The Apple M3 chip is now available in numerous devices, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini. But the key question is, how does it compare to the preceding M2 processor?
We haven’t been able to test the M3 chip just yet, but we can still glean valuable information by digging into the specs. Apple has also provided its own performance claims, which are useful, even if a pinch of salt is required.
So if you’re stuck between the M3 and M2 processors for your next Mac, here’s our full guide to help you make the right decision.
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Specs
The Apple M3 uses the exact same core configurations as the preceding M2 chip, with up to 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, as well as up to 24GB of unified memory. So where’s the performance boost coming from?
The speed boost is all thanks to the move to the new 3nm processor architecture, compared to the larger 5nm process found with the M2 series. A smaller process node allows Apple to squeeze on more transistors which contribute to the overall performance.
The M3 chip boasts a whopping 25 billion transistors, whereas the M2 chip packs in 20 billion instead, which is 5 billion fewer. When it comes to processing speed, the quantity of transistors is a big factor, so it’s no surprise to see the M3 packing in more.
There’s new technology onboard the Apple M3 too, with Dynamic Caching showcased as a new graphics feature. Dynamic Caching allocates the use of local memory in real-time, which is a different approach to traditional GPUs. Apple says it “dramatically increases the average utilisation of the GPU, which significantly increases performance for the most demanding pro apps and games.”
As with the 3nm Apple A17 Pro chip for iPhone, hardware-accelerated ray-tracing is now present on the Mac with Apple M3. The technology brings improved lighting effects to the Mac, with boosted shadows and reflections. There is hardware-accelerated mesh-shading too, enhancing the capability and efficiency of geometry processing on the MacBooks.
Performance
The specs alone can only tell you so much about a processor. The only true way to evaluate performance is to test it, either with benchmarks or real-world tasks. Unfortunately, we’re yet to test the M3 processor, and so will need to rely on Apple’s claims until we can use the new processor.
Apple says that the M3 is up to 35% faster for CPU performance than the M1 and, when it launched the M2, it touted that chip offered 18% faster CPU performance. So, if Apple’s measurements are consistent, then you should expect a noticeable boost.
The same conclusions can be drawn from its new GPU claims. Apple M3 is stated as being 65% faster than the M1 series, with Apple previously stating the M2 was 35% faster than the M1.
Apple says the AI performance has been given a big boost too. When using AI for Photomator’s Super Resolution feature, Apple suggests the M3 is up to 40% faster than the M1. We unfortunately don’t have any details on the difference in performance compared to the M2, but the M3 is expected to be faster.
