Between the M3 and M4, the M3 comes out ahead in several specs, while the M4 wins on cores and 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 isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The M3 doesn't 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.
Both ship with comparable l3 cache, tdp, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
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 |
Spec-level deep dives
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.