Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

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

Monica J. White
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

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.

Related

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.

Recommended Videos

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…
The next MacBook Air could come with a major disappointment
A MacBook Air on a desk with an open book in front of it.

It’s something of an open secret that Apple is working on a couple of fresh MacBook Air models, including an all-new 15-inch MacBook Air. Many details about these devices have been shrouded in mystery, but a prominent analyst has just shed some much-needed light on them -- and it’s not all good news.

Posting on Twitter, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo updated his previous predictions for Apple’s lightweight laptop. In the new post, Kuo outlined a slate of ideas for what could be coming next.

Read more
9 new Apple products that could launch in 2023
The back of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

As it currently stands, 2023 has already been a busy year for Apple. The company launched a new yellow iPhone 14, brought back the HomePod, and refreshed its Mac lineup with an M2 Mac mini and M2 MacBook Pro. But what else is on the docket? As it turns out, a lot more. From new iPhones, an upgraded Apple Watch, and possibly an AR headset, here are nine products we still expect from Apple in 2023.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro

If there is any Apple product with an upgrade cycle that’s literally like clockwork, it’s the iPhone, which is always out in the fall. This year, we can expect the iPhone 15 lineup to include an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, it is rumored that the iPhone 15 will have a bigger 6.2-inch display this year, but the rest of the lineup will have the same sizes as before.

Read more
Your next MacBook Air could be even faster than expected
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 laptop propped up at an angle on a desk.

Apple’s upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air could be launching sooner than expected, which is encouraging for anyone who has been waiting for this much-rumored device. But the good news doesn’t end there, as it could also get a sizeable chip upgrade that would leave rival devices in the dust.

For months, it had been suggested that Apple was working on a new 15-inch version of the MacBook Air that was going to be released at a spring event. However, now that Apple has announced it will host its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) -- but not a spring event -- it seems that the latter isn’t happening. That suggests the 15-inch MacBook Air will have to wait until WWDC before seeing the light of day.

Read more