October 30, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Apple Unveils M4 Pro and M4 Max
M4 Pro and M4 Max debut alongside M4, forming the most advanced chip family ever designed for personal computers.
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple today announced the introduction of M4 Pro and M4 Max, two new chips that, together with M4, deliver significantly enhanced power efficiency and advanced features to Mac. All three chips are built on cutting-edge, second-generation 3-nanometer technology, enhancing both performance and energy efficiency. The CPUs in the M4 lineup boast the fastest CPU core in the world, offering unmatched single-threaded performance and dramatically improved multithreaded capabilities.1 The GPUs have built upon the groundbreaking graphics architecture of their predecessor, featuring faster cores and an engine for ray tracing that performs 2x faster. For the first time, M4 Pro and M4 Max support Thunderbolt 5 on Mac, while unified memory bandwidth has been increased by up to 75%. Coupled with a Neural Engine that is twice as fast as the previous version, along with enhanced machine learning (ML) capabilities in the CPUs, the M4 chip family presents remarkable performance for professional and AI applications. Additionally, they provide outstanding efficiency for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms user interaction with technology while safeguarding their privacy.
“With Apple silicon, we’ve elevated the Mac to extraordinary heights, and innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max,” stated Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “This chip family, featuring the fastest CPU core, incredibly powerful GPUs, and the most advanced Neural Engine, solidifies our position as industry leaders in chip technology.”
M4: Exceptional Power and New Features
M4 brings unmatched performance to Mac for entrepreneurs, students, and creators, featuring an up to 10-core CPU with four performance cores and up to six efficiency cores. It is up to 1.8x faster than the M1, ensuring seamless multitasking across platforms like Safari and Excel. The 10-core GPU provides incredible graphics capabilities, being up to 2x faster than the M1, which enhances everything from photo editing to high-end gaming. The enhanced 16-core Neural Engine significantly benefits Apple Intelligence features, including writing tools and various AI tasks.
Memory support reaches up to 32GB of unified memory, with a memory bandwidth of 120GB/s. The display engine has been upgraded to handle two external displays alongside the built-in one. M4 now supports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, enabling rapid data transfer and amplified peripheral connectivity.
M4 Pro: A New Level of Power and Capability
M4 Pro amplifies the advanced technology of M4 for power users like researchers, developers, and creative professionals. It features an up to 14-core CPU, which includes up to 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, achieving speeds up to 1.9x faster than the M1 Pro and 2.1x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 The GPU offers up to 20 cores, delivering graphics performance that is 2x that of M4 and 2.4x faster than its AI PC counterparts.2 This substantial performance enhancement accelerates tasks such as building and testing applications across multiple Xcode simulators. Moreover, the improved hardware-accelerated ray tracing in the M4 family’s GPU enhances the visual fidelity of games and quickens rendering times for professional 3D work.
M4 Pro can accommodate up to 64GB of unified memory and boasts a memory bandwidth of 273GB/s, representing a staggering 75% increase over M3 Pro and double that of any AI PC chip.3 This, alongside the advanced Neural Engine, allows on-device Apple Intelligence models to perform at impressive speeds. Additionally, M4 Pro is compatible with Thunderbolt 5 on Mac, offering data transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s, more than double that of Thunderbolt 4, which is ideal for handling larger files of AI, video projects, and extensive codebases.
M4 Max: The Pinnacle of Pro Laptop Performance
M4 Max is the premier choice for professionals like data scientists and 3D artists who demand peak performance. It features an up to 16-core CPU, incorporating up to 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, allowing for CPU speeds that are 2.2x faster than the M1 Max and up to 2.5x faster than the leading AI PC chip.2 The GPU can provide up to 40 cores, achieving graphics performance up to 1.9x faster than M1 Max and a staggering 4x compared to the latest AI PC chip.2 This capacity enables intensive tasks like de-noising raw footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio to run in real time.
M4 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory and a memory bandwidth of 546GB/s, which is four times that of the latest AI PC chip.3 This allows developers to effectively manage large language models with nearly 200 billion parameters. The enhanced Media Engine of M4 Max incorporates dual video encode engines and two ProRes accelerators, establishing it as the ultimate choice for video professionals. M4 Max, like M4 Pro, also supports Thunderbolt 5, allowing for data transfers of up to 120Gb/s, ensuring that it easily handles the most demanding pro tasks while maintaining battery efficiency.
Apple Silicon Fuels Apple Intelligence
The M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips are designed to power Apple Intelligence.4 heralding a new chapter for the Mac, Apple Intelligence introduces personal intelligence capabilities to personal computing. By synergizing powerful generative models with cutting-edge privacy protections, Apple Intelligence takes advantage of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock innovative ways for users to work, communicate, and express ideas on their Macs. Initially available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1, this systemwide feature offers writing tools that refine text and improve readability across platforms. The redesigned Siri enhances task completion via natural spoken commands or typed queries, while also fielding thousands of Mac-related inquiries. New features are expected in December, introducing functionalities like Image Playground for creative image generation, and Genmoji for quick emoji creation. Siri’s capabilities will also be enhanced, allowing it to take actions based on personal context and provide tailored assistance. Integration with ChatGPT is scheduled for December, making it accessible within Siri and writing tools without needing to switch applications.
Apple Intelligence operates with user privacy as a priority. The system emphasizes on-device processing, while more complex tasks utilize Private Cloud Compute, tapping into Apple’s extensive server-based models while protecting personal data. Users can access ChatGPT for free without an account, with built-in privacy measures including IP address obfuscation and protection against data storage by OpenAI. Users choosing to connect their account will be subject to OpenAI’s data-use policies.
Environmental Commitment
The energy-efficient performance of M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max allows the new MacBook Pro lineup to meet Apple’s high energy standards and deliver up to 24 hours of battery life.5 This means less time spent plugged in and lower energy consumption overall. Similarly, desktop models like the iMac and Mac mini reduce their total energy usage thanks to Apple silicon’s efficiency. Apple has achieved carbon neutrality in global corporate operations and aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire carbon footprint by 2030 as part of its sustainability goals.
About Apple
Apple changed the landscape of personal technology with the launch of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, the company continues to be at the forefront of innovation with products such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Its six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless integration across devices and offer groundbreaking services like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple employs over 150,000 individuals dedicated to creating exceptional products and positively impacting the world.
- Testing conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
- Testing conducted by Apple in October 2024 using select industry-standard benchmarks. Performance data for AI PC chips derived from testing MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo (A2VMG-014US) with Core Ultra 7 258V.
- Data is based on published technical specifications of competitive chips as of October 2024.
- Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Macs with M1 and newer, accessible in most regions when the device language is set to U.S. English. The initial features are in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with future enhancements to roll out progressively. Support for additional languages is being rapidly developed.
- Testing conducted by Apple from August to October 2024. Battery life varies based on usage and configuration. Additional details can be found at apple.com/macbook-pro.
Press Contacts
Todd Wilder
Apple
wilder@apple.com
Apple Media Helpline
media.help@apple.com