MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max: Which is the best for gaming?

The release of the new MacBook Pro with the M3 processors has led to a new battle of MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max chipsets for the title of best gaming chipset. This is the first series of 3nm processors available for the MacBook Pro, bringing significant performance improvements in both the CPU and GPU departments.

But which M3 chipset is the best for gaming? The answer is easy, M3 Max. This chipset will deliver the best performance in gaming, but how does it fare in the MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max battle?

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's views.

MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max: Which is the best for gaming?

Specs comparison

Apple MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max chipsets (Image via Apple)

All three chipsets come in the same 3nm package but offer different CPU and GPU configurations and vary in price. The M3 Max is the most powerful but also costs the most. Here are the specs of the MacBook M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max series of chipsets:

	Apple M3	Apple M3 Pro	Apple M3 Max
CPU P-cores	4-cores	6-cores	12-cores
CPU E-cores	4-cores	6-cores	4-cores
Boost frequency (P-cores)	4.05 GHz	4.05 GHz	4.05 GHz
Base frequency (E-cores)	2.75 GHz	2.75 GHz	2.75 GHz
L1 cache	192K	192K	192K
L2 cache	16MB	16MB	32MB
Memory frequency	LPDDR5-6400	LPDDR5-6400	LPDDR5-6400
Memory capacity	Up to 24GB	Up to 36GB	Up to 128GB
GPU cores	Up to 10-cores	Up to 19-cores	Up to 38-cores
Manufacturing node	3nm	3nm	3nm
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	20W	30W	40W

The crucial differences between the three chipsets are CPU cores, GPU cores, memory capacity, and TDP.

The base M3 chipset has the lowest CPU and GPU cores, while the M3 Max chipset has the highest number of cores. The Apple M3 Pro chipset sits in the middle of the two.

CPU performance comparison

M3 family of chipsets vs M2 and M1 chipsets (Image via Apple)

The CPU configuration is completely different between the three processors, and so is their performance. Here's the CPU performance comparison of the MacBook M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max:

	Apple M3	Apple M3 Pro	Apple M3 Max
Speedometer 2.1 web browsing	578	563	581
GeekBench single-core score	3,167	3,177	3,222
GeekBench multi-core score	12,012	15,661	21,428
Cinecnench 2024	710	1,010	1,607
Logic Pro music production	116	173	328

The CPU performance between the three CPUs is pretty much what you would expect. The M3 Max chipset wins, but only in multiple score benchmarks and applications that take full advantage of all its cores. But when it comes to single-core speed, all three chipsets are neck and neck with each other, which goes to show just how good these chipsets are.

The CPU performance of all three chipsets will be more than enough for gaming, but these chipsets come in different GPU cores. So, check out the GPU performance below.

Note: These performance numbers are from the Max Tech channel on YouTube.

GPU performance comparison

M3 GPU vs GPUs of other laptops. (Image via Apple)

The higher the number of GPU cores, the higher will be its gaming performance. The M3 Max has the highest number of GPU cores out of the three chipsets. Here's the GPU performance comparison of the MacBook M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max:

	Apple M3	Apple M3 Pro	Apple M3 Max
Geekbench 6 GPU	48,741	78,540	155,069
Wild Life Extreme Gaming	49.6 FPS	87.1 FPS	188.3 FPS
Cinebench 2024 GPU	3,304	5,946	12,654

While there is a notable difference in GPU performance between Apple M3 and M3 Pro chipsets, the difference between M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets is massive. The M3 Pro is roughly 70% faster than the Apple M3 in GPU-heavy benchmarks. However, the M3 Max chipset is 107% better than the M3 Pro and about 248% better than the base M3 in the same GPU-heavy benchmarks.

Note: These performance numbers are from the Max Tech channel on YouTube.

Gaming performance of Apple M3 Max

Performance of M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets at multiple games. (Image via Rob Bruce/YouTube)

Here's how the M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets perform in modern games:

Games	Apple M3 Pro (Average FPS)	Apple M3 Max (Average FPS)
Cyberpunk 2077 with Low/Medium settings at 1080p	42 FPS	48 FPS
No Man's Sky with Ultra settings at 4K	60 FPS	100 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3 with High settings at 4K	35 FPS	50 FPS
Witcher 3 at Low settings at 1080p	45 FPS	75 FPS

Some games, like Cyberpunk 2077, are yet to be optimized for Apple chipsets and run through the Rosetta 2 translation layer. So, the performance numbers of some games are lower and must be run at 1080p only.

However, other games easily run at 4K with over 60 FPS. All these game performances are from a laptop, which is simply astonishing. The M3 Max chipset is truly a beast.

Note: These performance numbers are from the Rob Bruce channel on YouTube.

Verdict

The Apple M3 Max is the clear winner in the MacBook M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max battle. It scored the highest on both CPU and GPU tests and is also capable of playing modern games at 4K resolution smoothly. It's the best Apple chipset to buy for gaming, but it is also a whole lot more expensive.

Check out our other comparisons:

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs AMD RX 7700 XT || Intel ARC A750 vs RTX 4060 || Radeon 7900 GRE vs RTX 4070 Super