Apple has announced three new chips for personal computers: the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. The company also announced new M3 MacBook Pro laptops and iMac desktop computers.
New processors
The new Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are the first personal computer chips built using the three-nanometer process technology. This means more transistors are packed into a smaller space, which improves speed and efficiency. The M3 family of chips also features a next-generation GPU and introduces a new technology called Dynamic Caching. Dynamic Caching allocates the use of local memory in hardware in real time. As a result, only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task. In addition, the new GPU delivers rendering features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading on a Mac for the first time.
M3
The new M3 chip features 25 billion transistors, which is more than five billion more than M2. It also has a 10-core GPU with next-generation architecture that is 65 percent faster than M1 for graphics performance. In addition, M3 has an eight-core CPU, with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, making it up to 35 percent faster than M1 for CPU performance. The M3 supports up to 24 GB of unified memory.
M3 Pro
The new M3 Pro chip consists of 37 billion transistors and an 18-core GPU. This should deliver extremely fast performance when working on graphics-intensive tasks. The GPU is also up to 40 percent faster than M1 Pro. The M3 Pro has a 12-core CPU design with six performance cores and six efficiency cores. This gives you a single-threaded performance that is up to 30 percent faster than M1 Pro. In addition, the M3 Pro supports up to 36 GB of unified memory.
M3 Max
The M3 Max has a phenomenal 92 billion transistors and a 40-core GPU that is up to 50 percent faster than M1 Max. The 16-core CPU features 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores, delivering performance that’s up to 80 percent faster than M1 Max. All of this is supported by up to 128 GB of unified memory. In addition, M3 Max has two ProRes engines to make light work of high-resolution video work.
MacBook Pro laptops
Apple has announced that the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops will be powered by the M3 Pro and M3 Pro Max chips. You can also opt for a 14-inch M3 model. The M3 Pro versions of the MacBook Pro will also feature up to 8 TB of storage and 128 GB of unified memory. In addition, Apple says that the screens on the new laptops are 25% and battery life is up to 22 hours. The new M3 MacBook Pro is available in a Space Grey or Silver color scheme. However, the M3 Pro and M3 Max powered laptops use a new Space Black color option as an alternative to Silver.
iMac
Apple also announced the launch of an M3-powered iMac with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina screen. If you are upgrading from an Intel-based iMac, Apple says that the M3 version is up to 2.5x faster than the 27-inch models. “We’re excited to give iMac a big boost in performance with the M3 chip,” said John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple. “The new iMac with M3 is incredible for anyone, especially those who haven’t yet upgraded from Intel, providing a giant leap in performance and capabilities only possible with Apple silicon.”
What we think
The Apple M1 and M2 series processors have already delivered great results for video work. The new M3 family of chips promises to boost that performance even further. With the M3 Pro MacBook Pro, text-based editing in Adobe Premiere Pro is up to 1.7 times faster than on the Intel-based MacBook Pro. In addition, noise reduction in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio is up to 2.7 times faster with the M3 Max MacBook Pro compared to the fastest Intel-powered option. If you work with video, the new Apple computers powered by M3 family chips are a very tempting prospect.
Pricing and availability
You can order the new MacBook Pro now, and delivery is scheduled to start on November 7. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 starts at $1,599 and with M3 Pro starts at $1,999. The 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499.
The new 24-inch iMac with M3 is also available to order now for delivery from November 7. The iMac with an 8-core GPU starts at $1,299, while the 10-core GPU option starts at $1,499.
