Apple is making impressive and eye-catching claims about the performance of its new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, and on paper, the highest-end M1 Max chip actually has more raw GPU performance than Sony's PlayStation 5.
The M1 Max chip can be configured to include up to a 32-core GPU, a gigantic leap compared to the 8-core GPU option offered in the M1 chip. Apple says that the M1 Max chip uses 70% less power at peak graphic performance than a PC laptop with a discrete graphics card. Apple also claims that the M1 Max chip offers "similar performance" to a "pro laptop with high-performing discrete GPU" while using 100 watts less power.
To make the claims, Apple tested the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max chip, featuring a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and 64GB of RAM compared to the MSI GE76 Raider and the Razer Blade 15 Advanced. For a further breakdown of the GPU performance, Notebookcheck estimated how many teraflops the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips can handle based on Apple's information about the new chips. These are their findings:
M1 8-core = 2.6 TF
M1 Pro 14-core = 4.5 TF
M1 Pro 16-core = 5.2 TF
M1 Max 24-core = 7.8 TF
M1 Max 32-core = 10.4 TF
On paper, the M1 Max chip maxed out with 32-cores of GPU can tackle more teraflops of graphics than Sony's PlayStation 5, which maxes out at 10.28 teraflops. Notebookcheck's numbers are based on estimations and not real-world testing, but until the new laptops begin arriving in the hands of customers next week, they are all we have to rely on. As noted by YouTuber ZoneOfTech on Twitter, the M1 Max chip can also read up to 7.4GB per second, higher than the PlayStation 5's 5.5GB read speed.
The new MacBook Pros cost more than the PlayStation 5, but nonetheless, Apple's ability to make claims about a portable laptop that rivals a high-end gaming console is impressive. As stated above, these claims are just on-paper, and proper performance and speed tests will surely come shortly after the new MacBook Pros start arriving for customers next week.
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Wednesday February 4, 2026 7:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models on its online store in the U.S., with prices discounted by 12% to 22% compared to Apple's current or former pricing for the devices.
Here were Apple's starting prices when the devices launched in September 2024:
iPhone 16: $799
iPhone 16 Plus: $899
iPhone 16 Pro:...
Wednesday February 4, 2026 12:29 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple on Tuesday previewed 12 new shows and films that will be premiering on the Apple TV streaming service throughout 2026.
The new series:
Imperfect Women — March 18, 2026
Margo's Got Money Troubles — April 15, 2026
Widow's Bay — April 29, 2026
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed — May 20, 2026
Cape Fear — June 5, 2026
Lucky — July 15, 2026
The new films:
Eternity — ...
Such an illiterate logic ?. Apple’s marketing and their fanbase never fails to impress me, especially on MacRumors…
10.4TF doesn’t mean that it can actually use 10.4TF if it’s power limited to +-60W and probably even bandwidth starved, (lack superior L1 and L2 caches, don’t use unified L3 chance, lacks a geometry engine, doesn’t support techniques such as VRS and storage APIs…)
The AMD Radeon V is actually 14.9 TF and the AMD VEGA 64 is 13.4 TF, and both are slower than the PS5 and Series X, significantly slower in fact!
Don’t fall for the fake marketing people. By no mean these MacBooks are slow or anything, but if you actually believe that it’s faster than a PS5 you have to seek help…
For consoles to consistently hit their maximum TFlops performance they actually uses these kind of heatsink.
The problem is that there are no real AAA games on the Mac. We want to see games like COD modern warfare, red dead redemption 2 and cyber punk etc run on these M1 Pro chips.
