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I can't see Apple keeping all those bins of the M1 Pro. Unless they have a lot of fallout on two CPU cores and two GPU cores Apple must be "soft" binning these chips for the lower price points.
The "real" M1 Pro is the 10 CPU/16 GPU/16GB RAM model at the $2499 price point.

we'll have to see if the lower spec M1 Pro has some other thermal/power throttling like the difference between M1 Air and M1 Pro last year.

Are you saying the base M1 Pro is using the M1 from last gen??
 
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What's the source for that?

From Apple's website:

"M1 Pro features up to 10 CPU cores and up to 16 GPU cores, coupled with 200GB/s of memory bandwidth and as much as 32GB of unified memory."

"M1 Max is even more powerful than M1 Pro. It features a 10‑core CPU and up to 32 GPU cores, while the memory bandwidth jumps to 400GB/s"
ya I was wondering myself but what ive seen so far seems to point that both Maxs are 400?
 
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I went with the Max. This will be replacing my 2010 MacPro, that drives 4 monitors. I need the 4 monitor capability more than anything. I do a little video editing, but that's not my primary deal, so, I won't be squeezing the max out of the max.. but, I'm a 4 monitor guy.. I need the Max. I suspect the additional GPU capabilities also enable 2x the # of monitors. Oh, and my monitors are mostly QHD, or 3840x1440, but one UW monitor also.

And, I also do a lot of multi-tasking, and generally have many programs running at a time.. so, 64GB is also a "requirement" -- I currently have 96GB on my MacPro.

I do development, so I'm often running virtualization (Docker), as well as a real interest in Virtualization of Windows on Arm (as much as I keep "wishing", all of the programs I need are not on the Mac). I'm trying to be optimistic there, and, faster + more Unified Memory is kind of a big deal for virtualization. Of course, the Max has the same # of Cores, so it won't be able to share any better than the Pro, but I think it will come down to the memory.

So, for me, 3 solid reasons why only the Max will do.
 
I can't see Apple keeping all those bins of the M1 Pro. Unless they have a lot of fallout on two CPU cores and two GPU cores Apple must be "soft" binning these chips for the lower price points.
How do you know Apple is using bined parts at all? Referring to failed factory tests but worked ok at a lower speed and/or voltage. I haven't read that TSMC does this for parts made for Apple. Just recently there was a vendor being qualified for OLED source other then LG/Samsung, they failed for some time until they met Apple quality testing consistently.
 
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Yeah I found it pretty sketchy (but not surprised) that adding the "Max" upgrade for what they showed is $200 actually added $600 to the price by slipping in a forced memory upgrade as well.
 
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Honestly most people would be well served by the M1 MBA. And 99% of people would be fine with the Pro Base Model. That said, many more people will buy the Max who will never come close to needing all of that power.

I went with the M1 Pro Base model but upped the ram to 32 and storage to 1TB which is probably overkill. I keep laptops for at least 5 years and that will be just fine for 5 years and maybe even 10.
I went with the exact same config. I won't even use the CPU/GPU power of the base M1 Pro, but storage and ram are always nice. My current MBP is just over 6 years old and I plan to keep this at least as long.
 
Yeah I found it pretty sketchy (but not surprised) that adding the "Max" upgrade for what they showed is $200 actually added $600 to the price by slipping in a forced memory upgrade as well.
Well for me it really was a $200 upgrade because I was going to get the M1 Pro with 32 GB RAM (can't see doing less than that these days, for just about any use case), and figured jumping to the Max and 24 core GPU for another $200 was a no-brainer.

And I got (or will theoretically get!) over $1.6k for my i9 16", which seemed quite reasonable compared to much lower third party trade-in sites.
 
I would have bought the M1 Max if it had been available with 16 GB.

With a minimum 32 GB it becomes unnecessary expensive. I rather save the money and make my next upgrade a year or two earlier when the M3 or M4 chip is available.

I will use my MBP mainly for compiling software, so I don't need the GPU and 16 GB is fine.

If I run out of RAM in the future, the OS will have to swap to disk, but not as bad today with a fast SSD, as it was 10 years ago. Most likely the keyboard, display or trackpad will break down before this happens.
 
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I ordered these two specs and looking to cancel one:

14” - silver - 8 core cpu/14 core gpu/16 core neural/16 GB RAM/512 GB SSD/67W power adapter - delivers 10/26
14” - silver - 10 core cpu/16 core gpu/16 core neural/16 GB RAM/512 GB SSD/96W power adapter - delivers 11/5 - 11/10

I don’t do anything intensive except Microsoft office products. Just browsing, streaming, YouTubing. the ProMotion display was the bottom line for me and I like to future proof as I keep the machines 5-7 years. Which should I cancel?
 
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32GB of RAM is the minimum to go since there's no additional RAM for the GPU.

My 2019 MacBook Pro 16" has 16GB of RAM for the CPU + 4GB of RAM for the GPU = 20GB of RAM in total.

If you need only 16GB of RAM, then you should get the Air or the mini. I hope the M2 will have a 32GB option. Most people just want more RAM with the base processor.
 
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I ordered these two specs and looking to cancel one:

14” - silver - 8 core cpu/14 core gpu/16 core neural/16 GB RAM/512 GB SSD/67W power adapter - delivers 10/26
14” - silver - 10 core cpu/16 core gpu/16 core neural/16 GB RAM/512 GB SSD/96W power adapter - delivers 11/5 - 11/10

I don’t do anything intensive except Microsoft office products. Just browsing, streaming, YouTubing. the ProMotion display was the bottom line for me and I like to future proof as I keep the machines 5-7 years. Which should I cancel?
I would keep the 10/16 cores and make it more future proof. I got the 8/14 first and canceled and upped to the 10/14. The two extra cpu cores might not make a huge difference, but if you can spend the money, why not
 
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Honestly most people would be well served by the M1 MBA. And 99% of people would be fine with the Pro Base Model. That said, many more people will buy the Max who will never come close to needing all of that power.

I went with the M1 Pro Base model but upped the ram to 32 and storage to 1TB which is probably overkill. I keep laptops for at least 5 years and that will be just fine for 5 years and maybe even 10.
Exactly my thoughts. I mean unless I'd need to cut prores vids or whatever other high perf *****, MBA is the deal. Even for some simple development purposes with XCode.
 


This week, Apple announced a major update for its high-end MacBook Pros, with the new machines featuring a complete redesign, larger mini-LED displays with ProMotion, an HDMI port and SD card slot, full-sized function keys, and more. The new machines contain one of two scaled-up variants of the M1 System on Chip (SoC), the M1 Pro or the M1 Max.


When choosing your MacBook Pro configuration, should you choose the M1 Pro or M1 Max? Despite both being powerful Apple silicon chips with some overlap, they do have different capabilities. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two chipsets for the high-end MacBook Pro is best for you.

Comparing the M1 Pro and M1 Max

The M1 Pro and M1 Max feature the same basic architecture based on the M1 chip, resulting in the same core functionality. Apple lists these identical features of the two SoCs:

Similarities

  • Up to 10-core CPU with eight performance cores and two efficiency cores
  • 16-core Neural Engine
  • Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
  • Video decode engine

Apple's breakdown shows that the two chips share most of their basic features, but they have several differing capabilities.

Differences


M1 Pro

  • Up to 16-core GPU
  • 200GB/s memory bandwidth
  • Support for up to 32GB of unified memory
  • ProRes encode and decode engine
  • Video encode engine


M1 Max

  • Up to 32-core GPU
  • 400GB/s memory bandwidth
  • Support for up to 64GB of unified memory
  • Two ProRes encode and decode engines
  • Two video encode engines


Pricing

The base-level 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,999 as standard and starts with the M1 Pro with 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU. On the other hand, the base-level 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,499 as standard and starts with the M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU. It is possible to upgrade the chip in both machines for an added cost:

  • Apple M1 Pro with 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
  • Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – +$200
  • Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – +$300
  • Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – +$500
  • Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine – +$700

With the 16-inch model already starting with the top-end M1 Pro chip, the upgrades to the two M1 Max options are priced at $200 and $400 respectively on that model.

It is worth noting that adding the M1 Pro with 10‑core CPU or better to any 14-inch MacBook Pro configuration also includes the 96W USB‑C Power Adapter, worth $20, as a free upgrade.

In addition, adding the M1 Max to a MacBook Pro configuration automatically adds 32GB of memory for an additional $400, making the cost of adding one of the two M1 Max options to the base 14-inch model $900 and $1,100 respectively in real terms.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the M1 Pro is a highly capable chip and the best option for most professional workflows. The M1 Max is not uniquely specialized toward specific tasks, so M1 Pro users are not missing out on any abilities. Instead, the M1 Max is simply a more powerful variant of the M1 Pro that most users will not need.

A maximum of 32GB of memory should be enough for many professional users, but if you need more than 32GB of memory, the M1 Max is the only Apple silicon chip to support this.

The M1 Max is better suited to extremely demanding GPU workflows, such as high-level graphic design, 3D modeling, and video editing. Users who often work with video may also benefit from the M1 Max's additional video engines. You will probably know if you fall into the bracket of users that needs this added performance.

The M1 Max is also likely to be a more future-proof chip in the coming years, so if you plan to keep your MacBook Pro for several years, you may consider getting a more powerful chip than you need right now.

Article Link: M1 Pro vs. M1 Max Buyer's Guide

Because there might be stock shortages, I went with my tried and true rule... buy now, regret later. :X

As soon as it was available, I went for 16" M1 Max model, try to configure 64GB of RAM and check out... I fumbled through the checkout as if I'm in a game show with 10 seconds left on the clock to win the grand prize. The checkout system did also timed out a few times... but once I made it through I regretted not going for 2TB. =/
 
The problem with the larger Air thought is its so light they wouldn't place the same thermals in it, and it will be a display that not a 120 hz also minus the better 6 speaker setup for spatial audio, so what your actually getting might not be what you hoped. I think the lowest price 14" would blow that all away. Its just the weight that you need to consider.
Those are very good points. I have a desktop iMac for a lot of my work, but for portable I'm currently on the 13 MBP from 2015. It weights the exact same as the new ones, and to me (my laptop before was a 2009 15 inch) this laptop feels light as hell. So the new weight isn't bad at all. Honestly I think when the time is right (sometime next year) that just means I'll probably get the base 14 inch (I'll bump up the charger and maybe the storage to 1TB).
 
Posted this in another thread, but here's my main question:

I don't need better graphics for games/etc. HOWEVER, upgrading from the M1 Pro (16core gpu) to M1 Max (24core gpu) means you also move from 200GB/s memory bandwidth to 400GB/s memory bandwidth. Additionally it offers a larger SLC cache.

Do people here think we'd see a significant (5%+?) performance impact in non-gaming daily tasks, or would this be totally unnoticeable? Use cases would be like office/browsing/xcode compilation mostly. Very occasional lightroom or video compression/edits.

+$180 on student discount so i'm kind of debating if this bump would get me anything, or if I'd just be burning $180 and never notice the performance change if not gaming.
 
From the MacRumors article:

M1 Max
  • Up to 32-core GPU
  • 400GB/s memory bandwidth
  • Support for up to 64GB of unified memory
  • Two ProRes encode and decode engines
  • Two video encode engines
I've been waiting for the long-rumored travel-size version of the MacPro because I design and operate high-res (up to 8k) motion graphics for LED walls at live events all over the US and occasionally overseas. Sounding like a tricked out M1 Max would be enough rendering/playing power and multiple high-res monitor outputs all while being even MORE easy to travel with!! Want to see a comparison with the new MacPro. Don’t expect it to be equal but if it’s anywhere close I’m all in!

Good news...! The "travel-size version" Mac Pro should have two (Jade 2C) M1 Max SoCs, maybe even four (Jade 4C)...?

Which means double or quadruple the number of encode / decode engines listed above...!

I actually wonder now; are the M1 Max and M1 Pro the same die, just with different binning?

It would make sense because you can use a lot more chips when they have that many cores and you can just disable the bad cores.

The M1 Pro is a cut-down variant (Jade C-Chop) of the M1 Max (Jade C-Die)...

Put the “max” in the “mini”

Yes...! I am waiting for the new Mac mini (Pro)...!

Mac mini (Pro)
  • 10-core CPU (8P/2E)
  • 32-core GPU
  • 16-core Neural Engine
  • 64GB LPDDR5 RAM
  • 1TB NVMe SSD
  • 10Gb Ethernet port
  • (4) USB-C ports
  • (2) USB-A ports
  • HDMI 2.0 port
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
$2999


There's an error in the story - the Max is 200 MB/Sec at 24 cores and 400 MB/Sec at 32 cores.
What's the source for that?

From Apple's website:

"M1 Pro features up to 10 CPU cores and up to 16 GPU cores, coupled with 200GB/s of memory bandwidth and as much as 32GB of unified memory."

"M1 Max is even more powerful than M1 Pro. It features a 10‑core CPU and up to 32 GPU cores, while the memory bandwidth jumps to 400GB/s"
ya I was wondering myself but what ive seen so far seems to point that both Maxs are 400?

Both the M1 Pro and the M1 Max have 128bit memory channels; the M1 Pro is Dual-Channel (addressing two memory chips), so a 256bit bus with 200GB/s memory bandwidth; the M1 Max is Quad-Channel (addressing four memory chips), so a 512bit bus with 400GB/s memory bandwidth...
 
My experience is the opposite. The stock or lightly upgraded models resell better (as a percentage of their original cost, of course) just because the market for the maxed out models is so small. I remember a guy here selling a high end Mac pro during the pandemic and getting a pitiful return. I felt badly for him, but most people buying serious pro computers aren’t buying them second hand.
Yep. For many professionals all current computers are underpowered. That may seem odd to say. But if there is any moment in your workflow where the computer stops to "think", then it is underpowered. And if you have to wait for it to compile and that process takes several minutes, then it is way underpowered. That group that has that type of tasks will buy the M1 Max and they definitely won't be buying a used M1 Max in two, three or four years. They are already constrained by the current tech and they won't want to be even more constrained by buying five year old tech.

A huge portion of buyers of used Macs basically want (A) access to the Mac OS in a computer that works and (B) spend as little as possible. So I don't think M1 Max is going to really be significantly future proofed for resale compared to the M1 Pro. Basically the Mac OS is never going to need or even use that many GPU cores to run and running Mac OS is basically the key thing that Macs do on the resale market.
 
In my experience, the top of the line models I've had over the years usually keep their resale slightly better than the other models. For that reason the Max is probably the better choice.
Base models almost always take less depreciation than any upgraded models. If you plan to resell within 3-4 years it's definitely worth considering just sticking with a base model and saving your money for a quicker model upgrade.
 
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