Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro demolishes the Mac Pro in a new test

By

Apple’s new M1 Max and M1 Pro chips have received nothing but high praise since their launch in the latest MacBook Pros. Now, a recent benchmark compares them to the 2019 Mac Pro — and it’s not good news for the $6,000 desktop.

In a ProRes benchmark test, the new MacBook Pro proved to be up to three times faster than the Mac Pro. What does that mean for the future of the Mac Pro?

apple m1 max chip
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There have been numerous benchmarks comparing the M1 Max and M1 Pro to Windows-based platforms, but Apple’s latest and greatest chips have rarely been tested against its previous high-end release, the Intel-based 2019 Mac Pro.

Recommended Videos

The purpose of the test was to measure how long it took the new MacBook Pro to perform ProRes video exports and then to test how long it takes the Mac Pro to do the same. An additional test was performed where the Mac Pro was equipped with an Afterburner card, meant to increase its video exporting speed.

Related

In the ProRes export speed test, the M1 Max MacBook Pro only took 76 seconds to complete the task. The Mac Pro took much longer: 233 seconds. When equipped with the Afterburner card, the time was reduced to 153 seconds.

This means that the M1 Max-based MacBook Pro is up to three times faster than the Intel-based Mac Pro (at least in this scenario), and twice as fast when compared to the Mac Pro with an Afterburner card. That’s an outstanding result for the new M1 Max chip, especially considering that the Mac Pro was always the best that Apple had to offer.

A Macbook Pro sits in the dark, illuminated by its own screen.
Martin Sanchez/Unsplash

The test was performed by Macworld. The best possible configuration of the 2019 Mac Pro including the 28-core Intel Xeon W processor is what’s needed to attempt to match the Apple silicon found in the MacBook Pro. It’s worth noting that the use of the Afterburner card is equivalent to a single ProRes decoder, whereas the MacBook Pro includes two ProRes encoders and decoders, immediately putting the Mac Pro at a disadvantage.

Although the MacBook Pros reign supreme right now, things may change in 2022. Many rumors point to Apple gearing up to release two Mac Pro models in the upcoming year, one based on an Intel chip and one on Apple’s own silicon. Considering that the Mac Pro has historically been Apple’s best offering, the 2022 version might bring previously unmatched performance.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
A new wave of powerful laptops rises to challenge the MacBook Pro
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

The MacBook Pro got really powerful in its most recent update. The 16-inch M3 Max configuration bumps the graphics performance significantly, making it unlike anything you can buy for professional content creators.

But Windows laptops are responding. There's a new wave of non-gaming laptops that are integrating GPUs up to an RTX 4070 and challenging the performance of the MacBook Pro -- often at a much lower price.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra

Read more
MacBook Pro 16 vs. MacBook Pro 14: The important differences
MacBook Pro laptops.

MacBooks are typically seen as some of the best laptops money can buy, thanks to their combination of performance and longevity. It's not uncommon for MacBooks to be running flawlessly years after purchase -- so while their upfront costs are a bit steep, they're great long-term investments.

That holds true for the MacBook Pro lineup, which comes in two sizes -- 14 inches and 16 inches. Both are top-of-the-line computers designed to handle pretty much anything you can throw at them, offering access to the M3 chip, vibrant Liquid Retina XDR displays, and plenty of other high-end hardware.

Read more
The biggest threat to the MacBook this year might come from Apple itself
The MacBook Air on a white table.

MacBooks have held a dominant position in the laptop world for the past few years. Though there have been meaningful rivals from the Windows side of the aisle, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro still feel like they hold an unshakeable lead at the moment.

But according to the latest reports, the most serious challenger to the MacBook's reign won't come from Windows -- it'll come from within Apple in the form of some very advanced new iPads.
What's a computer?

Read more