Apple CPU performance: the M3 Ultra is almost as good as the M4 Max in tests
By ForGeeks Apple has unveiled the new Mac Studio with two different processors: M3 Ultra and M4 Max. While the company claims that the M3 Ultra is twice as fast as the M4 Max in some tasks, tests show that the difference in performance central processing unit (CPU) between the two chips is not that great.
M3 Ultra doesn’t outperform the M4 Max that much in CPU power
For users who care about core CPU speed but aren’t critical for graphics tasks, the Mac Studio-based M4 Max may be a more favorable choice. It costs from $1,999, while the version with the M3 Ultra starts at $3,999. The reason for the absence of the M4 Ultra chip from the new lineup remains a mystery, but there’s speculation that Apple saved it for a future Mac Pro to differentiate it more strongly from the Mac Studio.
Geekbench 6 test results
Recent tests Geekbench 6 on Mac Studio with M3 Ultra show that this chip isn’t much more powerful than the M4 Max in CPU terms.
- M3 Ultra (32 CPU cores)
- Single-core test: 3221
- Multicore test: 27749
- Single-core test: 3921
- Multicore test: 25650
The numbers show that the M4 Max is even faster on single-core tasks, while the M3 Ultra wins on multi-core performance by just 8%.
Why is this the case?
- The difference in architecture
The M3 Ultra is built on first-generation 3nm TSMC technology (the same one used in the A17 Pro). And the M4 Max uses second generation 3nm process (the same as in the A18). This explains why the M3 Ultra is weaker in single-core tasks - GPU and memory
- M3 Ultra supports up to 80 GPU cores, while M4 Max supports a maximum of 40. So in graphic tasks, the performance difference can be huge
- The M3 Ultra has a memory bandwidth of 800GB/s, while the M4 Max has 500GB/s
Conclusion
If you need a top GPU and high memory bandwidth, the M3 Ultra remains the best choice. But if you prioritize CPU performance for less money, M4 Max offers great power and costs half the price.
