The M4 Max MacBook Pro is here! It was released last Friday, along with a new Mac Mini and a new M4 iMac. I have been using this new machine for a few days. I want to share my thoughts and run some tests to see how it compares to last year’s model.
What’s New on the M4 Max MacBook Pro?
On the outside, not much has changed. The real upgrades come from the new M4 chips inside. My MacBook has the M4 Max chip. It has a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU. I also have 48 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage.
There is one cosmetic change this year. You can now choose a nanotexture display. I regret not getting it! I really like the nanotexture on my iPad Pro. It helps a lot when I am traveling. I thought I wanted a sharp and bright display without it. But after seeing it in the Apple Store, I realized it looks amazing. I might have made the wrong choice!

Size and Design Choices
This year, you can get the MacBook in 14-inch or 16-inch sizes. I switched from a 16-inch space black model to a 14-inch silver model. The 14-inch is much better for traveling. The 16-inch was too big for small tray tables on planes.
Display Improvements
The display is brighter this year. The M3 model had a brightness of 600 nits for SDR content. The M4 Max goes up to 1,000 nits! It still reaches 1,600 nits for HDR content. When I tested both machines, the M4 was brighter. However, it might not show well on video.
Connectivity Options
The ports are the same this year. You still have MagSafe, three USB-C ports, a headphone jack, an SD card slot, and HDMI. But the three Thunderbolt ports are now Thunderbolt 5. This means you can connect three 6K monitors if you have the right equipment!

Performance Benchmarks
Now, let’s talk about performance. I ran some standard benchmarks and real-world tests to see how the M4 Max performs in my daily work. In Geekbench scores, the M3 Max had about 3,000 for single-core and almost 21,000 for multi-core. The M4 Max scored around 3,600 for single-core and 25,000 for multi-core.
For GPU performance, the M3 Max had scores of 98,000 and 163,000. The M4 Max improved to 119,000 and nearly 192,000. The M4 Max showed a significant boost in GPU power compared to the M3 Max.
Real-World Testing
I wanted to see how the M4 Max performs in real-world tasks. I used the Blackmagic RAW test for 8K video. The M4 Max reached 90 frames per second for the 8K CPU benchmark. The M3 Max scored 80 frames per second. For 8K Metal, the M4 Max got 377 frames, while the M3 Max achieved 297 frames.

Video Editing Tests
I also tested video editing with an 8-second clip in Topaz Labs AI video app. I used the 4X slow-motion preset. The M4 Max finished this task in 4 minutes and 48 seconds. The M3 Max took 6 minutes and 15 seconds. That’s a big difference! If you use AI video tools, this upgrade can save you time.
Next, I tested exporting a video in Final Cut Pro. I used a 6-minute and 30-second timeline in 4K with many effects. The M3 Max completed the export in 1 minute and 17 seconds. The M4 Max finished in 1 minute and 7 seconds. This is a nice improvement, but it’s not huge.
Should You Upgrade?
This blog is not meant for everyone. If you have an M3 Max, you might not need to upgrade. The improvements are nice, but not drastic enough to rush out and buy a new machine. However, if you have an older model like the M1 Pro or M1 Max, you will notice a big difference.

In conclusion, the M4 Max is a great machine. It has some nice upgrades and performs well for video editing and other tasks. If you are considering an upgrade, think about what you need. The M4 Max will serve you well for years to come!
What do you think? Did you get the new M4 Max, or are you thinking about it? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!