When Apple brought out the M2 processor, it was an upgrade – but not a fantastic one. So, we didn’t know what to expect from the rumoured M3 chip To say that we are pleasantly surprised is an understatement – there have been significant enhancements since the M2.
This is partly because they didn’t just announce the M3 at their ‘Scary Fast’ October Special Event, but the M3 Pro and M3 Max, too.
In this blog, we outline the main benefits of the M3 processor compared to the M2 chip.
A basic comparison
What do the processors offer in terms of numbers? The standard M2 and M3 chips have the same amount of CPU and GPU cores. When it comes to the Pro versions, though, things aren’t as you’d expect.
The M2 Pro has the option for 10 or 12 CPU cores, equating to six or eight that are high-performance and four energy-efficient. With the M3, there’s a choice of 11 or 12 CPU cores: five or six high-performance and six energy-efficient. This is interesting as usually, a new chip surpasses its predecessor in all aspects. It’s a similar story with GPU cores – the M2 Pro has 16 or 19, and the M3 Pro allows for slightly less at 14 or 18.
As for the M2 and M3 Max, these follow Apple’s usual pattern. The M2 Max comes with 12 CPU cores (eight high-performance, four energy-efficient) and either 30 or 38 GPU cores. The M3 Max exceeds this with 14 or 16 CPU Cores (10 or 12 high-performance, four energy-efficient), plus 30 or 40 GPU cores.
Apple’s focus on M3 Max
It’s also interesting to note that the M3 Pro processor has 37 billion transistors – three million less than the M2 Pro. We’re curious why Apple hasn’t upgraded the M3 Pro chip in all areas. Potentially, they want users to go for the M3 Max instead – the current ultimate processor.
We should also point out that despite the M3 Pro chip’s lower numbers, it’s not a downgrade on its predecessor. A deeper dive into the processor has revealed that the M3 Pro does, in fact, trump the M2 Pro…
A closer look at the M3
While the M1 and M2 were built with 5-nanometer technology, all the M3 processors have the newest 3-nanometer chip technology. This has more transistor density, leading to enhanced efficiency and performance. What’s more, there’s up to 35% additional efficiency, which, in turn, improves battery life – as much as 22 hours.
The GPU is more advanced, too – the M3 chips support Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading. There are other benefits to the processor as well, such as a 15% faster Neural Engine and improvements in photo editing and 3D rendering.
The lack of performance cores in the Pro chip is compensated for by the extra efficiency cores. Not only is CPU performance more efficient, but there’s also a slight improvement in graphics performance and SSD transfer speed.
Upgrade to the M3 with Lease Loop
The M3 is a massive upgrade – and many want to reap the rewards of it. However, the price point of Apple products is always a challenge. With Lease Loop, ambitious businesses can spread the premium cost of the Mac over time.
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