Best MacBooks (2025): Which Apple laptop should you buy?

All Apple processors are spread across different MacBook models. Although Apple currently only sells M4 MacBooks, you can find older models at select online retailers, whether brand new or refurbished. If you’ve found his old chips (released four years ago), you may be wondering how they compare to other options. We analyze the differences between each one.

M5 series

M5: The M5 line of chips has just started rolling out. The base M5 still has up to a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, though there is a lower-level 9-core CPU available in the iPad Pro, and that will presumably also be offered in the M5 MacBook Air at some point. The M5 is 10 to 15 percent faster in CPU performance, but it also takes a big step up in GPU performance, AI workloads, and even storage speed.

M4 series

M4: The M4 was originally launched in 2024. It has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple claims that it delivers 1.8 times faster CPU performance and 2.2 times faster GPU performance than the M1. Meanwhile, the Neural Engine is three times faster than the original engine and two times faster than the M3. It also starts with 16GB of unified memory, which will help Apple Intelligence (the company’s suite of artificial intelligence features) run more smoothly. Available on 14-inch MacBook Pro (2024), iMac (2024), and MacBook Air (13-inch and 15-inch, 2025).

M4 Pro: The M4 Pro has a 14-core CPU (which Apple claims is up to 1.9 times faster than the M1 Pro) and up to a 20-core GPU, with up to 64GB of unified memory. Built on a second-generation 3nm process, it also supports enhanced GPU features like mesh shading and ray tracing, which are now up to 2x faster than the M3 chipset. You’ll find it on the latest MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) and Mac Mini (2024).

M4 Max: This chip has a 16-core CPU and up to 40-core GPU with support for up to 128GB of unified memory. Apple says the CPU is up to 2.2 times faster than the M1 Max, while the GPU is up to 1.9 times faster. As with the M4 Pro, it supports mesh shading and ray tracing. The M4 Max is currently the most powerful chip you can get in a MacBook, and is available in the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. You can also get it as an option in existing Mac Studio.

M3 series

M3: The M3 is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2023), 13-inch MacBook Air (2024), 15-inch MacBook Air (2024), and 24-inch iMac (2023). It has an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU with 24GB of unified memory. When compared to the M1, Apple claims CPU performance is up to 35 percent faster, and GPU performance is up to 65 percent faster. The company says the CPU and GPU are 20 percent faster than the M2. As with the M1 and M2, it’s great for basic tasks like word processing, sending emails, using spreadsheets, and light gaming. With the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, you also have support for two external displays (one with up to 6K at 60Hz and one with up to 5K at 60Hz).

M3 Pro: With a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU, Apple claims the M3 Pro’s GPU is only up to 10 percent faster than the M2 Pro, making this a marginal upgrade over its predecessor. However, compared to the M1 Pro, the M2 Pro is up to 40 percent faster in GPU performance and 20 percent faster in CPU performance. It’s available on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro starting in 2023. It’s the perfect solution for those who need a chip that’s more powerful than the M3 but won’t use the full power of the M3 Max.

M3 Max: This is the next step up from the M2 Max and is the most powerful of the three chipsets (but still not as powerful as the M2 Ultra). It has a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. According to Apple, CPU performance is up to 80 percent faster than the M1 Max and up to 50 percent faster than the M2 Max. As for GPU performance, it is said to be up to 50 percent faster than the M1 Max and 20 percent faster than the M2 Max. M3 Max is available on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2023).

M3 Ultra: While the M3 lineup was introduced in 2023, Apple announced the M3 Ultra in 2025. Confusingly, it remains the most powerful chip in the M-series lineup — even better than the latest M4 Max and M5. It has a CPU of up to 32 cores (with 24 cores for performance) and a GPU of up to 80 cores. Apple claims it’s up to 2.5 times faster than the M1 Ultra. It also comes with a unified memory capacity of 96 GB, with the option to upgrade up to 512 GB, while the SSD storage capacity can be increased to 16 GB. This chip is currently only available in 2025 Mac Studio.

M2 series

M2: You might think that the M2 is better than the M1 Pro or M1 Max, but you’d be wrong. It’s an entry-level chip like the M1, with a little more processing power. It has an 8-core CPU and up to 10 GPU cores (two more GPU cores than its predecessor), as well as support for up to 24GB of unified memory. Apple says the second-generation chip has an 18 percent faster CPU and a 35 percent more powerful GPU. The M2 is great for everyday tasks like word processing and web browsing, but tasks like editing multiple streams of 4K footage and 3D rendering should be reserved for the M1 Pro or M1 Max (or the next two chips). It’s available on MacBook Air (13-inch, 2022), MacBook Air (15-inch, 2022), and MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2022).

M2 Pro: The M2 Pro is the next step after the M2. It has up to 12 CPU cores and up to 19 GPU cores, with up to 32GB of unified memory. Apple claims performance is up to 20 percent faster than the 10-core M1 Pro and graphics are 30 percent faster. We recommend this chip for intermediate video and photo editors. It’s a marginal upgrade over the M1 Pro, but it’s the better option for those who want a more future-proof processor. You’ll find it in the MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) as of early 2023 and the Mac Mini (2023).

M2 Max: The M2 Max has a 12-core CPU and up to 38-core GPU (with support for up to 96GB of unified memory). According to Apple, the graphics are 30 percent faster than the M1 Max. The M2 Max is an excellent choice for those working with graphics-intensive content, including graphic design, 3D modeling, and heavy video footage. But as with the M2 Pro, it’s an incremental upgrade if you’re coming from the M1 Max. It’s available on MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) released in early 2023 and Mac Studio (2023).

M2 Ultra: This is the successor to the M1 Ultra. It’s available on 2nd generation Mac Studio and Mac Pro (2023). The M2 Ultra consists of two M2 Max chips, using Apple’s UltraFusion technology, and has a 24-core CPU and a configurable GPU with 60 or 76 cores. Apple claims the CPU delivers up to 20 percent faster performance and a 30 percent faster GPU than the M1 Ultra. This is the chip to have if you are working with it To the fullest extent Heavy content that you thought the M1 Ultra, M2 Pro, or M2 Max wouldn’t be able to handle. You’ll know if you need a chip this powerful.

M1 series

M1: Shockingly, Apple continues to sell the M1 MacBook Air through Walmart for just $599, which is a killer price for this laptop. This was the first custom silicon that Apple debuted for the MacBook Air in 2020. It has an 8-core CPU and up to an 8-core GPU. Originally, there was support for up to 16GB of RAM at an additional cost, but nowadays you can only buy the 8GB model. It’s much faster than any previous Intel-powered MacBook Pro, and it’s the practical choice for most people, because it’s housed inside the least expensive MacBook Air you can buy (from third-party retailers). It has more than enough processing power to accomplish common everyday tasks, even light gaming, and can handle more intensive tasks like photo editing.

M1 Pro: From there, the next step was the M1 Pro. It has up to 10 CPU cores and up to 16 GPU cores, with up to 32GB of unified memory. Apple says performance and graphics are twice as fast as the M1. We found it to be much more capable than the base chip, and it’s ideal for anyone who works extensively on MacBooks for music production or photo and video editing. Only the MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) from 2021 use this chip.

M1 Max: Like the M1 Pro, the M1 Max has a 10-core CPU but a larger 32-core GPU (with support for up to 64GB of unified memory). Apple says it’s four times faster than the M1 in terms of graphics. As proven in testing, this chip is very powerful and handles all the heavy tasks with ease. This was the perfect choice if you needed a PC that could handle multiple streams of 8K or 4K video footage, 3D rendering, or developing applications and running demos. You probably already know if you need that much power. It’s available on MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) starting in 2021.

M1 Ultra: The M1 Ultra was the most powerful ever. It’s two M1 Max chips connected by a technology called UltraFusion. It has a 20-core CPU, a 64-core GPU (which can be configured with up to 128GB of unified memory), and a 32-core neural engine – with seven times more transistors than the base M1. Even with the M3 Ultra now available, the M1 Ultra remains a solid and powerful option for anyone who needs a heavy-duty processor for working with intense photos and graphics. It was only available on first generation Mac Studio.