With the recent announcement of the new MacBook Pro with M4 chips, creatives all over the world might be thinking about upgrading from their current system. While in some cases upgrading can be straightforward, Apple has expanded upon their traditional chip architecture and configuration profiles that may require some finesse. Luckily, we are here to help guide you along the path and get the best machine for you in your hands.
Display Size and Technologies
First and foremost, deciding on the screen size that best suits your preferences will determine the range of processors that you could use. Aside from that, both the 14” and 16” displays have the same core features so you’re not missing out here.
The 14” Liquid Retina XDR display offers a 3024 x 1964 native resolution while the 16” Liquid Retina XDR display offers a 3456 x 2234 native resolution. Both offer a deep and vivid 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, up to 1000 nits brightness for SDR content with 1600 nits peak brightness for HDR-only content. Additionally, you get support for one billion colors, wide P3 color space, True Tone technology, and ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz.
You can configure the MacBook Pro’s screen with an optional Nano-texture display, which prevents glare from affecting your image, essential for users in brighter rooms and outdoor environments. If you are a photographer or a videographer who is editing on the fly or looking at live previews, the Nano-texture display would greatly improve your view.
M4 Family of Processors
Next is to choose which processor will best suit your needs. It is important to note that there are five different M4 chip variations: the M4, two versions of the M4 Pro, and two versions of the M4 Max. The 14” MacBook Pro supports the entire family of chips while the 16” MacBook Pro supports a 14-core M4 Pro chip and both M4 Max chips.
While the Apple M4 chip sits at the bottom rung it is no pushover, this 10-core CPU design and 10-core GPU work together to boost performance across the system. This is a great chip only available on the 14” MacBook Pro and it can handle a multitude of programs and applications. You can edit photos and videos on this model without an issue but render speed and completing some advanced tasks may take some time. Otherwise, word processing, modifying spreadsheets, and jumping into meetings can be easily completed with this model. Cost-conscious creators who are just entering the field of photography and editing will find the M4 chip to be a greater starter, opening the door to greater possibilities down the line.
If you are looking for some additional power and a step up in performance to handle quicker photo and video editing processes and even enjoy some games at higher performance levels, the M4 Pro chip is there to assist you. For the 14” MacBook Pro, you can choose between the 12-core CPU with 16-core GPU and 14-core CPU with 20-core GPU, the latter giving you a bit more breathing room to handle these heavy tasks. For the 16” MacBook Pro, only the 14-core M4 Pro is available.
The M4 Pro chips are great for users who are doing a lot and want that extra power for when they least suspect it. Designing logos with Adobe software can easily run on these chips along with a wide range of audio programs.
If you are looking for extreme, top-tier performance that can handle a variety of tasks from programming to CAD software, look no further than the Apple M4 Max chip. Like the M4 Pro, you have two options. Both the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro models can support the 14-core CPU with 32-core GPU and the 16-core CPU with 40-core GPU. If you are creating digital models, engineering diagrams, and any advanced programming, the M4 Max is absolutely the choice for you.
It is important to highlight that the M4 Max chips offer enhanced capabilities within Apple’s Media Engine. While the M4 and M4 Pro chips offer a single video encode engine and Pro Res encode and decode engine, the Pro Max chips offer two video encode engines and two ProRes encode and decode engines, making the Pro Max chip a great choice for video editors working with high end 4K and 8K raw footage.
If you are a master multitasker who likes to have multiple windows open to manage multiple windows and platforms, it is important to note that the M4 and M4 Pro chips can handle up to two external displays while the M4 Max can support up to four external displays.
Unified Memory
Apple’s unified memory concept offers multiple options to assist with rendering your projects and enhance multitasking capabilities. The unified design means that the memory bank is shared with both the CPU and GPU, so the more memory you have, the more your computer can juggle your tasks without skipping a beat. Each MacBook Pro comes with a minimum of 16GB of unified memory, giving you a strong foundation to handle your tasks as well as engage with Apple Intelligence.
The 14” MacBook Pro with the M4 chip starts with 16GB of memory with 24GB and 32GB memory options. Both the M4 Pro 12- and 14-core models come with 24GB starting memory with the option to upgrade to 48GB. The M4 Max 14-core chip only comes with 36GB of unified memory while the 16-core M4 Max comes with 48GB and includes 64GB and 128GB upgrade options.
As for the 16” MacBook Pro, the M4 Pro chip offers 24GB starting with the ability to upgrade to 48GB. The M4 Max 14-core variant only supports 36GB of unified memory while the 16-core M4 Max starts at 48GB with 64GB and 128GB upgrade options.
Storage
Saving your work is important but having the right amount of storage is essential. Having enough room for your important files and media prevents you from needing devices like external drives to store your work. With a variety of configurations, understanding what capacity you need changes the way you handle your data.
The 14” MacBook Pro with the M4 chip starts with 512GB with 1TB and 2TB options available. Both the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro chips start at 512GB with options to upgrade to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB while the M4 Max chips start at 1TB with 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB options.
When you are working with high-resolution photos and videos, having more storage could be more important than any other aspect of your system. If you are a developer or an engineer working on complex designs, additional storage will always be a “nice to have” feature especially when you are managing multiple projects.
Conclusion
If you are a more casual user looking for a solid start and to get your foot into the game, you can’t go wrong with the 14” MacBook Pro with M4 chip. If you are a media master or a design expert looking to optimize your workflow, the M4 Max seems to be the right model for you. For anything in between, the M4 Pro chips offer the versatility you need to edit photos, videos, and even enjoy some of your favorite media.
For more information on the finer details of the 14” MacBook Pro and 16” MacBook Pro models, make sure you click the links and take a look! If you have any questions or comments, be sure to leave them below and we’ll do our best to address them!
0 Comments