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An M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro face-off is a must after Apple's big week of Mac announcements.
The new M4 MacBook Pro is here, unsurprisingly including a more powerful M4 chip than last year's M3 model. However, there are also bonuses to port selection, RAM, and even color choice this year. Here's how the M4 MacBook Pro stacks up to the M3 version.
(Note: We'll be focusing on the 14-inch models for this comparative analysis. Since publishing this comparison, we've named the M4 the best MacBook for most people and one of the best laptops overall.)
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Price and specs
The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is no longer available for purchase directly from Apple as of mid-2025, but Best Buy was still selling it in new condition at the time of writing. Its base model retails for $1,399 with the following specs:
M3 chip (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
8GB RAM
512GB SSD
The Apple Store sells the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, as do third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Costco. It starts at $1,599 with these specs:
M4 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
16GB RAM
512GB storage
The biggest difference between M3 and M4 base models is their RAM. Last year's MacBook Pro offered 8GB RAM in the base model, putting it behind some competitors. This year, there are no 8GB models; you get 16GB at minimum, which can go up to 24GB if you feel like paying more. Storage options have not changed from last year to this year, however.
Winner: M4 MacBook Pro
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Display
These two displays are nearly identical:
3,024 x 1,964-pixel resolution
16:10 aspect ratio
254 pixels per inch
ProMotion (i.e., up to 120Hz refresh rate)
Similar to the M3 MacBook Pro, the new M4 MacBook Pro continues to sport a notch (that still doesn't have Face ID).
However, there are two differences to note. The peak SDR brightness on the M4 model is 1,000 nits, while the same metric came in at 600 nits on the M3 MacBook Pro. Plus, the M4 MacBook Pro offers the nano-texture display option that's also available on the iPad Pro, Pro Display XDR, Studio Display, and iMac.
What's a nano-texture display? It's designed to dramatically reduce glare. As such, this option is best for users who often contend with challenging lighting conditions like sun-drenched offices.
We've had some experience with the nano-texture display on the iPad Pro, and while it does, indeed, significantly reduce glare and manages bright lighting conditions like a champ, there's a chance that you may notice a drop in the panel's vividness.
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Design
As far as visual design, the biggest difference between these two MacBooks is that you can get the new one in Space Black as well as silver.
By contrast, the M3 model is silver or bust. Here are the physical dimensions of the new M4 MacBook Pro:
Height: 0.61 inches
Width: 12.31 inches
Depth: 8.71 inches
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Those are, in fact, the exact same dimensions as the M3 model. You may be thinking, "So they really just changed some internals, added a new color, and called it a day, huh?" Well, not exactly.
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Ports
Another physical differentiator between the M3 and M4 MacBook Pros is the addition of a third Thunderbolt 4 port.
The M3 model only had two, while the M4 model has three, giving users more flexibility with external displays. Aside from that, the port selection is the same across both devices: an SD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an HDMI port, and a MagSafe port for charging.
No, there are no USB type-A ports.
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Performance
We had both MacBook Pros run Primate Labs' Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, which measures processor performance in several common tasks to produce a multi-core score. The higher the score, the better.
The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro notched a multi-core score of 11,998, making it 18% speedier than its M2 predecessor. Meanwhile, the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro got a score of 15,199, making it 24% faster than the M3 version and 40% faster than the M2 one. That's a pretty significant performance boost.
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Battery life
Apple rated the M4 MacBook Pro at up to 24 hours and the M3 version at up to 22 hours. However, we found their battery lives to be effectively identical in practice. The M4 model held out for 16 hours and 32 minutes in our battery life test, while the M3 version lasted 16 hours and 23 minutes. That's a difference of less than 10 minutes.
Winner: Tie
M4 MacBook Pro vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Which should you buy?
The latest M4 MacBook Pro
If snagging a nano-texture display, getting three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and having a minor boost in power isn't enough to sway you, the M3 MacBook Pro should be sufficient enough to meet your needs.
