Apple announced its first M4 Mac models today, but how much better is the M4 chip than its predecessor?
The M4 chip, which debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year, promises about 20 percent faster performance than the M3 chip in both single-core and multi-core tasks. Listed below are all the major differences between the two generations of chips:
Manufactured using TSMC 3nm technology (N3) Manufactured using TSMC Enhanced 3nm Technology (N3E)
A17 Pro chip based on iPhone 15 Pro (2023) A18 chip based on iPhone 16 (2024)
25 billion transistors 28 billion transistors (12%)
8-core CPU
Made using TSMC's 3nm technology (N3) Made using TSMC's enhanced 3nm technology (N3E)
Based on iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro chip (2023) Based on iPhone 16's A18 chip (2024)
25 billion transistors 28 billion transistors (12%)
8-core CPU
(4 performance 4 efficiency cores)
Up to 10 CPU cores
(4 performance 6 efficiency cores)
4.05 GHz CPU clock speed 4.3 GHz CPU clock speed
16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second 16-coreNeural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second (111%)
LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth 120 GB/s memory bandwidth (20%)
Dedicated display engine
GPU with standard power efficiency More power-efficient GPU: Maintains performance with significantly less power
(4 performance 4 efficiency cores) Up to 10 CPU cores
(4 performance and 6 efficiency cores)
4.05 GHz CPU clock speed 4.3 GHz CPU clock speed
16-core neural engine, 18 trillion operations per second 16-core neural engine, 38 trillion operations per second (111%) LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth 120 GB/s memory bandwidth (20%)
Dedicated display engine
GPU with standard performance More energy-efficient GPU: maintain performance with significantly reduced power consumption
In addition to the number of cores and memory bandwidth, most upgrades are applicable to the use of M3 and M4 chips for the entire machine. Using Geekbench benchmarks, these are the approximate performance gains you can expect from the M4 chip:While the M4 chip offers significant enhancements over the M3, such as increased CPU and GPU performance and increased efficiency, the actual differences for users upgrading from M3 systems may not be as fundamental as the specs suggest. The M3 chip already offers impressive performance and efficiency, making it a strong contender in its own right.
Single-core performance improvementA 25.1% increase in multi-core performance and a 30.5% increase in multi-core performance highlights technological progress, but for many users, especially those who already have an M3-based device, the day-to-day experience may not feel much different. Tasks that benefit from single-core speeds, such as launching apps and light productivity work, will be faster, but for those accustomed to the M3's power, the difference may not significantly impact their workflow.
Similarly, the 21.4% increase in GPU performance means better graphics rendering and gaming capabilities, but users who prefer the performance of the M3 may find these enhancements less noticeable in day-to-day tasks. Improvements in gaming and creative applications will benefit a large number of users who do graphics-intensive work, but those with an M3 may not feel the need to upgrade for these reasons alone.
The Neural Engine's 111% improvement is a show-stopper, emphasizing the chip's impressive artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning capabilities. However, for many users, especially less demanding ones, this difference may not be enough to justify an upgrade, especially since both the M3 and M4 chips support Apple Intelligence. That being said, the M4 chip's significantly improved Neural Engine makes it more likely to support and effectively run the new Apple Intelligence and AI features that have emerged over the years.
In terms of memory bandwidth, a 20% increase enables faster data transfers, which is beneficial for data-intensive applications. However, for those already using an M3, this improvement may not translate into a huge change in performance.
Ultimately, while the M4 chip does push the limits of Apple's silicon, it probably won't be a fundamental shift for those who already use the M3. Instead, the M4 is likely aimed at users looking to upgrade from the M1 chip or older Intel systems, where the performance improvements are more pronounced.
For existing M3 owners, the decision to upgrade may depend more on specific situational needs and applications than on broad expectations for enhanced performance. For example, M3 Max chip users who push their systems to the limits during intense tasks may have good reason to upgrade. Likewise, if your current M3 or M3 Pro system doesn't seem adequate for your workflow, you may consider upgrading to an "M4 Pro" or "M4 Max" device when it becomes available, but these upgrade paths will be unusual.
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Source: macrumors.com