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Is one M4 chip the exact same speed as the rest of them?
- Thread starter mindquest
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Thanks I asked because I saw someone on another community say he bought 3 MacBook pros and one had a lower speed. Didn’t make sense how that could be
The only circumstance where it happens is if they aren't all exactly the same member of the M4 family. So far, Apple always clocks the Pro/Max chips very slightly faster than the base non-Pro/Max chip.
It isn't by much though. In the M4 family, the base M4 runs at up to 4464 MHz, while Pro/Max go up to 4512 MHz, about 1% more.
i disagree.
i have a M4mini-base, a M4 studio-max, and have had a M4mini-pro.
i do/did run the exactly same tasks on all of them.
(Music related / realtime tasks)
my studio-max has something like 7-8% better SC speed compared to my mini-base.
My Mini-pro was worser than my mini-base. I even opened a thread here to ask if i have a lemon.
The query could be solved to some degree. Based on the fact that benchmarks are higher with a fresh -completly empty- mac vs. a full bloated migrated system. But i made also some benchmark tests with a clean install bevore i gave my mini-pro back. Somehow, it was a lemon.
My verdict from there is: There is some variance possible in my opinion vs. exactly same chip model.
Maybe unlikely. But not completly impossible. That´s my opinion now.
Next point, not relevant for most tasks, but it is for my realtime based music making.
The studio max is set up more agressive vs. rising clock speed @ higher loads.
Some folks might even not be aware of it, most will, ....our macs do not run at paper spec clock speeds !
These are paper values. We might reach full clock speeds doing benchmarks or some other hefty tasks like rendering. Otherwise, not exactly.
Music making is different here compared to other tasks. Is it production work in your DAW, or realtime playing, ...means: you can literally turn your mac into a realtime playable "synthesizer" sort of Instrument.
Here vs. that specific usage is this whole "clock speed" thing a topic.
The CPU load while playing is not allways same. And usually not at 100%. But it might increase dramatically in some specific moments. Even if it´s just for very short moments. For example when we just play more notes at the same time. Or sustained notes, or worst: both.
If you render a video, regardless if things run faster or a smidge slower, the endresult is same.
Not so in realtime play music making. Cause you might run into audio dropouts. and that´s a nogo. Anyway for any recording situation but also live on stage. The Audio will start to have some "crackling noises" going on
my M4macs would run usually at around 3.9ghz while playing.
At higher loads they run up to 4.2 ghz.
A studio-max is definitly increasing clockspeed quicker towards 4.2ghz.
Past those 4.2 is the difference even much bigger compared to my mini-base. The studio max goes much better and quicker up to 4.3 ghz.
It´s internal setting to speed up the clock is more agressive compared to the mini-base. At least i came to that conclusion. I can´t tell you in this regard about the mini-pro.
The mini-pro has definitly the same adjustability in the general settings as the studio max has. The mini-base doesnt have that "power" setting.
But the mini-pro runs much warmer or hotter at these tasks.
So i see a chance that the studio max has an even more agressive internaöl "speed-up" setting than the mini pro.
i had the 14 core mini-pro, and the 16core studio max.
I´d not care too much if any for most usages. But vs. realtime play audio applications could one do.
There is in the meantime nifty audio SW around.
There are several different realtime audio applications that have started to become common usages.
For example live- mixing duties at concerts and other venues like Theatres.
Some folks effectivly replace (multi-) 10k $$ mixing desks with just a macbook doing FOH jobs ( thats: Front of House / your audio mixing station in front of the stage)
while if you render something like a Video, it might just take a little longer.
Audio differs here !
The audio dropouts would be very annoying in a live situation, to say the least.
to notes: the -to me- main leading audio app for such usages runs on only one core.
Which means in turnaround that this creates a very good base for CPU/computer comparisons
( leave it at that, i won´t answer what app i´m refering to. it´s too off topic. and i´m not interested to run same debates again)
edit:
which also means: even if one would only run a single threaded app, like i mostly do, could a studio-max be the better solution
i have a M4mini-base, a M4 studio-max, and have had a M4mini-pro.
i do/did run the exactly same tasks on all of them.
(Music related / realtime tasks)
my studio-max has something like 7-8% better SC speed compared to my mini-base.
My Mini-pro was worser than my mini-base. I even opened a thread here to ask if i have a lemon.
The query could be solved to some degree. Based on the fact that benchmarks are higher with a fresh -completly empty- mac vs. a full bloated migrated system. But i made also some benchmark tests with a clean install bevore i gave my mini-pro back. Somehow, it was a lemon.
My verdict from there is: There is some variance possible in my opinion vs. exactly same chip model.
Maybe unlikely. But not completly impossible. That´s my opinion now.
Next point, not relevant for most tasks, but it is for my realtime based music making.
The studio max is set up more agressive vs. rising clock speed @ higher loads.
Some folks might even not be aware of it, most will, ....our macs do not run at paper spec clock speeds !
These are paper values. We might reach full clock speeds doing benchmarks or some other hefty tasks like rendering. Otherwise, not exactly.
Music making is different here compared to other tasks. Is it production work in your DAW, or realtime playing, ...means: you can literally turn your mac into a realtime playable "synthesizer" sort of Instrument.
Here vs. that specific usage is this whole "clock speed" thing a topic.
The CPU load while playing is not allways same. And usually not at 100%. But it might increase dramatically in some specific moments. Even if it´s just for very short moments. For example when we just play more notes at the same time. Or sustained notes, or worst: both.
If you render a video, regardless if things run faster or a smidge slower, the endresult is same.
Not so in realtime play music making. Cause you might run into audio dropouts. and that´s a nogo. Anyway for any recording situation but also live on stage. The Audio will start to have some "crackling noises" going on
my M4macs would run usually at around 3.9ghz while playing.
At higher loads they run up to 4.2 ghz.
A studio-max is definitly increasing clockspeed quicker towards 4.2ghz.
Past those 4.2 is the difference even much bigger compared to my mini-base. The studio max goes much better and quicker up to 4.3 ghz.
It´s internal setting to speed up the clock is more agressive compared to the mini-base. At least i came to that conclusion. I can´t tell you in this regard about the mini-pro.
The mini-pro has definitly the same adjustability in the general settings as the studio max has. The mini-base doesnt have that "power" setting.
But the mini-pro runs much warmer or hotter at these tasks.
So i see a chance that the studio max has an even more agressive internaöl "speed-up" setting than the mini pro.
i had the 14 core mini-pro, and the 16core studio max.
I´d not care too much if any for most usages. But vs. realtime play audio applications could one do.
There is in the meantime nifty audio SW around.
There are several different realtime audio applications that have started to become common usages.
For example live- mixing duties at concerts and other venues like Theatres.
Some folks effectivly replace (multi-) 10k $$ mixing desks with just a macbook doing FOH jobs ( thats: Front of House / your audio mixing station in front of the stage)
while if you render something like a Video, it might just take a little longer.
Audio differs here !
The audio dropouts would be very annoying in a live situation, to say the least.
to notes: the -to me- main leading audio app for such usages runs on only one core.
Which means in turnaround that this creates a very good base for CPU/computer comparisons
( leave it at that, i won´t answer what app i´m refering to. it´s too off topic. and i´m not interested to run same debates again)
edit:
which also means: even if one would only run a single threaded app, like i mostly do, could a studio-max be the better solution
Last edited: