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M3 MacBook Pro vs M2: What’s different?

The latest MacBook Pro laptops are powered by the new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max Apple Silicon. In addition to more powerful and efficient CPUs and GPUs, these MacBook Pro machines support up to 128GB of memory, have brighter screens, improved battery life, and a new Space Black finish. Follow along for for an in-depth look at what’s different and new with the M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 MacBook Pro lineup.

M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 MacBook Pro laptops

CPU, GPU, memory, neural engine

The new M3 Apple Silicon family features options ranging from 8 to 16-core CPUs, 10 to 40-core GPUs, and 8 to 128GB of unified memory.

Here’s the breakdown of the new Apple Silicon specs vs the M2 Pro/Max:

M3 MacBook ProM2 MacBook Pro
ProcessorM3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max – up to 16-coreM2 Pro or M2 Max – up to 12-core
StorageUp to 8TBUp to 8TB
Unified memoryUp to 128GBUp to 96GB
Memory bandwidthUp to 400GB/s memory bandwidth400GB/s memory bandwidth
GraphicsUp to 40-core with hardware-accelerated ray tracingUp to 38-core
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, Video decode engine, 2x video encode engines, 2x ProRes encode and decode engines, AV1 decodeHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, Video decode engine, 2x video encode engines, 2x ProRes encode and decode engines
Neural engine16-core16-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.

We’ll have to wait and see how real-world tests turn out in comparison to Apple’s numbers, but the new M3 chips offer what appears to be another strong step up in performance and capabilities.

Display

M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 MacBook Pro 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 Pro14″ M2 MacBook Pro16″ M3 MacBook Pro16″ M2 MacBook Pro
Actual screen size14.2″14.2″16.2″16.2″
Resolution3024 x 19643024 x 19643456 x 22343456 x 2234
Aspect Ratio16:10 + notch16:10 + notch16:10 + notch16:10 + notch
PPI254254254254
Nits (brightness)1000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 6001000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 5001000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 6001000 sustained, up to 1600 peak HDR; SDR 500
Liquid Retina XDR display
ProMotion (up to 120Hz)
mini-LED backlit
True Tone
P3 wide color

The latest MacBook Pros come with a notch at the top center of the display for the 1080p FaceTime camera just like the 2021 models.

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

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

MacBook Pro I/O

M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 MacBook Pro I/O

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

14″ M3 MacBook Pro14″ M2 MacBook16″ M3 MacBook Pro16″ M2 MacBook Pro
Magic Keyboard
Touch ID
FaceTime camera1080p1080p1080p1080p
USB-C/Thunderbolt ports3 (2 for M3 models)333
HDMI✅ 2.1✅ 2.1✅ 2.1✅ 2.1
SDXC card reader
MagSafe charging
Bluetooth5.35.35.35.3
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
External display supportM3: 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
M2 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz, 1 external display at 8K/60Hz, or 1 display at 4K/240Hz over HDMI 

M2 Max: Up to 4 external displays, 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz or 3 total with 2 at 6K/60Hz and 1 external display at 8K/60Hz or 1 display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
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
M2 Pro: Up to 2 external displays at 6K/60Hz, 1 external display at 8K/60Hz, or 1 display at 4K/240Hz over HDMI

M2 Max: Up to 4 external displays, 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz or 3 total with 2 at 6K/60Hz and 1 external display at 8K/60Hz or 1 display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI

Like their predecessors, the M3 Pro and Max support HDMI 2.1 with up to 8K output at 60Hz. That also allows for multichannel audio output.

Colors, size, and weight

Physical dimensions are the same between the M3 and M2 MacBook Pro laptops. But new 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 Pro14″ M2 MacBook Pro16″ M3 MacBook Pro16″ M2 MacBook Pro
WeightM3: 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)
Thickness0.61 inch (1.55 cm)0.61 inch (1.55 cm)0.66 inch (1.68 cm)0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width12.31 inches (31.26 cm)12.31 inches (31.26 cm)14.01 inches (35.57 cm)14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth8.71 inches (22.12 cm)8.71 inches (22.12 cm)9.77 inches (24.81 cm)9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Display size14.2 inches14.2 inches16.2 inches16.2 inches
FinishesSilver or space gray for M3, Space Black or Silver for M3 Pro and M3 MaxSilver or space graySilver or space gray for M3, Space Black or Silver for M3 Pro and M3 MaxSilver or space gray

Battery life

M3 MacBook Pro 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 M2 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 M2 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 M2 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 Pro14″ M3 Pro or Max MacBook Pro14″ M2 Pro or Max MacBook Pro16″ M3 Pro or Max MacBook Pro16″M2 Pro or Max MacBook Pro
Wireless web battery15 hours12 hours11 hours15 hours14 hours
Video playback22 hours18 hours17 hours22 hours21 hours
Included power adapter70W or 96W70W or 96W67W or 96W140W140W
Battery capacity70Wh70Wh70Wh100Wh100Wh
Fast charging

Price

The base configurations are cheaper with the M3 option this time around and near the same for the M3 Pro/Max vs M2 Pro Max builds.

But custom builds are more expensive with up to 128GB memory and upgraded chips which means the M3 MacBook Pro machines can be maxed out at up to $7,199 – $700 above the M2 MacBook Pro top-end.

Model/price14″ M3 MacBook Pro14″ M2 MacBook Pro16″ M3 MacBook Pro16″ M2 MacBook Pro
BaseFrom $1,599From $1,999From $2,499From $2,499
Custom buildsUp to $6,899Up to $6,299$7,199Up to $6,499

M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 conclusion

M3 MacBook Pro vs M2 MacBook Pro conclusion

Reasons to buy

If you’re a professional (or aspiring pro) who needs the latest and greatest from Apple, the upgrade may 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 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 or opt for a MacBook Air.

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.

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.