A few days ago, Apple introduced computers with a new series of M3 processors, which go on sale on Tuesday. An iMac and a 16″ MacBook Pro with the currently most powerful processor from Apple arrived at the newsroom.
MacBook Pro 16″: Extreme performance even on the go
The most interesting new product is definitely the new MacBook Pro. As you can see, it comes in the new Space Black color variant, which will also be available for the smaller 14″ sizes. The live color looks very nice, and the manufacturer boasts of an improved anti-fingerprint coating. The layer has some effect, but after a few hours of testing, we they found the prints on the surface anyway.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16″ arrived in a new black variant called Space Black, and the dark really suits it.
Apart from the new color, nothing has changed in terms of design. The notebook still has the same shape and size. Once again, you can look forward to a 16.2″ Liquid Retina XDR display with a hybrid resolution of 3456 × 2234 pixels. HDR and a 120Hz refresh rate as part of ProMotion are again supported. The only thing that has increased is the normal brightness, which has increased from 500 to 600 nits. but you will only know this in direct sunlight.In the case of HDR, however, it manages to pull the maximum brightness up to a brilliant 1,600 nits.
Again, we have great connectivity on the sides. On the left side you will find the charging MagSafe, a pair of USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4) and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones. On the right side there is a third USB-C, a slot for SDXC memory cards and HDMI for image output. The keyboard is the same as you know from previous generations with a sure and quiet press. There is an integrated TouchID in the power button.
We subjected the MacBook Pro 16″ to performance and speed tests in the editorial office.
The main thing that has changed is the performance. We got the MacBook with the highest version of the M3 Max processor with 16 core CPU, the powerful cores have a clock speed of up to 4.04 GHz and there are 40 GPU cores. All this supplemented by 48 GB of unified memory and a 1 TB SSD. If that’s not enough for you, you can get extras up to 128 GB of unified memory and an 8 TB SSD.
From the first impressions of the computer, you feel that it is an uncompromisingly fast machine. That’s why we subjected it to several different benchmarks such as CineBench 2024 or GeekBench 6, and we have broken down the results for you in the table below. We also have to praise the fast SSD storage, where we measured speeds of 6.3 GB/s for writing and 4.9 GB/s for reading, which roughly corresponds to today’s peak.
CineBench 2024, GPU 12,581 points CineBench 2024, CPU (Multi-core) 1,699 points CineBench 2024, CPU (Single-core) 141 points CineBench R23, CPU (Multi-core) 24,064 points CineBench R23, CPU (Single-core ) 1872 points GeekBench 6, CPU (Multi-Core) 20,825 points GeekBench 6, CPU (Single-Core) 3,139 points GeekBench 6, GPU (OpenCL) 93,311 points GeekBench 6, GPU (Metal) 154,364 points
Overall, this is a performance-packed machine for professionals that can handle all demanding tasks quickly. On the other hand, we are testing the most powerful configuration, which is exclusive only to the 16″ model and will cost around 120 thousand crowns. If you were to go for the lower M3 Max variant or even the M3 Pro chip, you will get a price tens of thousands lower. The lowest configuration 16 MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip and 18 GB of unified memory starts at 75,000.
iMac 24″: same body, new chip
We were also able to test the new Apple iMac 24″ (2023) with an M3 processor. It has not changed in appearance since the previous version, the colors are the same. Again, we are dealing with a 4.5K Retina resolution of 4480 × 2520 pixels. Just watch out for marketing markings Apple, in fact, the diagonal is only 23.5″, which the manufacturer also admits on its website.
The Apple iMac 24″ arrived in a fully equipped blue version with an extended keyboard with Touch ID and a trackpad and, of course, wider connectivity with four USB-C ports.
The manufacturer did not even change the accessories on the computer, such as the mouse, keyboard or trackpad, which are color coordinated with the color variant of the iMac, but still have the Lightning connector, which is now retired. Apple computers, tablets and phones already have it, so we can assume that the accessory upgrade is only a matter of time.
Although Apple has been making the wholesale switch to USB-C in recent months, accessories for the new iMac are still charging via Lightning.
It should be mentioned that we received almost the highest configuration for the test again with an M3 processor, 24 GB of unified memory and a 1 TB SSD. Unlike the cheaper ones, it also has minor hardware differences. They differ in the number of ports, with our version on the back you will find four USB-C ports, where two have USB 3.1 Gen 2 and the other two are USB 4 (with integrated Thunderbolt 3). With a lower configuration iMac, you would only get the second mentioned pair. A benefit of the higher configuration we tested is the Ethernet connector integrated into the power adapter.
The main new one only comes with the M3 processor, which is the lowest model from the new generation, but it does not lack performance. Here, too, we have performed some benchmarks that show a natural shift from previous generations.
GeekBench 6, CPU (Multi-Core) 11,270 points GeekBench 6, CPU (Single-Core) 2,960 points GeekBench 6, GPU (OpenCL) 30,188 points
In the configuration we tested with a 1 TB SSD and 24 GB of unified memory, the iMac costs CZK 74,600. On the other hand, it should be noted that, unlike the MacBook, we are talking about a regular home computer, where most probably reach for much lower configurations. The basic one with 8 GB of unified memory and a 256 GB SSD starts at 40 thousand crowns.
That’s all for our exclusive first impressions of Apple’s hot new releases. However, we do not end there, of course, and in a few days you can look forward to a full-fledged review with detailed performance and endurance tests.
2023-11-06 18:45:21
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