MacBook Professional 16-inch new vs outdated: M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max in contrast

The 16-inch MacBook Professional catalogue has been given a refresh lately with Apple bringing its new M3 vary of processors to the desk. However are they value paying for or might you avoid wasting cash and purchase the older M2 variants that are nonetheless being offered by some stockists? We see how the M3 Professional and Max machines stand as much as those they change.

We talk about what’s new concerning the M3 MacBook Professional individually in 13-inch M2 vs 14-inch M3 MacBook Professional: Large upgrades in a small package deal and the 14-inch fashions are in contrast right here: New vs outdated 14-inch MacBook Professional.

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Specs

Earlier than we delve too deep into how the assorted elements within the new and outdated MacBook Execs evaluate, right here’s a fast have a look at the tech specs for each:

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Value

Apple has discontinued the M2-powered 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 machines when the M3-equipped upgrades launched. This implies you received’t have the ability to purchase them from Apple, which had the knock-on impact that there are not bespoke configurations out there. Nevertheless, you must have the ability to discover the laptops in varied retailers at a reduction for so long as the present inventory takes to promote by.

Conversely, the M3 Professional and Max variants can be found on the Apple retailer and in any respect good client tech retailers. Right here’s the costs at launch:

• 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional (18GB/512GB): $2,499/£2,599
• 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional (36GB/512GB): $2,899/£2,999
• 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Max (14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB/1TB): $3,499/£3,599
• 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Max (16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB/1TB): $3,999/£4,099

At launch the 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Professional or Max have been priced as follows. In case you discover a deal from a third-party vendor, the launch costs mixed with the costs of the following technology, ought to offer you a information of what to anticipate to pay. You’ll find the most effective costs for each mannequin in our round-up of the most effective MacBook Professional offers.

• 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Professional (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16GB/512GB): $2,499/£2,699
• 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Professional (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16GB/1TB): $2,699/£2,899
• 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Max (12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 32GB/1TB): $3,499/£3,749

As you may see there are some modifications to the pricing, with some equal fashions costing extra and others lower than they used to.

Finest costs for the 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional, from $2,499/£2,599

$2299

$2399

$2,464.95

$2499

$2499

Finest costs for the 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Max, from $3,499/£3,599

Finest costs for the 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Professional, from $2,499/£2,699

New
Refurbished

$2,199.99

$2364

$2499

$2499

MacBook Professional (2023) 16.2-inch – Apple M2 Professional 12-core and 19-core GPU – 16GB RAM – SSD 512GB

$1997.00

MacBook Professional (2023) 16.2-inch – Apple M2 Professional 12-core and 19-core GPU – 16GB RAM – SSD 512GB

$1999.00

Finest costs for the 16-inch MacBook Professional M2 Max, from $3,499/£3,749

$3499

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Design

Apple appears proud of the design it bestowed on the M2 technology because it makes use of the identical one for the M3 MacBook Execs. In actual fact you’d be exhausting pushed to search out any variations: the scale are equivalent at 0.66 x 14.01 x 9.77in / 1.68 x 35.57 x 24.81cm; the burden is identical, with the 2 variants coming in at M2/M3 Professional: 4.7lbs / 2.15kg; M2/3 Max: 4.8lbs / 2.16kg.

They’re additionally equally fitted with the identical ports, webcam, sound techniques, show (with a minor change), and steel our bodies.

The one distinction is that the M2 MacBooks are available House Gray and Silver shade schemes, whereas the M3 Professional and M3 Max supply the selection of House Black or Silver.

Apple

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Efficiency

The true distinction between these gadgets is the chipsets discovered inside. Apple appears to have been working exhausting to enhance the efficiency of the M3 Professional and Max, with good outcomes. Apple claims that the efficiency cores within the M3 processors are about 15 p.c quicker than these within the M2 technology, whereas the effectivity cores are 30 p.c quicker. There are additionally boosts for the GPU and Neural Engine, that are faster than the variants discovered within the earlier fashions.

After all, if you will discover an M2 machine that was the upper CPU-core mannequin, somewhat than the baseline, then the pricing would possibly make it worthy of consideration because it might supply the identical sort of efficiency because the baseline M3 Professional or Max. Right here’s a chart of the assorted benchmarks we’ve run on the M-series of processor so you may see for your self how they fare in opposition to one another.

For extra particulars, you may take a look at our M3, M3 Professional and M3 Max comparability.

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Show

On this division, there’s solely probably the most minor of modifications between the M2 and M3 fashions. Each include a 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel operating at a decision of three,456 x 2,234. All of them characteristic the ProMotion 120Hz refresh charge for supper easy scrolling, Vast Colour (P3), True Tone, and 1,000 nits HDR (1,600 peak) of brightness, with the M3 machines having 600 nits SDR and the M2 a touch decrease 500 nits SDR.

You’ll additionally discover a notch within the heart of the highest fringe of the show which homes the FaceTime digicam. This isn’t a TrueDepth one like on iPhones and a few iPads, so that you received’t get Face ID or Heart Stage on the present MacBook Execs. Relaxation assured although, that you just don’t lose any display area as a result of notch, because the shows have a 16:10 facet ratio, which is a little bit taller than the 16:9 discovered on earlier MacBook Execs. Basically, you get an additional area on the high that wraps across the notch and may show further data.

Foundry

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Audio

Apple has held regular within the audio gear for these gadgets. No matter mannequin you purchase you’ll get the identical six-speaker Excessive-Constancy sound system with force-cancelling woofers. These emit a large stereo sound and help Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. AirPods (third technology), AirPods Professional or AirPods Max customers can even have the ability to get pleasure from dynamic head-tracking when utilizing Spatial Audio. In case you desire a wired connection, then the three.5mm headphone jack is out there and has help for high-impedance headphones.

All the 16-inch MacBook Execs include onboard HDMI ports that may deal with multi-channel audio output, plus a triple mic-array with directional beamforming for clear audio on video calls.

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Webcam

Apple retains the 1080p FaceTime HD digicam from the M2 within the M3 fashions. Once more, you don’t get Face ID or Heart Stage, however you must at the very least look good on Zoom calls.

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Battery Life

Battery life is identical in both the M2 or M3 MacBook Execs, which isn’t shocking as all of the 16-inch fashions come fitted with a 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. That is accompanied by a 140W USB-C charger that helps Quick Cost, so that you’ll be again in enterprise earlier than lengthy. Apple states the batteries ship 15 hours of internet use or 22 hours of video playback, as earlier than.

16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional/Max vs M2 Professional/Max: Verdict

As Apple has now discontinued the M2 MacBook Execs, you’ll have to buy round to search out them. However that would properly be well worth the effort as they’re nice machines and virtually indistinguishable from their newer counterparts. In case you don’t want the additional energy, you then would possibly have the ability to avoid wasting cash by going for the M2 fashions. Those that do require the ability, need to configure a bespoke system, or just need the most effective Apple has to supply will discover the brand new 16-inch MacBook Professional M3 Professional and Max fashions exhausting to greatest. At the least till the following improve.