Apple M2 Max vs Apple M4 Pro 12-Core
Aggregate performance score
M4 Pro 12-Core outperforms M2 Max by a significant 22% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 423 | 573 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | no data | Apple M-Series |
| Power efficiency | no data | 8.19 |
| Designer | Apple | Apple |
| Release date | 30 October 2024 (1 year ago) | 17 January 2023 (3 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Basic parameters of M4 Pro 12-Core and M2 Max: number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 12 (Dodeca-Core) | 12 (Dodeca-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.424 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.51 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 3.3 MB |
| L2 cache | 4 MB | 36 MB |
| L3 cache | no data | 48 MB |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 5 nm |
| Number of transistors | no data | 67000 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on M4 Pro 12-Core and M2 Max compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Power consumption (TDP) | no data | 79 Watt |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M4 Pro 12-Core and M2 Max. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR5 | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M4 Pro 16-Core GPU | Apple M2 Max 38-Core GPU |
Synthetic benchmarks
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance. Other than that, Passmark measures multi-core performance.
Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 18.91 | 15.53 |
| Recency | 30 October 2024 | 17 January 2023 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 5 nm |
Apple M4 Pro 12-Core has a 22% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, and a 67% more advanced lithography process.
The Apple M4 Pro 12-Core is our recommended choice as it beats the Apple M2 Max in performance tests.
Other comparisons
We've compiled a selection of CPU comparisons, ranging from closely matched processors to other comparisons that may be of interest.
