Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - M3 | Apple - M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 10 |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 14400 | 16800 |
| Boost clock | 4.05 GHz | 4.4 GHz |
Between the M3 and M4, the M3 comes out ahead in several specs, while the M4 wins on cores / cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the M3 scores 43.6 and the M4 scores 45.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (43.6 vs 45.9). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The M3 does not pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec-table groups rather than the headline advantages.
Pick the M4 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are cores, cinebench r23 (multi), boost clock. The single most decisive one: Cores — 25.00% more. 10 vs 8.
Both ship with comparable l3 cache, tdp, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - M3 or Apple - M4?
Apple - M4 leads the current Mars Score by 2.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare cores, boost clock against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - M3 if…
Apple - M3 does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
Choose Apple - M4 if…
Apple - M4 has the measurable edge on core count, cinebench r23 multi, boost clock ghz.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - M3 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why Apple - M4 wins
- ▲Cores — 25.00% more. 10 vs 8.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 16.67% more. 16800 vs 14400.
- ▲Boost clock — 8.64% more. 4.4 GHz vs 4.05 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M3 | Apple - M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 8 | 10lead |
| Threadsⓘ | 8 | 10lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 0 GHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.05 GHz | 4.4 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 16 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M3 | Apple - M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | Soldered |
| TDPⓘ | 22 W | 22 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M3 | Apple - M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 14400 | 16800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 1950 | 2110lead |