RAM difference? M1>M4

[npdale]

So going from An m1max to an m4 pro chip is ok for me mentally I think lol but going from 64gb to 48gb bugs me.

is there a difference in speed of ram type that made apple limit the pro? will it affect performance do you think?

 

[russell_314]

So going from An m1max to an m4 pro chip is ok for me mentally I think lol but going from 64gb to 48gb bugs me.

is there a difference in speed of ram type that made apple limit the pro? will it affect performance do you think?

You’re comparing the Max to the Pro chips. The M1 Pro was limited to 32 GB. You can get your 64 GB if you stay with a Max chip.

I don’t know the technical aspects, but I know with the M1 chips memory bandwidth on the Max chip was higher. I suspect it’s going to be the same for M4.

Will it affect performance? I’d say yes. If you’re doing something that really needs this kind of performance then consider getting the more powerful M4 Max. I’m sure there’s benchmarks comparing them.

You’re considering a newer chip but a lower version so I’m not sure how that will work out. I would definitely check out benchmarks because you might be disappointed if it’s about as fast or even a little faster than your current setup.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Why would you even consider replacing a M1 Max with M4 Pro? There's not enough performance difference to justify the cost.

 

[Malus120]

Why would you even consider replacing a M1 Max with M4 Pro? There's not enough performance difference to justify the cost.

I would have to disagree.

I’m doing some testing right now on a base M4 Pro Mini vs my M1 Max MBP and the performance difference is actually pretty insane. CPU, Neural Engine, power efficiency are all massively improved (~2X or more.) Even GPU performance is mildly improved. This is one chip I think synthetic benchmarks actually undersell.

Depending on your use case (and how much you can get for your M1 Max) an upgrade can absolutely be worth the money.

 

[leman]

So going from An m1max to an m4 pro chip is ok for me mentally I think lol but going from 64gb to 48gb bugs me.

is there a difference in speed of ram type that made apple limit the pro? will it affect performance do you think?

M1 Max has faster overall memory than M4 Pro (by 50%). I don’t know if it will affect performance in your case. If it does, it would be in GPU workflows, and M4 Pro GPU seems plenty fast.

 

[npdale]

Thanks all - essentially I can no longer carry my 16" around due to health issues with my hand so need to go for a 14" and I am hearing the Max in the 14" Is not really worth it performance/cost wise - I saw that the Pro was knocking on the door of previous Max variants in performance, so the idea was to rock the pro and maybe go with a desktop in the studio as im hoping to travel a bit less over the next couple of Years. But of course I'm limited to 48GB Ram in this instance.

I am working with medium format stills and 8K video alongside 3D vis and modelling - The M1 Max still handles this fine mostly aside from stuttering in Photoshop and occasionally Autodesk.

So ideally I'd just spec out a 14" but I'm still waiting for concencus on whether the Max in the 14" is worth it.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I would have to disagree.

I’m doing some testing right now on a base M4 Pro Mini vs my M1 Max MBP and the performance difference is actually pretty insane. CPU, Neural Engine, power efficiency are all massively improved (~2X or more.) Even GPU performance is mildly improved. This is one chip I think synthetic benchmarks actually undersell.

Depending on your use case (and how much you can get for your M1 Max) an upgrade can absolutely be worth the money.

M4 Pro is a great chip - no doubt. I have a M4 Pro mini myself, and it’s a terrific upgrade compared to my old M1.

But my M1 Max MBP is handling all I can throw at it. Sure, I’m not doing LLM with it but if I were, I’d certainly want the speed and memory of M4 Max as an upgrade. For photos & video work, even “2X” performance at the CPU isn’t going to justify the cost difference for upgrading on terms of overall workflow performance changes, unless you’re needing to upgrade regardless (not enough RAM, damaged computer, or in the OP’s case needing a different form factor).

Thanks all - essentially I can no longer carry my 16" around due to health issues with my hand so need to go for a 14" and I am hearing the Max in the 14" Is not really worth it performance/cost wise - I saw that the Pro was knocking on the door of previous Max variants in performance, so the idea was to rock the pro and maybe go with a desktop in the studio as im hoping to travel a bit less over the next couple of Years. But of course I'm limited to 48GB Ram in this instance.

That is certainly a horse of a different color. If your memory pressure is typically green on your current M1 Max, then maybe the Pro will do just fine. If you’re seeing significant yellow/red already, I would not compromise on RAM. M4 Max not being “worth it performance/cost wise” sounds FUD-ish to me 😉 performance vs. cost calculations have to take into account the needs of the user. If you’re limited to 14”… M4 Max 14” will certainly outperform M4 Pro 14”, even before accounting for higher RAM capacity. How it compares to M4 Max 16” isn’t really relevant.

Might be worth just trying out the M4 Pro; see if it’s suitable during the return period.

 

[npdale]

M4 Pro is a great chip - no doubt. I have a M4 Pro mini myself, and it’s a terrific upgrade compared to my old M1.

But my M1 Max MBP is handling all I can throw at it. Sure, I’m not doing LLM with it but if I were, I’d certainly want the speed and memory of M4 Max as an upgrade. For photos & video work, even “2X” performance at the CPU isn’t going to justify the cost difference for upgrading on terms of overall workflow performance changes, unless you’re needing to upgrade regardless (not enough RAM, damaged computer, or in the OP’s case needing a different form factor).

That is certainly a horse of a different color. If your memory pressure is typically green on your current M1 Max, then maybe the Pro will do just fine. If you’re seeing significant yellow/red already, I would not compromise on RAM. M4 Max not being “worth it performance/cost wise” sounds FUD-ish to me 😉 performance vs. cost calculations have to take into account the needs of the user. If you’re limited to 14”… M4 Max 14” will certainly outperform M4 Pro 14”, even before accounting for higher RAM capacity. How it compares to M4 Max 16” isn’t really relevant.

Might be worth just trying out the M4 Pro; see if it’s suitable during the return period.

lol thanks - I love your reply - puts things into perspective- we need more people here kicking the daft feverish tech worries into check with sensible logic!