M3 MacBook Pro vs M1: Worth upgrading?

The new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max Apple Silicon power the latest MacBook Pro laptops. Along with more powerful and efficient CPUs and GPUs, these MacBook Pros enable up to 128GB of memory, have brighter screens, improved battery life, and a new space black finish. Join along for a detailed comparison of what’s different and new with the M3 MacBook Pro vs M1 MacBook Pro lineup and some help answering the question, is it worth upgrading?

We’ll focus below on M3 MacBook Pro laptops vs M1 MacBook Pro machines but we’ve got a M3 vs M2 guide too:

• M3 MacBook Pro vs M2: What’s different?

M3 MacBook Pro vs M1 MacBook Pro laptops

CPU, GPU, memory, neural engine

The M3 Apple Silicon chips feature configurations with 8 to 16-core CPUs, 10 to 40-core GPUs, and 8 to 128GB of unified memory.

Here’s the breakdown of the M3 specs vs the M1 Pro and M1 Max:

	M3 MacBook Pro	M1 MacBook Pro
Processor	M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max – up to 16-core	M1 Pro or M1 Max – 8 or 10-core
Storage	Up to 8TB	Up to 8TB
Unified memory	Up to 128GB	Up to 64GB
Memory bandwidth	Up to 400GB/s memory bandwidth	400GB/s memory bandwidth
Graphics	Up to 40-core with hardware-accelerated ray tracing	Up to 32-core
Media engine	Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, Video decode engine, 1 or 2x video encode engines, 1 or 2x ProRes encode and decode engines, AV1 decode	Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, Video decode engine, 1 or 2x video encode engines, 1 or 2x ProRes encode and decode engines
Neural engine	16-core	16-core

Apple says the M3 chip efficiency cores are up to 30% faster than the M2 family, and up to 50% faster than the M1 family.

For performance cores, the M3 family is 15 and 30% faster than M2 and M1, respectively.

And Apple says rendering on M3 is up to 1.8x faster than M2 and up to 2.5x faster than M1.

Apple also says the M3 chips represent the “Largest leap forward in graphics architecture” with Dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading.

Display

The M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro laptops featured the same display as the 2021 M1 Pro/Max models with the Liquid Retina XDR Display, ProMotion with up to 120Hz refresh rates, an increased resolution/pixel per inch density, and slimmed down bezels.

Now the M3 MacBook Pro models feature one main improvement – a 20% brighter screen that displays SDR content at up to 600 nits. Apple highlights that matches the Studio Display for consistent brightness.

	14″ M3 MacBook Pro	14″ M1 MacBook Pro	16″ M3 MacBook Pro	16″ M1 MacBook Pro
Actual screen size	14.2″	14.2″	16.2″	16.2″
Resolution	3024 x 1964	3024 x 1964	3456 x 2234	3456 x 2234
Aspect Ratio	16:10 + notch	16:10 + notch	16:10 + notch	16:10 + notch
PPI	254	254	254	254
Nits (brightness)	1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 600	1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 500	1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 600	1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 500
Liquid Retina XDR display	✅	✅	✅	✅
ProMotion (up to 120Hz)	✅	✅	✅	✅
mini-LED backlit	✅	✅	✅	✅
True Tone	✅	✅	✅	✅
P3 wide color	✅	✅	✅	✅

Same as the M1 and M2 models, the latest MacBook Pros come with a notch at the top center of the display for the 1080p FaceTime camera.

Face ID has still not arrived with the M3 MacBook Pro laptops.

M3 MacBook Pro I/O

The M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pro laptops feature the same ports and same layout as the M1 and M2 Pro and Max MacBook Pro.

That includes an HDMI port, SDXC card reader, and MagSafe. There are also 3 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4 ports.

However, the M3 MacBook Pro comes with one less Thunderbolt 4 port – the one on the right side has been removed.

But like M2 Pro and M2 Max, M3 Pro and M3 Max take external display support further than the M1 with an upgrade from the HDMI 2.0 to 2.1 port that supports up to 8K output at 60Hz. That also allows for multichannel audio output.

Two more upgrades include WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

	14″ M3 MacBook Pro	14″ M1 MacBook	16″ M3 MacBook Pro	16″ M1 MacBook Pro
Magic Keyboard	✅	✅	✅	✅
Touch ID	✅	✅	✅	✅
FaceTime camera	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p
USB-C/Thunderbolt ports	3 (2 for M3 models)	3	3	3
HDMI	✅ 2.1	✅ 2.0	✅ 2.1	✅ 2.0
SDXC card reader	✅	✅	✅	✅
MagSafe charging	✅	✅	✅	✅
Bluetooth	5.3	5.0	5.3	5.0
Wi-Fi	WiFi 6E	WiFi 6	WiFi 6E	WiFi 6
External display support	M3: One external display at up to 6K/60Hz M3 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt, or 1 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144Hz over HDMI, or 1 at 8K/60Hz or 1 at 4K/240Hz over HDMI M3 Max: Up to 4 external displays: 3 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144Hz over HDMI, or up to 3 displays: 2 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 8K/60Hz or 1 at 4K/240Hz over HDMI	M1 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz  M1 Max: Up to 4 external displays with 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz	M3 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt, or 1 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144Hz over HDMI, or 1 at 8K/60Hz or 1 at 4K/240Hz over HDMI M3 Max: Up to 4 external displays: 3 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 4K/144Hz over HDMI, or up to 3 displays: 2 at 6K/60Hz over Thunderbolt and 1 at 8K/60Hz or 1 at 4K/240Hz over HDMI	M1 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz M1 Max: Up to 4 external displays with 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz

Colors, size, and weight

Physical dimensions are the same between the M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Pro laptops. But now this time around for the M3 Pro and Max models is a new space black color available alongside silver.

Leaving the new color for the high-end, the M3 MacBook Pro is only available in space gray and Silver.

Here’s the full breakdown of colors, size, and weight:

	14″ M3 MacBook Pro	14″ M1 MacBook Pro	16″ M3 MacBook Pro	16″ M1 MacBook Pro
Weight	M3: 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) M3 Pro: 3.5 pounds (1.61 kg) M3 Max: 3.6 pounds (1.62 kg)	3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)	M3 Pro: 4.7 pounds (2.14 kg) M3 Max: 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg)	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
Thickness	0.61 inch (1.55 cm)	0.61 inch (1.55 cm)	0.66 inch (1.68 cm)	0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width	12.31 inches (31.26 cm)	12.31 inches (31.26 cm)	14.01 inches (35.57 cm)	14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth	8.71 inches (22.12 cm)	8.71 inches (22.12 cm)	9.77 inches (24.81 cm)	9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Display size	14.2 inches	14.2 inches	16.2 inches	16.2 inches
Finishes	Silver or space gray for M3, space black or Silver for M3 Pro and M3 Max	Silver or space gray	Silver or space gray for M3, space black or Silver for M3 Pro and M3 Max	Silver or space gray

Battery life

• The new 16-inch M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pro laptops offer 22 hours of video playback on a single charge (up from 21 hours with M1 Pro/Max)
• The new 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro offers 22 hours of video playback on a single charge (up from 17 hours with the M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro)
• The new 14-inch M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pro offer 18 hours of video playback on a single charge (up from 17 hours with the M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro)
• The new MacBook Pro models continue to feature fast charging – up to 50% charge in 30 minutes (with 96 W brick for 14-inch and 140W for 16-inch)

Here are more details on the battery life of the new MacBook Pro laptops:

	14″ M3 MacBook Pro	14″ M3 Pro or Max MacBook Pro	14″ M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro	16″ M3 Pro or Max MacBook Pro	16″M1 Pro or Max MacBook Pro
Wireless web battery	15 hours	12 hours	11 hours	15 hours	14 hours
Video playback	22 hours	18 hours	17 hours	22 hours	21 hours
Included power adapter	70W or 96W	70W or 96W	67W or 96W	140W	140W
Battery capacity	70Wh	70Wh	70Wh	100Wh	100Wh
Fast charging	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Price

The base configurations are cheaper with the M3 option this time around and near the same for many of the M3 Pro/Max vs M1 Pro Max builds.

But custom builds are more expensive with up to 128GB memory and upgraded chips. The M3 MacBook Pro machines can be maxed out at up to $7,199 – $1,100 above the M1 MacBook Pro top-end.

Model/price	14″ M3 MacBook Pro	14″ M1 MacBook Pro	16″ M3 MacBook Pro	16″ M1 MacBook Pro
Base	From $1,599	From $1,999	From $2,499	From $2,499
Custom builds	Up to $6,899	Up to $5,899	$7,199	Up to $6,099

M3 MacBook Pro vs M1 conclusion

Reasons to buy

If you’re a pro (or aspiring pro) who needs the latest and greatest from Apple, the upgrade could be worth it. And the M3 MacBook Pro laptops will be very impressive for those who are coming from an Intel MacBook.

Reasons to pass

But for those who already have an M1 (or M2) Pro/Max MacBook Pro and/or don’t have workflows that require the absolute best performance, it’s likely the best fit to keep what you have.

Deciding on specs

For those unsure about which M3 MacBook Pro specs to pick, you can get the same 11, 12, 14, or 16-core processor with the M3 Pro and M3 Max in both the 14 and 16-inch models. The main difference in cost is the upgraded GPU power including the more capable media engine and increased external display support with the M3 Max chip.

When it comes to unified memory, if you have medium to heavy workflows and/or plan to keep your new MacBook Pro for several years (or more), going with 36GB or more will likely be worth the upgrade.

You can find the new MacBook Pro at Apple, Amazon, and other retailers soon.

Thanks for reading our M3 MacBook Pro vs M1 MacBook Pro comparison!