Review: M1 Max MacBook Pro After Three Months

It's now been a few months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models launched in October, and MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has been using one of the new machines since they debuted. Over on the MacRumors YouTube channel, Dan has shared a three month review of his MacBook Pro to see how it has held up over time and how it's changed his workflow.


Dan is using the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ that features an M1 Max chip with 10 compute cores and a 32-core GPU, aka the top of the line chip. The machine features 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it is the high-end pre-configured version that Apple offers.

In usage, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is close to perfect, but Dan does go over a handful of complaints in his video. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is subject to crashes and restarts when used in clamshell mode, which could be attributed to third-party Thunderbolt accessories.

The SSD can also malfunction randomly when transferring footage from an external drive. At times, transfer speeds slow to a crawl, an issue fixed with a restart. These are the two major issues that Dan has experienced, and he has otherwise had no problems. Performance overall is excellent, the display is beautiful, and the extra ports are useful.

For those considering a purchase, Dan says that he wishes that he had gone with a 2TB SSD over a 1TB because of his video editing needs, and he's not sure that he's happy with the weight and size of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ when the same functionality is available with the smaller and more portable 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Make sure to watch Dan's video for his full review, and let us know in the comments how you're liking your 2021 M1 Pro/‌M1 Max‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ if you have one.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
45 months ago
I love my MacBook Pro. I love the new design however at times I do miss the Touch Bar. In my opinion, this is definitely the product of the year. Hands down ?



Attachment Image
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Salty Pirate Avatar
45 months ago
Love my base 16 M1 pro. No crashes, no intel easy bake oven fan action, just zen like peaceful lack of fan noise.

Best laptop I have ever had.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
45 months ago
Hardware reviews which ignore the problems in the (mandatory) operating system are meaningless.

The 3 Month Review, done properly:

"Great hardware, probably more than you need, all crippled by a shoddy, premature OS & apps."
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
45 months ago

Hardware reviews which ignore the problems in the (mandatory) operating system are meaningless.

The 3 Month Review, done properly:

"Great hardware but more than you need, all crippled by a shoddy quality OS & apps."
What? I’d much rather use a similarly priced PC with Mac OS than a Mac with Windows.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lfshammu Avatar
45 months ago
I had the sleep crashing issues with clamshell mode + an OWC dock on my 2019 MBP. fixed it by changing my sleep mode to 'safe sleep' via 'sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 3' https://mackeeper.com/blog/mac-sleep-modes-explained/
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
45 months ago
1 Month in and it's the best modern Mac I've ever used. It seems every Mac in the last 10 years or since Intel transition had some caveat or "but" added. The 16" Max is an amazing computer. As portable as PC laptops and way more portable than the desktop replacement PC laptops out there. Fast I/O, great web cam, very good battery life. totally silent. I love it.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)