Marco Arment

This is a great problem to have. This is what happens when you don't update your chip for two years. Yes, it is. Right? I mean, M2 is old. Obviously, you can just look at the number, M2, M3. But the M4 Pro, and by the way, this is not reflected in our shirt sales. No one wants to buy an M4 Pro shirt. You should. The M4 Pro is crushing it this generation. It is most improved.

This is a great problem to have. This is what happens when you don't update your chip for two years. Yes, it is. Right? I mean, M2 is old. Obviously, you can just look at the number, M2, M3. But the M4 Pro, and by the way, this is not reflected in our shirt sales. No one wants to buy an M4 Pro shirt. You should. The M4 Pro is crushing it this generation. It is most improved.

And granted, part of that is because the M3 Pro was so weird and different in how it arranged itself, which is why you get that big jump. But just forget about the M3 Pro and the 48% jump from the M3 Pro. It's better than the M3 Max. It's better than the M2 Ultra in multi-core. It crushes them all in single-core too, by the way, but it's still better in multi-core.

And granted, part of that is because the M3 Pro was so weird and different in how it arranged itself, which is why you get that big jump. But just forget about the M3 Pro and the 48% jump from the M3 Pro. It's better than the M3 Max. It's better than the M2 Ultra in multi-core. It crushes them all in single-core too, by the way, but it's still better in multi-core.

So what the hell is the M2 Ultra actually even good for? When you go look at memory bandwidth, again, huge jump over the M3 Pro, so it's 70% faster than the M3 Pro, because the M3 Pro actually went down in memory bandwidth from the M2 Pro, I believe. But it is 50% slower in memory bandwidth than the M3 Max. So that's where you're spending your extra money.

So what the hell is the M2 Ultra actually even good for? When you go look at memory bandwidth, again, huge jump over the M3 Pro, so it's 70% faster than the M3 Pro, because the M3 Pro actually went down in memory bandwidth from the M2 Pro, I believe. But it is 50% slower in memory bandwidth than the M3 Max. So that's where you're spending your extra money.

And it is 200% less memory bandwidth than the M2 Ultra. So if memory bandwidth is your concern, the M2 Ultra still is twice as big. And by the way, the memory bandwidth is 273 gigabytes per second. And then, you know, the M2 Ultra is 819, right? The metal score, that's like the GPU benchmark, mostly the GPU benchmark that you care about.

And it is 200% less memory bandwidth than the M2 Ultra. So if memory bandwidth is your concern, the M2 Ultra still is twice as big. And by the way, the memory bandwidth is 273 gigabytes per second. And then, you know, the M2 Ultra is 819, right? The metal score, that's like the GPU benchmark, mostly the GPU benchmark that you care about.

I didn't even look at the OpenCL one because Apple does everything in metal these days. Metal score is 110K. That's 41% faster than the M3 Pro. That's 40% slower than the M3 Max, and it's 100% slower than the M2 Ultra. So... Why would anyone want an M2 Ultra at this point? Well, really, you shouldn't.

I didn't even look at the OpenCL one because Apple does everything in metal these days. Metal score is 110K. That's 41% faster than the M3 Pro. That's 40% slower than the M3 Max, and it's 100% slower than the M2 Ultra. So... Why would anyone want an M2 Ultra at this point? Well, really, you shouldn't.

But if you have one, take heart to know that you have double the memory bandwidth and you are twice as fast as the M4 Pro in GPU benchmarks. But boy, if you have one of those older, beefier CPUs or SoCs, it's bad when the mid-tier M4 is kicking your butt in a lot of ways. So anyway, we go to the M4 Max. The M4 Max is the first... Personal computer chip in Geekbench to break 4,000 on single core.

But if you have one, take heart to know that you have double the memory bandwidth and you are twice as fast as the M4 Pro in GPU benchmarks. But boy, if you have one of those older, beefier CPUs or SoCs, it's bad when the mid-tier M4 is kicking your butt in a lot of ways. So anyway, we go to the M4 Max. The M4 Max is the first... Personal computer chip in Geekbench to break 4,000 on single core.

I believe the M4 was already like the top single core performer, but the M4 Max has a bunch of ratings in there like 3,900, 4,000. So single core is even better than the M4 Max. Why is it better? Is it just because it's clocked higher? Is it just because they had better cooling? Is it just because someone got lucky on a run or put it in an ice pack?

I believe the M4 was already like the top single core performer, but the M4 Max has a bunch of ratings in there like 3,900, 4,000. So single core is even better than the M4 Max. Why is it better? Is it just because it's clocked higher? Is it just because they had better cooling? Is it just because someone got lucky on a run or put it in an ice pack?

Again, unconfirmed preliminary reports, but just no. Single core on the M4 is like the best in the entire industry. And these are chips that are in laptops, by the way. And iPads. You can go... You can go search Geekbench for like, what if I want to buy a really big, really hot, high TDP Intel desktop CPU? Surely that is faster. And the answer is no, it's not. You can search the results.

Again, unconfirmed preliminary reports, but just no. Single core on the M4 is like the best in the entire industry. And these are chips that are in laptops, by the way. And iPads. You can go... You can go search Geekbench for like, what if I want to buy a really big, really hot, high TDP Intel desktop CPU? Surely that is faster. And the answer is no, it's not. You can search the results.

Again, it's just a benchmark, but single core is amazing. So the M4 Max is 29% faster than the M3 Max and 46% faster than the M2 Ultra. On multi-core, it's 26,000, which is not much higher than the M4 Pro, but still it's 27% faster than the M3 Max and 24% faster than the M2 Ultra. And then memory bandwidth, it's 546 gigs a second, 33% faster than the M3 Max, but 50% slower than the M2 Ultra.

Again, it's just a benchmark, but single core is amazing. So the M4 Max is 29% faster than the M3 Max and 46% faster than the M2 Ultra. On multi-core, it's 26,000, which is not much higher than the M4 Pro, but still it's 27% faster than the M3 Max and 24% faster than the M2 Ultra. And then memory bandwidth, it's 546 gigs a second, 33% faster than the M3 Max, but 50% slower than the M2 Ultra.

And then in metal, 24% faster than the M3 Max and 15% slower than the M2 Ultra. So the Max... Continues a pace from the M3. M3, the M4 Max is, you know, just a steady upward climb. But because the M3 Pro took that diversion into not quite being as fast, it's got this huge boost.

And then in metal, 24% faster than the M3 Max and 15% slower than the M2 Ultra. So the Max... Continues a pace from the M3. M3, the M4 Max is, you know, just a steady upward climb. But because the M3 Pro took that diversion into not quite being as fast, it's got this huge boost.