Between the M4 and M4 Max, the M4 comes out ahead in tdp, while the M4 Max wins on l3 cache and cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the M4 scores 45.9 and the M4 Max scores 52.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The M4 Max edges ahead on the Mars Score (45.9 vs 52.3), but the 6.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the M4 if you care most about tdp. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp.
Pick the M4 Max 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 l3 cache, cinebench r23 (multi), cores, among others.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: the M4 Max is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - M4 wins
- ▲TDP — 33.00 W less. 22 vs 55.
Why Apple - M4 Max wins
- ▲L3 cache — 100.00% more. 32 MB vs 16 MB.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 77.38% more. 29800 vs 16800.
- ▲Cores — 60.00% more. 16 vs 10.
- ▲Boost clock — 2.27% more. 4.5 GHz vs 4.4 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 10 | 16lead |
| Threadsⓘ | 10 | 16lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 0 GHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.4 GHz | 4.5 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 32 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | Soldered |
| TDPⓘ | 22 Wlead | 55 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 16800 | 29800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2110 | 2280lead |
Spec-level deep dives
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