on! We're not all billionaires.
That’s why I opted for a Samsung SSD instead, 100$ for 1TB is a great deal of
yeah tell me about it. but... I am using this machine for work over the next 3-5 years. a few hundred bucks to not have something I'll regret/hate/have to work around the limitations of for 5 years is worth it. buy once cry once etc.
@@Solunexxx When using Samsung products make certain to keep the BIOS updated via Samsung Magician. I learned that lesson the hard way. A bug in the BIOS incorrectly marked portions of the drive as unusable. If I had applied the BIOS update before the error reached a critical level, then the 2TB NVMe M.2 would have been repaired. Instead, I now have a 2TB read-only archive in an external enclosure that Windows cannot access. When I want to extract data from that drive I have to mount it on a Mac.
1Tb isn't enough, i've got an 8Tb ssd taped to the back of my macbook air m2
One of the best SSD for the price @@Solunexxx
The best price for the product is when customers are angry about it but still pay it.
Most accurate comment, even though I'm angry admitting it.
Apple has this down to a science
Agreed, and did the same lol.
How Apple's whole business works.
FR lmao 😂
Apple also conveniently restricts the M4 Pro to 48 GB of RAM in MacBooks but is happy to provide 64 GB in the mac mini.
more memory hampers battery life. Well, at least according to apple, like iphone.
because you wouldn't buy a M4Max .... you seem slow.
Why can’t I buy an M4 Pro chip with 36GB of RAM?
ok so what? not like you gonna buy anything
@@CaramelCraftbecause they can't charge you $400 then.
They're upgrade strategy is all about milking the most money from the customers for every upgrade.
I’ve been watching a lot of MBP M4 comparisons, and this was the only video that had the exact info I was looking for. Fan noise, temperature difference, cost to benefit discussion, real world differences…..THANK YOU
They did a really sneaky move this time where you can only get 64GB if you opt for the 40C Max. And it's not like they're limited in component choice since the mini can be specced with 64GB.
Apple centers everything they do on greed. This is why I only buy Apple products second hand.
My motto is, let their stupid fan boys and girls pay full price.
Right? Locking up the possibility to upgrade to 64GB+ memory behind the M4 Max (and at that, _only_ the highest spec M4 Max chip) was pretty cheeky, to put it mildly.
Every single person in my industry (film and TV music scoring) needs at least 64GB for a viable workstation, but we definitely do _not_ need double the GPU cores over an M4 Pro. It's almost like Apple realized that far fewer people would buy the top-spec M4 Max MBP if they could get an M4 Pro version with the amount of memory and storage they need, so what better way to ensure that doesn't happen than to lock that option out....
@@Mr_INTP same! Paid 2800,- for my 32GB 2TB M1 Max instead of 4100,- and it was still sealed, lol.
@@tbirdparis The limit is 64GB since the Pro chip runs out of memory controllers. But it seems completely arbitrary that you can't get 64GB on the macbooks on the pro chip.
@@tbirdparis Well, I'm rather glad that you commented, because I was looking forward to getting the M4 Pro 48gb. That fact that it might not quite cut it is slightly concerning.
If you really need the Max, you already know why, and you're excited for it - regardless of the price.
The Max is only useful for video apps that benefits from two or more video encoders. Otherwise the Pro will give you 90-95% (in some cases near-tie) of the max in non-video tasks like Capture One and Photoshop. Also, the Pro will save you $500 to $1000 depending on the config.
yep I've ordered it for machine learning...
@@AdmiralCecil yeah, that's wrong - the max is needed for ai/machine learning with the ram that you can use for the max being far greater then any gpu - and still a FAR better price then an a100 card (which is fairly lowend)
5 years ago, your comment would have been accurate - but the max chips are excellent for ai and machine learning - and i'm finally getting the max for that reason - really waiting for vids to drop that show the improvement there over the m3 max *shrug*
@@Bjorick Is the M4 Max good for AI image generation?
For sure. Literally no one needs this unless they need a mini supercomputer for extreme workloads. The vast majority of people would be doing great with an M1 Pro, I feel like a lot of people buying these now either have FOMO or are upgrading from Intel Macs.
I’m halfway through the video but it seems you forget to mention the fact that the max chips have dual media engines. That is quit substantial for video exports!
Does the dual media engine benefit editing and scrubbing or it's only for export? I'm considering pro vs max for premiere pro.
It helps with both
That’s why I paid a little more for a binned M3 Max. I don’t need the extra GPUs and CPUs, but those engines make my life faster. 😊
@@battery_wattage yup, in getting the max for the same
@@shem44Bro don’t bother. It will only save you a few seconds and if it’s a big video a couple minutes. It’s not a big deal at all. Not worth 1000 extra dollars to go from the pro to the Max.
The prices are ridiculous, however, the M4Max is not for everyone. Those who it is for know who they are. Everyone else can live quite well with lower spec Macbooks. I got the M4Max and it is very much worth it for me and my workflow as an architect working on large highly complex 3d models of buildings where the software I use, Archicad, makes great use of the multi-core processing and the real time raytracing of the GPUs. The high memory amount is helpful as sometimes there are billions of polygons in the 3d models I'm editing. If you're just editing videos, playing video games, etc., then just get a Macbook Air. It will be plenty for you.
You are completely right! Luke is testing but 99% of people don't need anything more than an Air M1 and should stop wining over prices of computers which they will never need.
But the way: why did you buy a laptop and not a desktop?
@@dirk6136, portability. I work from home half the week and at an office the rest.
I am a major tictoker and I have a huge follower as much as 400, so I must buy the m4 max with 64 GB .
Make sense when telling people not to buy a certain MacBook for someone who is an extreme user the M4 Max is perfect, and if your buying a pro computer that's high end obviously you should be more than prepared to spend more. I ordered one and I have no regrets money well spent.
He does talk a lot of nothing. If you know you want the power get it.
M4 is the series to go all in vs M3 which was the rushed (high temp) version
Yeah, right: mine is arriving in 60 minutes, and NOW you tell me I made a mistake! 🤣
U didnt
did you get the base M4 max with 36 gb, 16 inch? how is it going?
@@batmanonholiday4477 I got the 128 GB M4 Max full spec and it’s awesome!
Basically, I’m going all-in with the maxed-out 16-inch M4 Max, not just because I’m crunching data like a pro analyst, but also because I need the horsepower to sneak in some Steam gaming on Parallels during those ‘light workload’ moments at the office. Multitasking, am I right?😉😉🤐
So many videos I've seen in the last few days are all criticising Apples' upgrading platform as 'broken'. Look at how much it costs to upgrade the Ram and HD on a base M4 Mac Mini and it's the price of a base Mac Mini. On the M4 Pro 512gb of Ram is $200 but you only get 256gb for $200 upgrade on the base M4. They need to sort this out.
512GB RAM? That would be amazing! But, I’m not getting your point. Yes, the base upgrade for a M4 Mac Mini to 512GB storage is indeed $200, but the M4 Pro version starts with 512GB. The base M4 Mac Mini is intended to be intended to be as entry level as possible. Even if you upgrade to the base RAM/storage of an M4 Pro, it’s still $400 more for the Pro. Are you complaining about the RAM/storage upgrade costing too much or the M4 Pro upgrade costing too little?
@@keoghanwhimsically2268 You're missing the point. Why is 256gb of storage $200 for an M4 and 512gb $200 for the M4 Pro? This is what makes no sense.
14" isn't doing so bad at all, the reduction in performance vs the 16" isn't too bad, considering the lower cost, and increased portability of the 14" machine.
Dual media engines are the reason why I bought the pro Max.
This video can be very misleading for those who are relying on you for expert advise instead of you looking for a profit as a UA-camr.
I own several machines all of which are far more expensive than my M4 pro Max and non of them can handle my ProRes RAW footage like this new M4 pro Max.
Literally.
What spec did you get? Thanks.
Advise is a verb.
Advice is a noun.
I hope that helps.
I agree with this. my 7950x/4090 pc is awesome for 3d work and heavy compute tasks but when it comes to video editing, specifically in premiere, the m4 max just flies. the media engines work so well. Apple did a great job at solving most video pros pain point which is timeline performance.
@@williamhelena7592In the same situation with the same pc config, wish it did it all but my maxed M3 max just destroys any video based task bought the m4 Max & returned it due to it only gaining me only 9 secs, lol. I'll be scooping up the M5 max for sure.
Personally, I’m really excited about the (unbinned) M4 Max 16” MacBook Pro that my work is going to buy me at half off in a couple of years, when this monster is discontinued.
Half off??? What world do you live in?
25% off at most.
@ This is how I got my M1 Max MacBook Pro when it was discontinued. It was very close to 50% discounted. I think the retailer had way too many of them and it might never happen again, but you never know
I got the M4 max 40 gpu cores. I did not buy it for the value, I bought it because my M1 MBA just wasn't cutting for my machine learning applications. I got it the first day it was out and I was super excited to use it. I have two PCs with pretty hefty GPUs and this outperforms a DESKTOP 4080 in blender rendering. It's absolutely insane. I do not regret getting this one bit. Now, I can travel without missing out on any compute. This is the most powerful laptop and it's as portable as it is. I can work in the field and program my drones without thinking about carrying a hefty machine around. I can get the performance when I need it and I am usually near a wall outlet when I do need it. The fans do not bother me as it is silent for almost 90% of my tasks. I bought this for the 10% of the task and I don't mind paying 4k for it.
The M3 Max is a smarter buy considering it's being put on clearance for up to $500 off the original price.
It's always been like that for Apple Silicon machines. Year over year performance growth at 20 % (M4 and M4 Pro are exception) but massive discounts on previous gens. One has to be stupid or rich to over look that.
Bro m4 base model is better than all previous m chips. Even max’s….
Where are these clearances? I don't live in the US but I intend to buy a Mac from the US with the help of a friend living there. He doesn't know anything about computers though, and I don't know what to tell him. I would prefer to get a MacBook Pro with an older CPU, but with decent RAM (>24GB) and I have a budget of about 1500$.
@@NotGarrettG it's not. It's great, sure but far from Max in regard to GPU. Sure, it is almost as same performance than mine M3 Pro but not in gpu
@@coradyne you need an M series chip. Find an M1 Pro or M2 Pro for that price!
I need 64 gigs so... not available in m4 pro, or binned m4 max... virtual machines, I'm a network admin and run GNS3 network simulation VM, windows VMs, etc. plus I want to game on it. this spec is a desktop replacement for me. yeah, its expensive, but combined with some external storage it is going to replace TWO machines - my old M1 Pro MacBook, and my desktop PC. In AUD, both of those prior machines were 3500-5000 AUD EACH. The m4 max spec with 64GB/2TB/nano texture was 6800...
My previous M1 Pro is a 14". I find that if you run the thing on low power mode the fan noise is cut down a lot without much impact to performance. Suspect that the max with slower clocked (but double the quantity) GPU cores on low power mode will still perform better than a pro on high performance profile. and the pro won't get me the RAM...
I also went 14" because I carry the thing to/from work daily. 16" is just unwieldy... I don't need the CPU and GPU power all the time, just the RAM.
M4 Max: more external monitors (not considering possible DisplayLink ones), I personally use 3 extra monitors on my M1 Max (you might not need them, I do)
Same here. 3 screens means I need the M4 Max. One thing that shows now though is the fact that the M4 Max is better paired with the 16 inch.
This. Now if the Pro chips could output to 3 external displays in clamshell mode I might compromise for it.
True, but that is not a good value if you are mostly a CPU user, why not just get the same CPU configuration on an M4 Pro and use a DisplayLink dock to enable at least 3 external monitors? You are likely to anyways have a dock where you connect a camera, a mic, an external SSD, some USBs and some other peripherals…
I almost made the mistake of buying a max chip just because of the 3rd monitor setup until I figured the DisplayLink docks are anyways a must when using multiple monitors.
@@adamthurmond9092 agree, BUT: I like and use the speakers of my m1 16" and in clamshell mode you lose this (I mean the quality). Seems I am keeping my laptop for now
@@drdudewinI don’t like to deal with displaylink adapters. The max drives all my 3 screens without weird adapters. And I want 64-128GB of RAM since I have 64GB with my M1 Max already. So I can only take the M4 Max.
I really think the way Apple puts "+300" but it really means "+800" because they upcharge the RAM as the only configuration should be illegal. If choosing an M4 Max upgrades the Ram that cost should be in the price of the MAX not separate on a part of the page I can't even see
You don't buy a M4 Max for value .... LOL
you buy the M4Max for the performance.
For the instances where you need every ounce of juice, get a thermoelectric laptop cooler (Peltier cooler) with your M4Max MBP14.
Run it full tilt when you absolutely need it. And you can still carry the laptop with out on the go.
Or get gaming laptop they are even more powerful with a nvidia 4090
@@theo5675 yep, "performance" means different things to different folks. As a gamer, even the Max lacks in performance compared to the 4090 laptops. It's probably more comparable to a 4060.
I believe this is what Luke literally pointed out. If you care about value, the m4 max is not it.
You are bang on - I can't believe how little this is mentioned. Heavy load most commonly pushed at the desk - give it a hand with cooling, problem solved.
Nobody games on Apple. Real graphics prowess is found on an nVidia equipped chipset.
I really wish there was a direct comparison between the fully specced m1max and the two m4max variants. That is the struggle that most people are looking at. The m4pro is just not gonna cut it for video editors as an upgrade..
I like your videos not just because they are to the point, but also because you have a very clear pronunciation and because there is no stupid background music that interferes with narration
As I already commented on your video about the M4 Pro: A refurbished M3 Max would be the way to go for me. I have one as my work machine (binned version, 36GM RAM), provided by my employer, and I'm very happy with it. For personal use, I'm still rocking a pretty much maxed-out 16" Intel MBP, and even though it's beaten even by the first M1 in certain areas, I still love it. Whenever it dies, I'll probably get a refurbished high-end MBP again.
I bought the binned M4 Max (36gb, 1tb) from Best Buy because they have 2 years 0% interest and $150 off with Plus membership. Payments each month are low enough that I don't feel the pain, and it's a fantastic machine with the RAM sweet spot for the next 3-4 years.
why didn't you get the M4 pro maxed with 1 trb and 48 gb ram? more Ram ismore important
@@batmanonholiday4477More RAM is more important only if it’s needed.
@@jasonadams9355 agree, but what's the point of these two video encoders, it just makes things slightly faster in video editing and maybe a few more fps in games?
You know we can still buy a MBP with an M3 MAX chip. Why do we always talk about buying M4 Pro? What about M3 MAX?
The M4 Max is incredible for 3D and game devs! I have a 16" M2 Max and it runs Unity and Unreal in epic settings perfectly but just the missing Raytracing the M3 and M4 has would be amazing! But when I see the performance gains of the M4, it must be INSANE for 3D and game dev.
I was gonna get the 16 inch 16 core m4 max, with 64 gb memory. It's for heavy music production, Low fan noise is really important for me, do I need to worry about that? I assumed the most powerful laptop would have the least noise is that not the case? I don't care about getting the best bang for my buck, I just want the best bang.. the buck isn't an issue.
Same here this is why I first got an iMac… and I am thinking to get a Mac Studio … but still need a mobile device and I absolutely do not know what to get… 🤗
Thanks Luke for such a quality content which helped me making my mind for this sweet spot:
MacBook Pro 16" M4 Pro
14 Cores CPU
20 Cores GPU
48GB RAM
1TB SSD
Thanks for an excellent video. As an owner or the M1Max, would've loved to seen figures for that in comparison. This is the first time I've even considered upgrading since the original release.
Same, being a 24C M1 Max owner myself. Sadly he only showed the M1 Pro.
M1 Max owner as well. I consider that the trade on M1 is worth $1100, I think it is best to wait for more worthy upgrades. I’m waiting for new display and WiFi 7 to have future proof upgrades for another 4 years. I’ll take another year or 2 of depreciation. Unless you are pushing 8K renders or GPU to the max the gains are not that meaningful. Apple made the M1 Max a killer machine.
The M1 Max is about half (50%) of the speed of M4 max in CPU and GPU tests. It's ANE (neural engine) is 3x slower. Its ray tracing/render speed with GPU is more than 3x slower.
So you're getting twice the speed essentially over M1 Max.
I still miss the 17” MacBook!😊
A 19-20” MacBook would be awesome !
@@counter511 dude its a mini tv (not portable)
@@prodsk8miles They call that a desktop replacement. :- )
I don’t follow macbook pro prices regularly but I think that each time when new chip is released the price range is pretty identical to the previous chip release. Only starting with m4 release Apple decided to upgrade RAM in all base models. Thanks for that, Apple!
wow luke wearing the gangsta chain round the neck
I’ll wait for the M5, or M6 my M2 Ultra is still really good.
you think needing a new computer now I should get an m2 max or ultra now for music production and mixing large sessions or wait on the m4 mac studio?
Had a several MacBooks last 10 years. Will wait the M4 Max studio. 2000$ for that beast its the real deal. No throttling, no noise, no battery degradation or screen lamination issues
If you have an m1 max to trade in you could actually get $1,111 in trade in value for m4 max which is what i did and don’t regret it at all. Especially when you consider with tariffs Macs could be even more expensive next year.
Can i know from where you got these trade in prices?
when Luke shows benchmarks like this i gravitate towards the M3 max more because it seems like a better value and less noise is a great thing if you ask me...appreciate the effort Luke rad content as always.
Great info bro. Thank you.
People who buy these configs, likely will know if they need it. You likely write the cost off through client projects which probably pays for it in one go. If you just want a large screen MacBook Pro, the base model 16 inch or 15 inch Air should be fine.
Going tomorrow to order the MBP M4 Pro with 14/20, 48gb ram and 1tb. I did 3+ weeks research to settle on it. In Canada it's almost 4k.
I've only analyzed for less than 24 hours so far, but have come to the same conclusion. But I was wondering why you said "almost" 4k, until I realized you must have configured the 14". So I'll probably get the same specs, but for the 16" size. I'm curious though, is there anything you would have changed after getting it?
I went with the stock 14/20 M4 pro with only 24gb/ 1TB. Seems like the best value
@@pegpenguin Since I got it through the army payment plan in Canada it's custom order and taking forever :( I don't have it yet lol
But I hardly doubt I'll change my mind about the specs.
Good advice. The base M4 pro 14” is a really good portable machine, for value M4 max studio is the way to go, 2k unbinned is a pretty good desktop.
On the windows side 9950x or 9800x3d are also great.
You said nothing about the desirability of a 16 inch screen over a 14 inch screen. But then you are probably not over 45 years old & your eyes have not yet begun to deteriorate so much. But just wait, your body will deteriorate over time. Are you ready for old age?
16 inch is way better in many ways, more space, more windows, easier to multi-task
For Rendering Times it can be no super serious improvement to go for a M4 Max, but for Music Production it can be very desirable to get that cpu headroom.
Was going to post the same thing. Exactly - the through-put headroom is far better on the max chip. 410/546 GB/s bandwidth, compared to 273. I will be buying the max with the extra GPUs, even though I won't need graphics power - but for the extra bandwidth alone, it will be worth it. Also, for production core to efficiency cores ratio, (Which some DAWs can use the e cores, most don't) it is a huge upgrade.
Really needed this video, always great stuff, thank you!
I’m due for an upgrade for work from my M1 Max (not my money). I’m really in the fence. I do graphics intensive Final Cut editing. I use tons of custom built Motion templates. The Motion code is insanely inefficient (rendering a couple paragraphs of text can grind my $5000 laptop to a halt) so I find it just needs brute force. I’d be fine with the 20 core version of the Pro, but don’t want to be locked into 36GB, I’d prefer 48GB. I’m getting a 14” because I also travel with a lot of video gear. And honestly that makes the difference of whether I have to check bags or not as a 14” can fit into a personal item backpack, plus my bike bag when going between work and home. Trust me, the trade-off is worth it.
Depends on the situation, I have a i9 maxed out MacBook and very recently I wanted to buy the M2 Ultra studio, but it will be a long wait till than and a fully spec m4 max 16" was a pretty reasonable, but if I had m2 or m3, there is no reason to buy a new machine.
I'm set on getting the M4 Pro, would you recommend the 24 to 48gb RAM upgrade? I would use it as a daily driver, plus some programming projects. I want to future proof it, but it seems like a lot of money for 24gb of ram
I'm in the same boat as you, trying to decide which way to go with it. Not sure if you're in the US, but Best Buy actually has the 16" M3 Max from last year with 36GB RAM and 1TB SSD for the same price as the 16" M4 Pro with 48GB RAM and 512GB SSD. So I can't decide what to do.
Always RAM over architecture. especially with AI coming.
The 14" M4 Pro thankfully has a dual internal fan architecture just like the 16" M4 Pro-Max to help cool down all that extra performance. Unfortunately the base model M4 MacBook does not so, loud fans for sure.
Maybe a good time to consider a lightly used M3 Max MBP?
Buying a used product from the previous generation is almost always the best value solution for those on markets where that's an option, regardless of the product we're talking about
The cost is an annoying up front cost but I look at it like how much is it delivering over the lifetime of ownership of the machine. Its a lot easier to justify if your profession needs that power. Most people can be fine with the base model. People who use their computer moderately without pushing it to the limits will be fine with the m4 pro. The max chip will always be for people who need the maximum performance. Its not for most people at all but for the people it's for, the cost can easily be justified.
I almost bought an M3 Max on a discount a week before M4's were announced. Good thing I didn't. Excited to get a 16" M4 Pro when they arrive here. (a lifetime PC user)
One thing I'm noticing with reviews this generation is a lot of talk about fan noise and fans spinning up.
I assume it's not to Intel levels yet and it's just noticeable compared to previous M-series Macs, but I'd be interested in a review focused on power draw, thermals, and noise across the M-series Macs.
Maybe Apple is starting to push these chips too hard to maintain yearly gains. Qualcomm has shown that ARM is not inherently more efficient than x86 with the Snapdragon X series. I worry that Apple may be sacrificing efficiency for performance.
Likely reviewers put the laptops into "high power mode", which should put the fans into work. There simply are 99 useless reviews for every good one.
Great Video thanks a lot!
am extremely happy with my choice of the M4 pro Mac Mini. And if needed it is portable too.
So you’re saying if I want an M4 Max machine, I should probably wait for the M4 Max Studio? Since I only upgrade about once every 6 to 7 years, the price is not my #1 concern. This is for a desktop replacement. I don’t want or need a laptop.
I just want to run 3x screens at home.
And not lug around a 16" for remote work.
I'm feeling inclined to Max out the Max to 16 core CPU for longevity.
Don't love that fan noise but do love that performance.
Commenting on this from an M4 Max 128GB 4TB :D I regret nothing!
Just picked up the M4 Pro 16" with 14 core CPU, 20 core GPU & 24GB unified memory with the 512GB storage. It was $50 more than a 14" with the same specs but with 1TB storage. To me the larger screen was more valuable than the extra storage since I plan on using external storage just like any other Mac user. Personally I wish there was a more capable GPU option with the Pro chip like the 32 core and save the 48 core for the Max only. But so far I'm happy with the purchase and find that the 16" is silent even when temps rise. The 16" is hefty though so if it's portability you need get the 14" . Mine stays on my desk, so I it's not an issue. Either way it's a beast of a machine even without the max chip.
Finally someone who mentions the fan noise. Great video.
Excellent video! One of your better ones.
With these machines being non upgradable once you buy it, i would just get a fully specked 16in in whatever M Max Chip you want and be happy.
Thanks for the great point! I just wanted to let you know that after watching your video, I went ahead and ordered an M4 Max. I can't wait for it to arrive to do video editing on it. Your "Click bait" videos are just disrespectful. :)
These benchmarks are amazing! I was originally gonna wait and get the m3 when the price went down but I can’t say no to this!!
Great job man
Beautiful & inspirational!
If you need to max power, get the 16 inch for M4 Max. 14 inch is best with the Pro processor in terms of both battery and thermals IMO
I really want to buy the Mac Mini, but it's either the base model or waiting for the Mac Studio update. The maxing out the Mac Mini puts it into the current Mac Studio pricing and assuming it remains the same, the Mac Studio will offer a better deal at the starting price.
I’ve in previous videos commented I upgraded from a m1 8gb to a m4 pro 24gb. And after a week I can say. Its been a amazing upgrade. Xcode dances through previews plural, Xcode "ai" auto complete just appears and if you are clever and use the sd slot and a transcend jet drive or something similar for storing small files, the 512gb ssd is fine. Obviously costly as a upgrade but I nearly didnt hold out and got a m3 pro as I was hitting my limits in coding in xcode, glad I held out is all I can say. Oh the weight difference is balanced by the not so hot lap when the air throttled. 🥵😉
Thanks for this review! This is why I’m thinking of getting M4 pro chip instead of the M4 Max chip because I’m getting a 14 inch, I’m planning on going with the 14/20 GPU, 48 gigs ram… Does this seem good for video editing? Thank you!
My M3 Max MBP (16 inch) is by far the best laptop I've ever had. It runs all day on a single charge for moderate use and it's usually silent because it doesn't need cooling except under heavy load. Coming from an Intel MBP was a revelation, and I think it comes as close to perfect as a laptop ever has, at lease for me.
Seems a bit concerning that the M4 version is now starting to run into thermal throttling issues in the same chassis. One of the things that made the Intel MBP so unbearable compared to the M3 was it was always blowing its fans (sometimes, ramping them up on idle!) and would throttle under even slight loads. I don't want to see that coming back.
So this is what I'm looking at now. I'm hesitant to get a Macbook Pro without planning on future proofing it. I'm a Senior Software Engineer and I do work and will probably game a little on it. The Macbook M4 Pro Model I was looking at was 16" M4 Pro with 48GB RAM and 512GB SSD which is $2,899 right now at Best Buy, and I think you get like $150 off with Best Buy plus. However, the M3 Max 16" right now with 36GB RAM and 1TB SSD is also $2,899. So its basically the same price for last years Max Chip with a little less RAM but bigger SSD than this years Pro. Tough decisions ahead, I'm leaning towards getting last years M3 Max model because I feel like it'll be the better all around for me.
@@Jeremy-zp6yt Depends on how much memory you need. Nothing wrong with saving on last year's model. In four years when you want to resell, they'll all be equally outdated/normal.
I agree, and this is the reason....
When M3 came out, the Max chip got the BIG improvement.
When M4 came out, the Pro chip got the BIG love.
So at least for MacBook Pro, M4 Pro is much better bang for the bucks.
What about Mac Mini/Studio? We know that Mac Studio with M2 is kind of silent while Mini M4 Pro will def make the fan make noise during "heavy" workload, so Studio M4 will probably be a much better buy, then M4 Max is a better choice for desktop Macs by that reason.
Title „Don’t buy M4 Max MBP!” is such a clickbait. More power=more money, at some point you pay much more for tiny bit of performance upgrade, more news at 11!
this guy is a clown
@@David-nd4to do better then.
I think you’re off base with this. Prices go up sure, but the amount Apple charges in their price ladder strategy is predatory just because they know they have a captive audience
@@RaineyPengLenovo charges even more to add memory to their desktops than Apple
@@RaineyPeng i agree with ram/storage upgrades, no reason their generally slower nvme and ram should cost £200 for 16gb.
Another great video Luke Miami! 😂
Would it be possible to chart the performance per price chart for each category? Tablet/Desktop/Laptop? Then we would be able to see if the forced ram upgrade for the chip is worth the extra money?
I use Redshift. The problem is that you're not comparing what it would cost on the PC side to get similar performance, which often means comparing it to a box pc, and not laptop. Redshift WILL use all that power and to get an equivalent elsewhere is also very expensive.
The 2 media engine situation is the reason, and it makes a difference outside of the benchmarking apps.
It’s like everything in the tech world if you know you need it you know and therefore can afford it and justify the expenditure. For most people the M4 or M4 Pro will be absolutely fine!
The m4 and m4 pro are already crazy fast, I’m not sure who is out here maxing the m4 pro chip and needing the m4 max for their workflow.
Blender, UE5 and After Effects users. (like me) sick of waiting and waiting for the M4 Ultra Studio (like me).. 🤔
Anyone who does AI/ML will want 64/128gb ram and will forced to update lol
@@amnesia5490 Exactly.
I have a M3 Macbook Pro mid tier. I will be waiting a good while before getting a new one.
I'd have to have the 16", love the bigger screen. The base model would be enough for me, especially with the increased RAM.
Currently eyeing a 14" M4 Pro with the unbinned chip and nano texture display. RAM and storage aren't worth the prices they charge and I can keep stuff on my NAS rather than paying out the nose.
Careful with the new nano texture. It’s very love hate black white. People are torn in general.
@EverythingDigital5779 between my glossy glass MacBook Air and my matte plastic Dell work laptop I much prefer the Dell in anything but a dark room. I'm pretty sure I'll be onboard but I do plan on visiting an Apple store to see it in person before forking over the cash.
Recover it by Wondershare is a tool I have been looking for a long, long time. I’m buying it. I have dozens of hard drives I need to recover. Some are 25 years old! Thanks Wondershare for sponsoring this video. 😃😊
The M4 max makes sense if you make music! Trust me, the Kontakt libreries are so heavy, as well as for some plugins like the Izotope ones
The interesting fact is not how much the fan runs when absolutely hammering the laptop. No matter what you do you will never be loading a laptop at 100% cpu non-stop. The question is if the CPU fan is an issue in day to day usage. My guess is, it won't be an issue at all. And keep in mind that even with the new M4 Max, it's still substantially more quiet than the old Intel laptops where the fan kicked up with even a moderate load.
The main issue with the new generation is that the ram choices have been limited, so you're forced to go for the M4 Max if you want 64gb or above.
MacBook Pro with M2 Max chip 16-inch is still a screamer for everything intensive I throw at it. Let’s see what next year brings.
I'm sticking with my M3 Max 14 in MacBook Pro , it does everything I want it to and more
External display support! M4 pro supports 2 external monitors, m4 max supports 4. I use 3 external monitors and need the m4 max for this.
Thank you for the video. It really helps.
It will be brilliant if you can add the 32 core M4 Max into the comparison, would love to see the thermal and performance differences between those machines.
Thanks for the competition, Apple had to start moving forwards again.
This generation the smartest buys are:
#1 - Base Mac Mini (M4)
#2 - 14in MBP (M4 Pro)
Those options don't have any better alternatives from Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung or MediaTek. When you move up to the 16in MBP, the x86 systems compete much better due to having bigger batteries, processors, and cooling potential. And when you upgrade the Mac Mini (for example the $1500 Pro version) suddenly you can get similar performance out of a Windows Machine at a similar Price.
The price bracket is more competitive after $1000, but I still think the M4 Pro mini is a solid buy, especially with the TB5 ports, it's extremely futureproof
@@alessandrolira4035 TB5 is nice, but if were thinking in futureproofing, is 16gb ram enough?
A slightly different perspective. I usually upgrade my Macbooks every 1-2 years, and my ideal setup is the 16” M4 Pro. However, according to my calculations, the M4 Max has a better residual value, meaning I take less of a loss when selling.
This review I was waiting for long..!
My go-to laptop has been the MacBook Pro 16” with a Pro chip, first M1 and then M2 and surely M4 on the next upgrade. As you point out, there are definite gains in performance with Max, but the cost to get those gains is off-putting. Many Mac users prefer to get refurbished equipment and have adopted a five year promise to keep their best Macs for 5 years before upgrading - a good amount of time to wait before getting a great previous-generation refurbished Mac. But the economics are changing with these 30-50% speed gains over the previous generation. Now it makes more sense to sell your M1 M2 M3 as soon as the new generation comes along so you get the most towards your new system at the same general price. As others point out, Apple Intelligence and LLMs in-general are going to be huge, so you need the fastest and most efficient AI runners you can get, and the M4 is hard to beat. So they put this in the iPad first??
thats odd. I have the 14" M4 Pro and 16" M4 Pro (same exact specs)- and with high powered mode on both computers enabled - the 16" beat the 14" in export on final cut pro by ~40 seconds.
We’re aligned perfectly. I bought the 16” M4 max day 1 because it was available. But I’m most likely going to trade it in for the 14 inch M4 pro with nano texture.
Why's that?
@@NaomiK1 I edit video and pictures mostly. I don't see myself maxing out the GPU enough to justify the price. I game on console so don't need it there. Right now I would prefer a more portable setup. Nano texture is great on my iPad and would be nice in the field while reviewing my shots and importing.
The fully maxed-out 14” MacBook Pro doesn’t perform as well as the 16” due to thermal throttling. So, if you’re going for the 14”, choose it with the Pro chip, and if you need the performance of the Max chip, the 16” is the better choice.
This is why this level of fragmentation amongst devices is absurd compared to how it was done when the intel core duo and core 2 duo came out 20 years ago. (💩 I’m old)
The m4 should’ve been in a MacBook with minor upgrades. Then the m4 pro would’ve been in the MacBook Pro (keeping the classification synched) and leaving the max/ultras to machines like the desktops (iMac pro, Mac Pro and Mac Studio). Things that could handle the power and heat more efficiently.
That’s how it was done before and worked out well. You also knew the value of the product with those kinds of tiers. Not like now with the 50¢ upcharge from 2 base level Mac minis to get a single Mac mini with double the hardware specs of the base model.
It’s weird I’m happy I don’t need the Max but at the same time I’m not because when I get to the point where I need it.. things are going really really well! In the meantime I’m rocking my M3 Pro chip which has been getting things done for me for now.
I think a more fair comparison would be to put it up against its Wintel competition. I think then we'll better know if the value we're getting is worth it or not. At least this applies to someone like me, who will seek out a machine for its 3D DCC app performance.
I dunno about it being a more fair comparison, since generally people buying Macs are looking at new Macs to upgrade, and vice versa for people who need or prefer Windows. But it would definitely be a useful and interesting comparison video for everyone to get an idea of the market in general, for sure.
@@tbirdparis Fair points.
Eah, totally agree about MAX is not SO much needed (to me comparing to PRO), but in my country 1TB SSD has only MAX version.. for PRO it is only 512GB. Mean always to keep in mind, that as less there free space left, as: 1) faster SSD will wear out and 2) worrying about if I can download some more photos/videos, or it is time to transfer "unnecessary" data to external HDD/SSD.
Additionally with PRO version there is only 24 or 48 GB RAM to choose. According new functionality about "Apple intelligence" seems need about 16GB RAM (as iPhone has now in 2024), so there remained 8GB for other goods ... seems not so much (could be enough, I'm totally new about MacBook - ... using Linux). So need to get slightly more RAM --> 48, but this seems too much already (to pay for unnecessary RAM). That is why I ordered MAX version with 36GB of RAM and 1TB SSD and yes, price of this is *like cost for 1 seat in "Crew Dragon" to fly to space* .
A minor detail not getting much attention is that the Mac Mini now offers a 64GB RAM upgrade. Sure, it’s expensive…but if you’re working in Fusion in DaVinci Resolve, the M4Pro with 64GB RAM is very compelling.
I paid over $6K for my 2019 i9 MBP. I'm budgeting the same for a M5 Max MBP to replace it next year.