Side by side
Apple M1 Max vs M4 Pro
Apple M1 Max
39 positive (93%) · 2 mixed (5%) · 1 negative (2%)
Trust + time weighted: +92%
AI summary — not a quote
The Apple M1 Max is widely regarded by users as a high-performance 'beast' that maintains its relevance years after its initial release. It is particularly praised for its longevity and the value it offers on the used or refurbished market, where it often outperforms newer base-model chips in tasks requiring high RAM and GPU cores. Users transitioning from Intel-based Macs describe the performance jump as 'night and day,' highlighting its efficiency in video editing and software development.
Pros
- Exceptional longevity with users reporting it still feels 'snappy' and powerful years later
- Fast video export times thanks to dedicated built-in encoders
- Excellent performance-to-price ratio when purchased used or refurbished
- Quiet operation; fans often remain off even during demanding tasks like software compilation
Cons
- The 16-inch MacBook Pro model is noted for being heavy and less portable
- Specific GPU-intensive tasks like noise reduction may be slower than some dedicated PC GPUs
- RAM and storage are not upgradeable, necessitating high initial specs
Top excerpts
Yes. It’s still a beast. For non-programming/engineering work, this machine will give you many years of snappy service still.
I bought my used, but absolutely mint condition M1 Max MBP 16 for around $1500 USD a year ago
I have a 16" M1 Max and while it is a massive quality of life upgrade over my old Razer with an RTX 2080, the Razer still ran GPU intensive video workloads like noise reduction a bit quicker. Export times are way faster overall though due to the M1's built in encoders tho.
If you value high RAM, high storage, or high GPU performance, get a refurbished/used M1 Max or M2 Max. ... I recently upgraded from a base M1 Pro to a fully loaded M1 Max that was cheaper than buying the base M5 Pro and I’m glad I did. It has 64GB ram and 4TB storage which feels amazing.
M1 Max/Pro still goes super strong.
M4 Pro
76 positive (83%) · 12 mixed (13%) · 4 negative (4%)
Trust + time weighted: +78%
AI summary — not a quote
The M4 Pro is regarded as a high-performance powerhouse, particularly valued for specialized workflows like machine learning, video editing, and music production. While it offers significant gains in GPU and multi-core performance over base models and older generations, some users noted that for standard development or daily tasks, the upgrade from an M1 or M3 can feel indistinguishable in real-world use.
Pros
- Significant GPU and multi-core performance improvements over base M4 and older Pro chips
- Excellent battery life, with users reporting 12+ hours under heavy business use
- Support for Thunderbolt 5 and faster internal storage speeds compared to external drives
- Effective active cooling with a dual-fan design in the MacBook Pro chassis
Cons
- High price point, especially for configurations with 24GB+ of RAM
- 24GB of RAM can still be a bottleneck for intensive AI workflows involving multiple agents
- Diminishing returns for users upgrading from recent M-series chips for general office or dev work
Top excerpts
I just upgraded from an M1 Mac mini with 16GB of ram to a MacBook Pro M4 Pro with 48GB of ram and I can’t tell a single difference
If you value the latest chip and longest OS support, get the M5 Pro or discounted M4 Pro.
My question is, for how long will a MBP M4 Pro will get the job done? Besides being not as good as futures upgrades ofc, for how long will it be a good machine?
If I were you I would buy a used M4 Pro chip with the 20 core GPU on eBay; this machine will absolutely slay with the Adobe Suite (The M4 Pro chip is more powerful than the base M5 chip btw).
I paid a whopping $3000 cad for my m4 pro with 24gb. you got yourself a good deal.