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Apple · Released Nov 2024

Apple M4 Max Review

16C CPU · 40C GPU · 16-core Neural Engine

Specdex verdict The Apple M4 Max is one of the strongest products in its category — Specdex's editor's pick at flagship tier.

Apple’s M4 Max leads single-core and sits atop perf-per-watt. The ML-accelerator-heavy silicon choice for creators and developers staying in the Mac ecosystem.

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Apple M4 Max — 16C CPU · 40C GPU · 16-core Neural Engine
Specdex verdict
Editor’s Pick

Specdex doesn't run benchmarks in-house. The verdict is an editorial assessment based on manufacturer specs and public reviewer consensus. See methodology.

Editorial · Specdex take
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

Who's the Apple M4 Max for?

Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.

Power users and creators Skip

Compute scores trail current top-tier — look at our step-up alternatives below if performance is the priority.

Budget-conscious buyers Consider

Mid-tier pricing at $1,299 — review whether the score-per-dollar lines up against the cheaper alternatives we recommend.

Configurations

Available options for the Apple M4 Max.

Memory bandwidth
546 GBs

In the box

What you get when you unbox the Apple M4 Max.

  • Processor
  • Cooler (non-X3D / non-K SKUs)

Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.

Sources & benchmarks

Cited, not generated

Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. We're rolling out cited public benchmark data category by category — PassMark for CPUs and GPUs is wired today; DXOMark, RTINGS, Geekbench, and NotebookCheck will follow.

Sources we use when available: PassMark for CPU/GPU, Geekbench Browser for synthetic, DXOMark for camera scores, RTINGS for TVs, monitors, and headphones. See methodology.

Specifications

Editorial · awaiting verification
Performance
Apple M4 Max performance specs
Specification Value
Cores 16 (12P+4E)
Threads 16
Memory bandwidth 546 GB/s
Process TSMC N3E
Max memory 128 GB unified
Other
Apple M4 Max other specs
Specification Value
Neural engine 16-core, 38 TOPS

Cheaper alternatives to the Apple M4 Max

Same category, at least 20% cheaper, best-scoring picks from our catalog.

Step up from the Apple M4 Max

Higher-scoring processors if you've got more to spend.

More from Apple

All Apple products on Specdex →

Also consider

See every head-to-head matchup for the Apple M4 Max →

Where the Apple M4 Max appears on Specdex

Curated lists, spec rankings, and buying guides where this product is mentioned or ranked.