Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 M3 Max Review – The fastest CPU in a 14-inch laptop

Our review of the larger MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max has already shown that Apple was able to increase the CPU performance massively with the new M3 Max SoCs. With its 12 performance cores, the multi-core performance is more than 60 % higher compared to the old M2 Max. The smaller MacBook Pro 14 also offers this performance, which makes it the fastest 14-inch laptop you can buy in terms multi-core performance. Even the Core i9-13900H in the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 (with much higher TDP values) falls behind by around 20 %. AMD’s current Zen4 CPUs like the Ryzen 9 7940HS (80 Watts) do not stand a chance, either. Only the HX CPUs from Intel and AMD offer even more performance, but they are not available in laptops smaller than 16 inches. Apple also managed to increase the single-core performance by around 20 % and just falls behind the fastest Intel chips, despite a significantly lower power consumption.

The MacBook Pro 14 with the high-end version of the M3 Max is slightly limited by the cooling performance compared to its 16-inch sibling, because neither the CPU, nor the GPU performance are completely stable under sustained workloads. The MBP 14 now also gets a High Performance mode (which was previously reserved for the larger MBP 16) and it helps, but if you want the maximum performance of the M3 Max, you should get the larger MacBook Pro 16.

The new M3 Max transforms the MacBook Pro 14 into the fastest 14-inch laptop on the market and it even beats Intel’s Core i9 CPUs in multi-core CPU tests, but it is not cheap.

The graphics performance is also about 20 % higher and the unified memory is a big advantage when you want to edit videos. 14-inch laptops are usually equipped with GPUs that have 8 GB VRAM, and models like the ROG Zephyrus G14 with the RTX 4090 Laptop (16 GB RAM) are an exception. You can also play games on the MacBook and native titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Resident Evil Village run very well, but the MacBook is still no hardcore gaming laptop and the Windows competition just has an advantage.

Who should get the MacBook Pro 14 with the M3 Max? Thanks to the massive bump in CPU performance, it might even be an interesting upgrade from the M2 Max and the new MBP 14 is by far the most powerful laptop in the 14-inch segment in terms of CPU performance, which is not even reduced on battery power. Only HX CPUs from AMD and Intel are faster, but they are simply not available in such a small laptop. If you want the maximum performance of the M3 Max even under sustained workloads, however, you should get the larger MacBook Pro 16.

If you are looking for great multimedia laptop without an Apple on the lid, we recommend the much more affordable Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 14 (2300 Euros) with an excellent Mini-LED screen and good performance figures, but the battery runtime is worse compared to the MacBook. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 for 4000 Euros also offers a Mini-LED screen, AMD Zen4 CPU and the GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop, which is much better for gaming.

There are definitely alternatives with advantages in individual disciplines, and the MacBook Pro definitely has its drawbacks (especially the non-existent maintenance options in combination with Apple’s high upgrade prices), but it is still difficult to find a better overall package.