Last week, Apple launched new MacBook Pros with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chipsets, and early CPU benchmarks (via Geekbench) painted a very promising picture for Apple's highest-end chipset, the M4 Max. Now we're looking at some GPU benchmarks, and the M4 Max continues to be quite strong.
These GPU benchmark results come from Blender Open Data, a test where users can evaluate the performance of Blender on their device, both the CPU and GPU. Unlike synthetic benchmarks like Geekbench, Blender's test can give you an idea of real-world performance if it suits your workflow.
M4 Max vs. Comparable Nvidia Offerings
According to Blender Open Data, the M4 Max scored an average of 5,208 across 28 tests, putting it just below the laptop version of Nvidia's RTX 4080 and just above the last-gen desktop RTX 3080 Ti, as well as the current-gen desktop RTX 4070.
That's pretty impressive considering Apple's graphics are fully integrated into the chip, unlike the discrete RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 4070, which take up a significant amount of space inside a desktop PC.
M4 Max vs. Nvidia's Best Offers
It's not all rosy, though. When you compare it to Nvidia's highest comparable offering, the RTX 4090 laptop, it still falls a bit short. The 4090 averages 6,863 points, making it about 30% faster than the most expensive M4 Max.
Top comment by bluedot
Windows laptops need to compete without being plugged in because portability is the hallmark of a laptop.
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There's obviously an efficiency argument to be made — Apple's M4 Max uses far less power than any other Windows laptop. However, for those looking to maximize performance on the go at all costs, the M4 Max isn’t the best choice, although it still performs impressively given its efficiency.
Wrapping Up
One interesting tidbit is that the desktop RTX 4090 averages 10,880 points. Hypothetically, the M4 Ultra chip, which doubles the M4 Max, could beat that score, making the next-gen Mac Studio much more interesting.
What do you think of the latest Apple Silicon? Let us know in the comments.
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