All of Apple’s processors are scattered throughout the different MacBook models, and you can find older models from some third-party sellers online, either new or refurbished. If you stumble upon its old chips (from four years ago), you might wonder how they compare to other options. Here, find a breakdown of the differences to consider.
M5 series
M5: M5 chips are the latest options from Apple, as they arrive in late 2025 with the launch of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro. The base M5 still has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, although there is also a low-tier 9-core CPU available in the iPad Pro. The M5 is about 10 to 15 percent faster in CPU performance but also takes a significant step up in GPU, AI workloads, and storage speed. Like Apple’s mobile chips, the M5 is also available in the MacBook Air.
The M5 Pro: Currently only available on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the M5 Pro comes with an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. The base configuration starts with a 15-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. As in previous generations, the “Pro” chip gets all the same benefits as those in the M5 line but adds more cores and improved memory bandwidth. The biggest advantage lies in the GPU and AI performance on the device. However, this time, both M5 Pro and M5 Max also released an update: “Fusion Architecture” is a new version of UltraFusion (previously only used in Ultra chips) that combines two dies together in a very fast connection.
M5 Max: The M5 Max is the M5 Pro—only with more GPU power. You get the option of 40 GPU cores, which puts the MacBook Pro at the level of high-end laptops in terms of graphics performance. Add in the neural accelerators now built into each GPU core, and you have one of the most powerful AI laptops on the market. According to Apple’s position, the only good performance in GPU performance is the M3 Ultra, which is currently only available in Mac Studio.
M4 series
M4: The M4 is launched in 2024. It has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple claims the M4 delivers 1.8 times faster CPU performance and 2.2 times faster GPU performance than the M1. Meanwhile, the neural engine is more than three times faster than the original and twice as fast as the M3. It also starts with 16 GB of integrated memory, which helps enable Apple Intelligence (the company’s range of artificial intelligence features) more smoothly. Available on 14-inch MacBook Pro (2024), Mac (2024), and MacBook Air (13-inch and 15-inch, 2025).
M4 Pro: The M4 Pro has a 14-core CPU (which Apple says is up to 1.9 times faster than the M1 Pro) and up to a 20-core GPU, with up to 64 GB of memory. It is built on a second-generation 3-nanometer process, and supports advanced GPU features such as mesh shading and ray tracing—the latter of which is now twice as fast as on the M3 chips. You’ll find it on the 2024 MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) and the Mac Mini (2024).
M4 Max: This chip has a 16-core CPU and up to a 40-core GPU with support for up to 128 GB of integrated memory. Apple claims the CPU is up to 2.2 times faster than the M1 Max, while the GPU is up to 1.9 times faster. Like the M4 Pro, it packs support for mesh shading and ray tracing. The M4 Max is available as an option on the 2024 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and you can get it as an option on the current Mac Studio.
M3 series
M3: The M3 was available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro (late 2023), 13-inch MacBook Air (2024), 15-inch MacBook Air (2024), and 24-inch iMac (2023). It packs an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU with 24 GB of integrated memory. Compared to the M1, Apple says CPU performance was up to 35 percent faster, while GPU performance was up 65 percent faster. The company said the CPU and GPU are both 20 percent faster than the M2. As with the M1 and M2, it was great for basic tasks like word processing, emailing, spreadsheets, and light gaming. With the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, you also have support for two external displays (one display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60 Hz and another with a resolution of up to 5K at 60 Hz).
M3 Pro: With a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU, Apple said the M3 Pro’s GPU was only 10 percent faster than the M2 Pro, making it a marginal improvement over its predecessor. Compared to the M1 Pro, however, the M2 Pro is 40 percent faster in GPU performance and 20 percent faster in CPU performance. It was available on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2023. It was the ideal choice among those who needed a chip more powerful than the M3 but not able to use the full power of the M3 Max.
M3 Max: This was the next step from the M2 Max. It had a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, and up to 128 GB of integrated memory. According to Apple, CPU performance was 80 percent faster than the M1 Max and up to 50 percent faster than the M2 Max. In terms of GPU performance, it is said to be 50 percent faster than the M1 Max and 20 percent faster than the M2 Max. The M3 Max was available in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro (late 2023).
M3 Ultra: While the M3 lineup was launched in 2023, Apple announced the M3 Ultra in 2025. Ironically, it remains the most powerful chip in the M-series lineup—even better than the recent M4 Max and M5. It has a CPU with up to 32 cores (with 24 performance cores) and a GPU with up to 80 cores. Apple claims it’s up to 2.5 times faster than the M1 Ultra. It comes with an integrated memory of 96 GB, with the option to upgrade up to 512 GB, while the SSD storage can be increased to 16 TB. This chip is currently only available in the 2025 Mac Studio.
M2 series
M2: The M2 was an entry-level chip like the M1, with more processing power. It packs an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU (two more GPU cores than its predecessor), as well as support for up to 24 GB of integrated memory. Apple said the second-generation chip has an 18 percent faster CPU and 35 percent more powerful GPU than its predecessor. The M2 was fine for everyday tasks like word processing and web browsing, but tasks like editing multiple streams of 4K footage and 3D rendering should be reserved for the M1 Pro or M1 Max (or the next two chips). It was available in MacBook Air (13-inch, 2022), MacBook Air (15-inch, 2022), and MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2022).
M2 Pro: The M2 Pro is the next step up from the M2. It had up to 12 cores in the CPU and up to 19-core GPU, with a combined memory of up to 32 GB. Apple said performance was 20 percent faster than the 10-core M1 Pro and graphics were 30 percent faster. We recommend this chip for average video and photo editors. It was a modest improvement compared to the M1 Pro, but it was the best option for those looking for a future-proof processor. You can find it on MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) from early 2023 and Mac Mini (2023).
M2 Max: The M2 Max packs up to a 12-core CPU and up to a 38-core GPU (supported up to 96 GB of integrated memory). According to Apple, the graphics are 30 percent faster than the M1 Max. The M2 Max is an excellent choice for those working with graphics-intensive content, including graphic design, 3D modeling, and video-heavy graphics. But like the M2 Pro, it’s an incremental upgrade from the M1 Max. Available on MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) released in early 2023 and Mac Studio (2023).
M2 Ultra: Following the M1 Ultra, the M2 Ultra was available on the second-generation Mac Studio and Mac Pro (2023). Built with two M2 Max chips, using Apple’s UltraFusion technology, the M2 Ultra had a 24-core CPU and a configurable GPU with 60 or 76 cores. Apple said the CPU delivered 20 percent faster performance and the GPU 30 percent faster than the M1 Ultra. This was the chip you could get if you worked with it extremely heavy duty content that you believe the M1 Ultra, M2 Pro, or M2 Max can’t handle. You would know if you needed a solid chip this way.
M1 series
M1: For years, Apple continued to sell the M1 MacBook Air through Walmart for just $599, which was a killer price for this laptop. The MacBook Neo has replaced it, using the A18 Pro iPhone chip. The M1 was the first custom silicon that Apple released with its MacBook Air in 2020. It has an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. Initially, there was support for up to 16 GB of integrated memory (RAM) at an additional cost, but today you can only buy an 8-GB model. It was faster than any previous Intel-powered MacBook Pro, and it was a useful choice for many people, as it was inside the cheapest MacBook Air you could buy (from third-party sellers). It packs more than enough processing power to get through normal daily tasks and simple games. It can also handle more intensive tasks, such as photo editing.
The M1 Pro: From there, the next step up was the M1 Pro. It had up to 10 cores in the CPU and up to a 16-core GPU, with a combined memory of up to 32 GB. Apple said performance and graphics are both twice as fast as on the M1. We found it to be more powerful than the base chip, making it ideal for anyone who works a lot on MacBooks for music production or photo and video editing. Only MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) from 2021 used this chip.
M1 Max: Like the M1 Pro, the M1 Max had a 10-core CPU but a solid 32-core GPU (supported by up to 64 GB of memory). Apple said it’s four times faster than the M1 in terms of graphics. As proven in the tests, this chip was extremely powerful and handled all heavy duty with ease. It was the choice if you needed a computer that could handle multiple 8K or 4K video streams, 3D rendering, or developing applications and demos. You probably already knew you needed this much energy. It was available on MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) from 2021.
The M1 Ultra: M1 Ultra was the strongest. The two M1 Max chips are connected with a technology called UltraFusion. It packs a 20-core CPU, a 64-core GPU (which can be configured up to 128 GB of integrated memory), and a 32-core neural engine—complete with seven times more transistors than the base M1. Even with the M3 Ultra now available, the M1 Ultra remains powerful and a solid choice for anyone who needs a heavy-duty processor to work with solid visuals and graphics. It was only available on the first generation Mac Studio.
