M3 Macs: ‘Scary Fast’ performance for steep prices

Apple recently updated their MacBook lineup with the latest M3 series chipsets. In their recent 'Scary Fast' event, they announced three new MacBook Pros that come with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. The iMac also got an update to M3 from M1 after two and a half years.

The new chips bring hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Macs for the first time, enabling a sharp, vibrant and realistic experience in gaming. Dynamic caching, a new innovation, makes GPU usage more efficient. The battery life also got a minor bump, getting extended up to 22 hours due to a more power-efficient chip.

MacBook Pro with M3 chip

The entry level MacBook Pro is usually equipped with the base level chip, which is the M3 for this year.

Previously, both the M1 MacBook Pro and M2 MacBook Pro came with a 13-inch display and a design that Apple has been using for years. But now, it is time to say farewell to the old design and chassis and welcome the unified design across the lineup. This year, Apple went for the updated design, giving it a modern, sleek look with a larger 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR screen.

M3 MacBook Pro delivers 60% faster performance than the M1 MacBook Pro as it is equipped with a more efficient 3 nanometer technology chip. Multitasking, video editing, rendering etc. will be even better, thanks to the improved thermal system.

Unfortunately, the base variant of M3 MacBook Pro comes with only 8 gigabytes of RAM which is such a shame considering the price got a massive jump. The cheapest MacBook Pro now starts at $1,599 — a $300 price hike. Only 8 gigabytes of RAM on a device with a price tag of $1,599 in 2023 is a deal that only a few people might find compelling. Adding another 8 gigabytes of RAM will cost you another $200.

Pulling a fast one on customers, Apple compares this device's performance mostly with the old Intel-based MacBook Pro on the stage, not the M2, which allows them to make the upgrades look less trivial. In Apple's defence, it still makes sense as the users already using an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro will probably not buy an M3 Pro.

MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip

MacBook Pros with the M3 Pro chips are the middle child of the MacBook Pro family. Performance wise, it is ideal for coders, content creators and designers. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro comes in two sizes — 14 inches and 16 inches.

The larger model gives a better battery life and, of course, more screen real estate.

M3 Pro laptops provide 40% faster performance compared to a 16-inch M1 Pro laptop and thrice that of an Intel-based MacBook Pro. The upgrade seems quite trivial when you compare it with an M2 Pro laptop, only a 6% performance gain over its predecessor.

MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip starts at $1,999 and the maxed out variant with 36 gigabytes of RAM and 4 terabyte storage costs $4,099.

MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip

The MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip gives you the best Apple has to offer in a laptop this year. Those whose workflows require heavy multitasking consisting of demanding applications — programmers, 3D artists, video editors — will find it ideal.

Like MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chips, these laptops also come in the same two sizes, 14-inch and 16-inch. Both the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip and MacBook Pro with M3 Max now have a stunning new colour — Space Black — besides the classic silver.

Starting at $3,199, the machine can be equipped with up to 128 gigabytes of RAM and 8 terabytes of SSD, costing you more than $7,000.

iMac with M3 chip

As we have not seen an M2 iMac in 2022, this year's iMac M3 comes as a substantial upgrade over the M1 iMac from early 2021. Likewise, there aren't any visible upgrades in the new iMac, making it similar to the M1 iMacs.

The iMac M3 boasts a stunning 24-inch 4.5K retina display with the classic thick 'iMac-chin' at the bottom. For bright environments, the display goes up to 500 nits. The thin chassis houses a six-speaker spatial audio system, giving you an immersive listening experience.

The M3 chip brings up to 50% performance gains over its predecessor, allowing you to edit multiple streams of videos or play games at a lower latency. With six new vivid colours along with colour matched accessories, the iMac easily blends in any indoor environment.

For starters, the base variant of the iMac with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of SSD costs $1,499, while the maxed-out version is just shy of $3,000.

All the new Macs come with MacOS Sonoma, bringing new features and even tighter integration among other Apple devices.