2023 MacBook Pro M3 Max: Memory Bandwidth

2023-12-27 • SEND FEEDBACK •
Related: 2019 iMac 5K, 2019 Mac Pro, 4K and 5K display, Apple 2023 Mac Pro M2 Ultra, Apple MacBook Pro M3, Apple Silicon, bandwidth, CPU cores, iMac, iMac 5K, laptop, Mac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Macs, memory, memory bandwidth, Other World Computing

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MPG tested both the 14-inch and 16-inch models Apple 2023 MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB /4TB, model Z1AU002AK and model Z1AF001AN. See all Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max.

About

2023 MacBook Pro M3 Max

This test uses the mt stress command of diglloydTools MemoryTester to evaluate memory bandwidth with a real application using all CPU cores.

Not to be confused with memory or CPU specifications—this is the real deal, whatever memory bandwidth an application actually has available to it, in a real operating system.

Memory bandwidth is especially important for more CPU cores or very fast CPU cores; it is important that it be proportional to the CPU computing power. Hence the 2019 Mac Pro with its 28 CPU cores needs high memory bandwidth (many cores), as does the Apple M1 Max chip (very high speed cores).

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Recommended MacBook Pro M3 Max Configurations, Accessories

Macs wish list • Deals on Apple

$4899 Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M3 Max, Space Black) IN STOCK in Computers: Apple Macs

$4099 Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M3 Max, Space Black) IN STOCK in Computers: Apple Macs

$7199 Apple 16" MacBook Pro (M3 Max, Space Black) IN STOCK in Computers: Apple Macs

$4399 Apple 16" MacBook Pro (M3 Max, Space Black) IN STOCK in Computers: Apple Macs

$2222 SAVE $200 = 8.0% Dell UltraSharp 32" 6K HDR Video Conferencing Monitor IN STOCK in Computers: Displays

$630 OWC 4TB Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD OUT OF STOCK in Computers: Drives and Storage

$200 OWC 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock (Space Gray) IN STOCK in Computers: Notebook Accessories

Results

The M3 Max has the same memory bandwidth as the M1 Max and M2 Max in spite of having more CPU cores. That could hamper it slightly given its 16-core CPU because ideally the bandwidth would scale in proportion to the number of CPU cores. It remains to be seen whether Apple would scale-up the memory bandwidth for a 32-core M3 Ultra with 50% more CPU cores than the M2 Ultra.

The 2023 Mac Pro M2 Ultra memory bandwidth is incredible, leaving the six-channel memory of the 28-core 2019 Mac Pro well behind, and the iMacs a distant speck in the rearview mirror. However, M2 makes no upgrade over M1 peformance.

2023 MacBook Pro: C memory bandwidth

2023 MacBook Pro M3 Max