Apple finally introduced two new chips, the M4 Pro and M4 Max to join the existing M4, to bring more power efficiency and advancement to their Mac line of computers. The M4, M4 pro and M4 Max have now become the most advanced family of chips for a personal computer.
Based on the 3-nanometer technology, the M4 family of CPUs will bring power efficiency, and performance improvements featuring the world’s fastest CPU core with enhanced machine learning for pro and AI workloads.
The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips will for the first time enable Thunderbolt 5 for the Mac with machine learning to help deliver incredibly fast performance for pro and AI workloads, Apple Intelligence which is the basis for the personal intelligence system that enables user communication and privacy.
Key features of the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips:
- Enhanced CPU: Faster cores for improved single-threaded and multi-threaded performance.
- Advanced GPU: Upgraded graphics architecture with faster cores and a 2x faster ray-tracing engine.
- Thunderbolt 5 Support: Enables faster data transfer speeds and advanced connectivity (M4 Pro and M4 Max only).
- Increased Unified Memory Bandwidth: Up to 75% faster memory bandwidth for smoother multitasking (M4 Pro and M4 Max).
- Improved Power Efficiency: The 3nm process allows for better power efficiency, leading to longer battery life.
The M4 Chip Features and Performance
For the first time, the M4 chip is coming to Mac with up to 10-core CPU consisting of four performance cores and up to six efficiency cores. The M4 is up to 1.8x faster than the M1 so you can imagine multitasking across apps to be faster too.
There is also the added benefit for graphics-intensive tasks as a 10-core GPU provides amazing power, which means editing photos, videos and gameplay will get a 2x boost leading to a smoother experience.
When it comes to memory, display and ports, the M4 supports up to 32GB of unified memory with a high memory bandwidth of 120GB/s, a display engine that supports 2 external plus a built-in display, and support for 4 Thunderbolt ports which means faster transfer speeds and ability to connect more peripherals with ease.
The M4 Pro Chip Features and Performance
The M4 Pro improves further on everything the M4 is capable of, which sounds impossible but something Apple have managed to achieve. Aimed at developers, researchers, engineers, creative pros and users with demanding everyday tasks, the M4 Pro features an up to 14-core CPU with 10 performance and 4 efficiency cores.
The M4 Pro GPU has up to 20 cores for graphics, making it two times faster than the M4. Its improved hardware acceleration engine also means smoother gaming and stunning 3D imagery in no time. With support for up to 64GB of unified memory, 273GB/s of memory bandwidth and Thunderbolt 5 on Mac which delivers up to 120GB/s data transfer speeds, large file sizes of any kind will be easily worked on and transferred even quicker rate.
The M4 Max Chip Features and Performance
For super-demanding professional users, 3D artists, data scientists and power users, the M4 Max chip is the ultimate choice. Featuring support for up to 16 CPU cores with 12 performance and four efficiency cores.
With an up to 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, up to 546GB/s bandwidth and up to 40-core GPU, the M4 Max will make light works of any heavy or CPU-intensive tasks and all types of video rendering. Thunderbolt 5 support at up to 120GB/s data transfer rate just like the M4 Pro means no amount of workload is too much.
Apple Intelligence With Apple Silicon
Apple intelligence is at the core of the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max CPU chips. This will change the way users work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. With the introduction of Writing Tools, systemwide, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarising text nearly anywhere they decide to write.
Image Playground will give users a new way to create fun original images, and some custom emoji quickly with Genmoji.
Writing Tools and Siri will benefit from ChatGPT integration In December 2024, to enable users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools or create a ChatGPT account for login. Furthermore, as with Apple’s standards, IP addresses will be obscured and requests will not be stored, however deciding to connect your account and login is a different matter as OpenAI’s data use policy will apply in that case.
With Siri’s new capabilities, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to get answers to questions about Mac and other Apple products, which should accelerate most daily tasks with ease.
New Apple Intelligence features will follow in December 2024, with more capabilities to roll out over the next few months.
Energy Efficiency With The Environment In Mind
The all-new MacBook Pro will benefit from the power efficiency delivered by the M4 series of chips (M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max) which will, in turn, help Apple meet their high energy efficiency standards which aim to deliver 24-hour battery life for the future devices which means less energy consumed with fewer plugin times over the lifetime of the MacBook Pro.
For the iMac and Mac mini desktop systems, energy efficiency will come in the form of how much energy is used, which will all help with Apple’s 2030 goal of attaining carbon neutrality.
Conclusion
We knew this was coming so the introduction of the M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips in addition to the existing M4 by Apple marks a significant advancement in Mac performance and efficiency. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process, these chips will deliver impressive improvement in both CPU and GPU performance, and also improve power efficiency, which is something Apple has always focused on.
The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, in particular, offer significant performance boosts, especially for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and machine learning. With more and faster cores, enhanced graphics capabilities, and increased memory bandwidth, these chips will set a new standard for Mac performance.
The new MacBook Pro models powered by these chips offer a compelling combination of power, efficiency, and stunning displays. Whether you’re a creative professional or a casual user, the M4 family of chips promises to deliver a seamless and powerful computing experience.
The focus on efficiency and power consumption will also set the tone for Apple’s ultimate goal to become carbon-neutral by 2030, which is a tall order but achievable.
Questions People Ask
What is Apple Silicon?
Apple Silicon refers to the chipsets series of system-on-a-chip (SoC) and system-in-a-package (SiP) processors developed by Apple using ARM architecture, for its phones, Mac, iPad and other products. A series chipsets are used in iPhones and iPads, while the M series takes care of the Mac. There is also the S series which is used in Apple’s wearable devices.
Are iPods still available from Apple?
No, Apple stopped production of the iPod in May 2022, but you can still purchase used and probably brand-new units from old stock online if you are lucky to find one.
iPods still work and are supported currently, and there is no official announcement by Apple to stop that support anytime soon but this might change in the future.
