Here's How Much Faster M4 Pro/Max Are for Graphics vs. M3 Pro/Max

Apple's new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are impressively fast in terms of CPU performance, topping the M2 Ultra, but what about graphics performance?

M3 Pro Max vs M4 Pro Max Feature
The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to around 40% and 25% faster for graphics than the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, respectively.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with the highest-end M4 Max with a 40-core GPU has up to 85% as fast graphics as the Mac Studio with the highest-end M2 Ultra chip with a 76-core GPU, despite having 36 fewer GPU cores, according to the results.

Here is a comparison of the average Metal scores:

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, Mac mini
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, Mac mini

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Get iOS 26 Features With New Firmware Update

Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware. With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
apple n1 chip

Apple's New N1 Chip in iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Has a Wi-Fi 7 Limitation

Saturday September 13, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation. According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...

Top Rated Comments

chachawpi Avatar
12 months ago
I just ordered a 14" MacBook Pro M4 Max for browsing Macrumors and Reddit.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EugW Avatar
12 months ago
M4 Ultra is gonna be an absolute monster.

I'll be overjoyed with "just" M4 though, as someone who does not have heavy GPU needs.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NeonNights Avatar
12 months ago

Does the CPU or GPU affect the Media Engine? Are there any benchmarks on the differences comparing that amongst the models? FCPx I guess.
I expect CPU/GPU does matter during the rendering or creation of proxy files and actual editing process, but a big no for the end export. Based on ArtIsRight comparisons, the export time is basically the same across M1 through M3 Pro chips regardless of RAM/SSD because they all have the same video encoder/decoder. Only the Max and Ultra chips show an appreciable decrease in export time because of the extra encoder/decoder engines.



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hxlover904 Avatar
12 months ago
That’s so impressive. Almost the performance of an M2 Ultra with far fewer cores. Can’t wait to see what the M4 ultra brings.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuthrieAZ Avatar
12 months ago
Very tempted by these new MBPs but then I realize that over the past three years I have had my M1 Max MBP I can't recall a single time where I felt it's processing power was slowing down my workflow. I'm an architect who mostly uses AutoCAD and Sketchup but even with the most complex 3D model I work with I've never noticed any lag on orbiting it. Maybe I'll start using on device AI more and notice some difference but unless a new computer can gain me a few minutes of productivity every day it's not worth the expense.

The build quality on these MBPs is also superb, mine still looks and functions like brand new. Before my M1 Max MBP I used PC laptops and even so called "professional grade" ones like the Lenovo ThinkPad needing replacing about every two years just due to poor build quality.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
12 months ago
Throwing my M3 Pro Macbook Pro to the trash can now. j/k. As impressive as these upgrades are, I got mine for almost 500 off from what it typically goes in my country, and does everything I need instantly. Should serve me well for a few years
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)