Between the M3 Max and M4 Max, the M3 Max comes out ahead in several specs, while the M4 Max wins on cinebench r23 (multi) and boost clock. Overall, the M3 Max scores 50 and the M4 Max scores 52.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (50 vs 52.3). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The M3 Max 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 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 cinebench r23 (multi), boost clock, tdp.
Both ship with comparable cores, l3 cache, 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 Max wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why Apple - M4 Max wins
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 11.19% more. 29800 vs 26800.
- ▲Boost clock — 11.11% more. 4.5 GHz vs 4.05 GHz.
- ▲TDP — 5.00 W less. 55 vs 60.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M3 Max | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 16 | 16 |
| Threadsⓘ | 16 | 16 |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 0 GHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.05 GHz | 4.5 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 32 MB | 32 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M3 Max | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | Soldered |
| TDPⓘ | 60 W | 55 Wlead |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M3 Max | Apple - M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 26800 | 29800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2100 | 2280lead |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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