On the coronary heart of each Apple machine is an Apple processor. Apple has been utilizing its personal chips in its iPhones and iPads for greater than a decade, whereas Apple silicon within the Mac is already in its fourth technology.
What’s exceptional about Apple silicon is its efficiency and energy effectivity. However all chips aren’t created equally. Understanding the efficiency variations between every chip will assist along with your shopping for choices, particularly once you’re deciding between iPhone 16 or MacBook fashions. Understanding how every chip performs provides you a greater concept of what merchandise to purchase and whether or not or not it’s price your cash to step as much as a better mannequin.
Let’s check out how the brand new processors examine with the remainder of the processors within the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup and see how every performs and what meaning to you. For the sake of consistency, we’ve used Geekbench 6 benchmarks. Right here’s each chip and the way the benchmarks examine with one another.
Replace March 23, 2025: Added benchmarks for the M3 Extremely chip; added the brand new iPhone 16e, iPad, iPad Air, Mac Studio, and MacBook Air.
Each present processor in contrast
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are sooner. Chips on this chart are presently obtainable in Apple gadgets.
Earlier than we get into the person processors, let’s let the chips fall the place they might. Within the above chart, we’ve solely included chips which are in Apple’s present product lineups for the sake of protecting the chart manageable. The Mac part beneath contains all the chips, from the M1 to the present chip. In case you’re on the lookout for scores of chips which are now not being utilized in Apple’s lively iPhone or iPad lineups (such because the A12 Bionic), try the Geekbench Browser.
It’s a considerably predictable chart, with the quickest Mac chips on the high, adopted by a mixture of iPads and iPhones. However there are nonetheless some fascinating outcomes: house owners of the iPad Professional can say their pill is about as quick as a MacBook Air and that wouldn’t be a lot of a attain. And the distinction between the $599 iPhone 16e and the $999 iPhone 16 Professional isn’t as large as their worth distinction signifies.
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Examine how Apple’s M collection processors examine to Intel in our Mac processor information.
iPhone processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are sooner. Chips on this chart are presently obtainable in Apple gadgets.
Let’s take a look at the specs of the iPhones presently in Apple’s lineup so we will perceive the variations between them.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A18 Professional | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 6 | 16-core | 8GB | 10W | iPhone 16 Professional iPhone 16 Professional Max |
| A18 | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 9W | iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus |
| A18 | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 4 | 16-core | 8GB | 9W | iPhone 16e |
| A16 Bionic | 2 at 3.46GHz | 4 at 2.02GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 6W | iPhone 15 |
Not surprisingly, the A18 Professional within the iPhone 16 Professional is the quickest. The distinction between the A18 Professional and the A18 within the iPhone 16 is that the A18 has one fewer GPU core. The iPhone 163 has two fewer GPU cores than the iPhone 16 Professional.
iPad processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are sooner. Chart contains chips in discontinued Apple gadgets.
The staggered launch of Apple’s iPad lineup creates an odd-looking efficiency order of CPU and its machine.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4 | 4 at 4.4GHz | 6 at 2.85 | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 20W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| M4 | 3 at 4.4GHz | 6 at 2.85 | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 28 billion | 20W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| M3 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 9 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Air |
| A17 Professional | 2 at 3.78GHz | 4 at 2.11GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 19 billion | 8W | iPad mini |
| A16 | 2 at 3.46GHz | 3 at 2.02GHz | 4 | 16-core | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPad (Eleventh gen) |
The M4-equipped iPad Execs are the quickest fashions, and the hole between them and the iPad and iPad mini is important. Moreover, the M4 is 1.5 occasions sooner than the M2 that it changed within the earlier iPad Execs.
The Eleventh-gen iPad that was launched within the spring of 2025 has an A16, an improve from the A14 Bionic within the earlier mannequin.
Mac processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are sooner. Chart contains chips in discontinued Apple gadgets.
With Apple’s M-series of chips for the Mac, the corporate’s launch schedule includes the bottom model within the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Professional, Mac mini, and iMac. Apple then modifies it to create higher-end variations.
The newest M-Collection chip is the M4, which was launched with the brand new iMac, Mac mini, and the MacBook Professional within the fall of 2024. The M4 Professional and Max had been additionally launched within the MacBook Professional, changing the M3 Professional and Max in these laptops. The M3 Extremely is now within the Mac Studio however Mac Professional nonetheless makes use of the M2 Extremely. The MacBook Air makes use of the M4 chip.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Base reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3 Extremely | 24 at 4.52GHz | 8 at 2.59GHz | 80 | 32-core | 96GB | 184 billion | 140W | Mac Studio |
| M3 Extremely | 20 at 4.52GHz | 8 at 2.59GHz | 60 | 32-core | 96GB | 184 billion | 140W | Mac Studio |
| M4 Max | 12 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 40 | 16-core | 48GB | 70W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional | |
| M4 Max | 10 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 32 | 16-core | 36GB | 62W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional | |
| M4 Professional | 10 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 20 | 16-core | 24GB | 46W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional. Mac mini | |
| M4 Professional | 8 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 16 | 16-core | 24GB | 38W | 14″ MacBook Professional, Mac mini | |
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 76 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billon | 80W | |
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 60 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billon | 80W | |
| M4 | 4 at 4.41GHz | 6 at 2.59GHz | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 22W | iMac, 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M4 | 4 at 4.41GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 8 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 20W | iMac |
The M4 Max is a beast of a chip, blazing in each CPU and GPU efficiency but it surely’s not the quickest. The M2 Extremely is within the Mac Professional, which has PCIe growth slots. In case you don’t want such slots, you may go for an M3 Extremely Mac Studio. The M3 Extremely is Apple’s quickest Mac.
The chip that began all of it, the nice ol’ M1, could seem gradual in comparison with Apple’s extra present chips—however that’s to not undermine Apple’s authentic Mac processor. Bear in mind, the M1 blows previous the Intel processors it changed, leading to a major worth/efficiency worth.
