get new Apple hardware can be an exciting experience , but for customer who are finally switching from an Intel Mac , the experience is a picayune unlike than a wide-eyed upgrade . The recently released MacBook Pro with the M3 potato chip is fulfil to the brim with modification .
Even if you ’ve been using an older M - series MacBook , there are still a few surprises . For users new to the M3 MacBook Pro experience , let ’s take a looking at at what ’s in store , from the computer hardware at your fingertips to the software you use . If you have n’t made a leverage yet , these tidbits can help you determine what model to get . And if you already have one , I ’ll cover a few things to aid you get the most out of the laptop . ( For a deep dive on the M3 Max MacBook Pro , readMacworld ’s 16 - inch MacBook Pro ( M3 Max ) limited review . )
M3 MacBook Pro: Space Black
You have likely discover it by now : Apple offers a brand - new Space Black colour option on the new MacBook Pro . What you may not be cognisant of is that it is only usable on certain models . MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro and M3 Max both have the Space Black color option , but it is oddly missing from the fundament M3 laptop computer .
Apple offer Space Gray and Silver on M3 MacBook Pros . Space Black and Silver are on the higher - end fashion model – there ’s no Space Gray option . The Space Black option also includes a nifty coloring - matching MagSafe cable .
The MacBook Pro ’s Space Black ( left ) is light than dim Windows laptops like the Razer Blade 16 ( right wing ) .
The MacBook Pro’s Space Black (left) is lighter than black Windows laptops like the Razer Blade 16 (right).
Thiago Trevisan
Another surprising titbit when first unboxing the Space Black MacBook Pro : It ’s not all that dark of a color . observe next to a Razer Blade 16 Windows laptop , and the refinement difference is substantive . Matte black aficionados may be disappointed here , but it is still a gorgeous laptop computer .
How does the Space Black finish hold up to everyday utilisation ? I ’ve been actively using the Space Black MacBook Pro , sling it in a backpack on my travels , and it has held up well without any scratches or marks . According toApple , a “ especial chemistry ” was used to shape an “ anodization stamp ” for Space Black . The keyboard does seem to foot up finger smear , but that ’s straight on most laptops .
The MacBook Pro’s Space Black (left) is lighter than black Windows laptops like the Razer Blade 16 (right).
With the Space Black MacBook Pro , Apple includes a co-ordinated MagSafe charge cable .
M3 MacBook Pro: Keep it unplugged
When it comes to the stamp battery life , new owner of the M3 MacBook Pro may be in for quite a shock if they ’ve upgraded from an Intel MacBook or a Windows laptop . Achieving 20 - plus hours of unplugged operability is not uncommon , as proprietor of previous Apple silicon MacBook Pro role model can attest to .
What ’s even skillful is the ability to use the laptop computer with no public presentation loss while on battery . This is something alone to Apple atomic number 14 – Windows machines can not replicate this same degree of consistency .
substance abuser can confidently figure out without being plugged in for several hours .
With the Space Black MacBook Pro, Apple includes a matching MagSafe charging cable.
In macOS ’s Battery System preferences , possessor can toggle on High Power Mode even while using the battery . By contrast , unplugging a high - performance Razer Blade 16 Windows laptop importantly hampers execution . The 14 - inch models have an 18 - hour barrage life-time , and the 16 - inch model have a astral 22 - hour shelling aliveness .
The 14 - column inch MacBook Pro with an M3 or 11 - core M3 Pro comes with a 70 - W power adapter . The 14 - column inch MacBook Pro with the 12 - core M3 Pro or M3 Max admit a 96W USB - C king adapter . All of the 16 - inch fashion model let in a 140W powerfulness adapter . All of the models admit a USB - degree Celsius to MagSafe cable that work with the power adapter .
M3 MacBook Pro: Performance
The MacBook Pro with M3 Max whack my 2019 Mac Pro when it come to performance . It ’s not surprising that processing with ProRes and other codecs ( such as H.265 ) are dominant on Apple silicon over Intel , but the processing art has even caught up to GPU - operose tasks such as R3D Raw .
When hire epithet , the novel MacBook Pro M3 Max did not blockade at the 2019 Mac Pro . The M3 Max is also alarming closely to do as tight as the current fast Mac Studio with M2 Ultra in many scenarios .
Gaming performance on the M3 MacBook Pro shows Apple ’s continued improvement in this surface area .
Users can confidently work without being plugged in for several hours.
GPU gambling performance is meliorate but not quite on the level of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU . With ironware - enable ray tracing and mesh blending , typical game carrying out is hearty on many corroborate titles . The ProMotion Liquid Retina display can go up to a refresh rate of 120Hz , making even microcomputer gamers turn their head in admiration .
While the M3 MacBook Pro is square aim at owners of old Intel - establish Macs , the public presentation improvements are significant enough to warrant some curiosity on the part of M2 Max MacBook Pro owners , even though that laptop is n’t even a year older . The extended upgrade rhythm due to Apple ’s dependence on Intel are no more , but M2 Max owners should not kick upstairs .
There is no deny that the evolution of Apple silicon performance is sensational , and the capability of the M3 chip series surprised me , as undoubtedly it will also storm raw owners , too . Do n’t be afraid to leave behind that big desktop at nursing home , the M3 MacBook Pro is more than able even with more GPU - centrical task .
Gaming performance on the M3 MacBook Pro shows Apple’s continued improvement in this area.
M3 MacBook Pro: Other things to know
TheTouch Bar , once a brag feature on MacBook Pro , is completely go . Most exploiter seem to prefer real forcible buttons , so that feature of speech never gained any significant popularity .
The M3 MacBook Pro model include an HDMI 2.1 port , as well as Thunderbolt 4 / USB - degree Celsius ports and an SDXC Card time slot .
Connectivity is ample for most users . The Thunderbolt 4 ports signify that join external drives will be natty . The port wine are backward - compatible with USB - C for your other gadget , too . The 16 - inch model gets a third Thunderbolt port compare to the two on the 14 - column inch model . The laptops include an SDXC memory board card slot for card used with camera and other devices .
The M3 MacBook Pro models include an HDMI 2.1 port, as well as Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports and an SDXC Card slot.
Most exploiter bonk using the XDR Retina display with HDR and the 120Hz ProMotion varying refresh rate . Keep in head that the standard M3 MacBook Pro can only unite one outside video display . For up to four displays , you ’ll demand an M3 Pro or M3 Max .
What remain , however , is thestandard 8 GB unified memory configuration for the groundwork M3 MacBook Pro . While Apple has argued that itsunified memory makes it better than 8 GB of RAM on a Windows automobile , you should upgrade to at least 16 GB for steady usage and productiveness work . Users with heavier work load will benefit from even higher storage amounts . For extreme power users , you could prefer for a whopping 128 GB of computer memory – this configuration is typically needed only by users doing memory - clayey tasks or using GPU - intensive program .
It ’s certainly in your best interest to customise these MacBook Pros with a piffling more than you retrieve you ’ll necessitate since they ’re not upgradable . Much like theMac Studio , the hardware is locked in . No store or SSD rising slope are available after purchase as you find on a distinctive Windows laptop computer .
M3 MacBook Pro: What’s next
The M3 MacBook Pro card ( especially the blazingly profligate M3 Max ) was a surprisingly powerful update to the already potent M2 machine released in January of 2023 . While these M3 laptops wo n’t see an acclivity for a while , M3 Ultra Macs are surely next on the horizon . Likely only being equipped in the desktop Mac Pro and Mac Studio machines , carrying out will pass on a new apex . If it ’s the ultimate in public presentation you are search for – regardless of it being on a desktop Mac or a laptop – you’ll have to wait until the spring of 2024 , or at WWDC in June .
With Intel processor being long gone , it also means that Apple has a raft more flexibleness in its upgrade cycle since they ’re using its own Si . That entail we can expect the next looping of MacBook Pros to pack even more of a puncher and a steady timetable for young releases .
Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Max, 2023)
Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Max, 2023)
Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)
Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)
Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 2023)
