Apple Debuts Mighty M4 Max Chip In Widely Improved MacBook Pro Laptops

(Credit: René Ramos; Apple)

Apple has crossed yet another rubicon with its 2024 MacBook Pro laptops: With the update to M4, M4 Pro, and now M4 Max processors, these are the longest-lasting Macs yet at 24 hours by Apple’s testing. That’s just the first in a litany of improvements Apple brings to bear in its latest laptops for the professional set.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops are now equipped with the M4 line of processors, going all the way up to Apple’s freshest powerhouse mobile chip, the M4 Max. Debuting in both sizes of MacBook Pro, the M4 Max doubles the CPU core count of the basic M4 chip to 16 and more than triples its GPU size with up to a 40-core part. To support this, Apple also bumped up the 14-inch model’s starting memory to 16GB for no extra charge.

Apple’s entry-level M2 and M3 MacBook Air models also received this generous free bump in memory at no extra cost, but the new MacBook Pro laptops have plenty left to dig into.

Apple Takes the 14-Inch MacBook Pro to the Max

Available with the entire range of Apple’s M4 processors, the 14-inch MacBook Pro continues to be the most customizable MacBook in the Air or Pro lineups. If portability is your priority, you can get just the amount of power you need without increasing size.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro also receives every tertiary upgrade, just like the 16-inch model. The most noticeable is the optional nano-texture display, which reduces glare in direct lighting situations without impacting image sharpness from the Liquid Retina XDR panel.

Apple also added an improved 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam technology that follows you as you move within its range of vision. Center Stage also enables a new Desk View feature to record your face and what’s directly below and in front of the display simultaneously. I suspect you’ll need creativity to get the most out of Desk View on a MacBook Pro, with your hands likely being the subject of that shot, but it’s not impossible.

All versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro will now house three Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of just two. However, starting with the M4 Pro models, these become 120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 connections, the latest in multi-purpose connectivity.

The 16-Inch MacBook Pro Sees a Smaller Bump

Oddly enough, the 16-inch MacBook Pro adopts every change listed above for the 14-inch model but doesn’t proportionately gain any more Thunderbolt ports to account for its larger size. Of course, these are also Thunderbolt 5 connections, but getting one more for a total of four would have been welcome.

Otherwise, the 16-inch MacBook Pro will undoubtedly be the place to see the M4 Max at its most potent. With the additional space for cooling hardware and hot air dissipation, this is likely the best environment for such a souped-up chip.

Apple claims to have achieved the fastest CPU cores of any processor with its M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. These are likewise boosted in the graphics department with faster GPU cores overall, specifically two times faster at ray tracing. Of course, the M4 Max takes these enhancements to extremes with more cores than any other model. M4 Max is reportedly 3.5 times as fast as M1 Max, for instance.

These chips also doubled in AI performance with the M4 update, making their 16-core Neural Engines the fastest to date at crunching on AI tasks. Of course, this comes in time for Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI-driven software tools that drops in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update.

Finally, specifically regarding the M4 Pro and Max, Apple boosted memory bandwidth to a sizable 273GB/s. This boosted bandwidth improves performance with AI workloads, which will only help with Apple Intelligence.

While the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 and 16GB of memory starts at $1,599, and the M4 Pro model starts at $1,999, the 16-inch MacBook Pro (with M4 Pro) starts at a much higher $2,499. All models are available in “Space Black” and silver for preorder now, with general sale beginning on Nov. 8. Stay tuned for full reviews before you click the “buy” button.

About Our Expert

Joe Osborne

Deputy Managing Editor, Hardware

My Experience

After starting my career at PCMag as an intern more than a decade ago, I’m back as one of its editors, focused on managing laptops, desktops, and components coverage. With 15 years of experience, I have been on staff and published in technology review publications, including PCMag (of course!), Laptop Magazine, Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, and IGN. Along the way, I’ve tested and reviewed hundreds of laptops and helped develop testing protocols. I have expertise in testing all forms of laptops and desktops using the latest tools. I’m also well-versed in video game hardware and software coverage.

The Technology I Use

I have ebbed and flowed between Windows-based and Apple hardware and software throughout my life. My first computer was a hand-me-down Apple IIe with the green screen and spool printer. I soon learned Windows with a—yes, hand-me-down—Packard Bell.

Today, I prefer macOS to Windows for its more straightforward integration with the phone I use (an iPhone) and simpler keyboard shortcuts and file management. Also, the hardware and performance are always top-notch, especially with the latest MacBook designs. (Windows, admittedly, still has better multi-window management.)

As for gaming, I’m a Nintendo fan first, a retro gamer second, and a PC gamer third. Expertise aside, it’s a matter of time and preference—not to mention the lack of space I’m willing to give up for a gaming PC in my home.

Finally, I love 3D-printing new miniatures for the tabletop war games that I enjoy playing. I currently use an AnkerMake M5C filament printer to great effect, and I have probably printed more than 100 models between two armies of dwarfs and elves.

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