Apple
Apple M4
10C CPU · 10C GPU · Ray-Tracing
92
/ 100
From $1,099
VS
Apple M4 Max wins by 5
Apple
Apple M4 Max
16C CPU · 40C GPU · 16-core Neural Engine
97
/ 100
From $1,299
Specdex verdict
Apple M4 Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Apple M4 lands at 92 and Apple M4 Max at 97. That puts Apple M4 Max ahead by 5 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Apple M4 if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- ✓LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Pick Apple M4 Max if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Hardware ray-tracing
Apple M4 92
vs 97 Apple M4 Max
Score breakdown
Apple M4
92 single 100
multi 86
gaming 72
efficiency 100
Apple M4 Max
97 single 98
multi 96
gaming 82
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Apple M4 | Apple M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 (4P+6E) | ▲ 16 (12P+4E) |
| Memory bandwidth | 120 GB/s | ▲ 546 GB/s |
| Neural engine | 16-core, 38 TOPS | 16-core, 38 TOPS |
| Process | TSMC N3E | TSMC N3E |
| Threads | — | 16 |
| Max memory | — | 128 GB unified |
Apple M4
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- +LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Cons
- −Only in Apple products
- −Limited Windows gaming
- −Entry-tier 8 GB RAM is tight for ML
Apple M4 Max
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +128 GB unified memory option
- +Hardware ray-tracing
Cons
- −Apple ecosystem lock-in
- −Not user-replaceable
- −Limited Windows gaming
FAQ: Apple M4 vs Apple M4 Max
Which is better, Apple M4 or Apple M4 Max? +
Apple M4 Max scores 97 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Apple M4 worth the price? +
At $1,099, Apple M4 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in single.
Is Apple M4 Max worth the price? +
At $1,299, Apple M4 Max delivers a Specdex score of 97 — strongest in efficiency.
Does Apple M4 or Apple M4 Max last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.