MacBook Pro M1 to M5 Max: Every Binned and Full Chip Compared

A used listing that says “M3 Max” does not tell you which machine you are buying. That name covers a 14-core CPU with a 30-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with a 40-core GPU. The M5 Max creates a different trap: its two versions share the same CPU, but one stops at 36GB of unified memory while the other can reach 128GB.

This guide compares every Apple silicon MacBook Pro chip configuration using Geekbench 6. CPU figures are Geekbench 6 averages compiled by EveryMac. GPU comparisons use individual public Geekbench 6 Metal runs that can be traced to their results pages. The tables use Geekbench 6 throughout.

“Binned” means fewer cores within the same chip family

Apple does not sell a product officially named a “binned chip.” The term describes a lower-core configuration within the same M Pro or M Max family. A precise listing should say M4 Pro, 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, not simply M4 Pro.

The M1 Pro is the only three-step family in this list: 8 CPU/14 GPU, 10 CPU/14 GPU and 10 CPU/16 GPU. The middle chip has the full 10-core CPU but keeps the smaller GPU. By contrast, both M5 Max versions have an 18-core CPU and differ only in GPU core count and available memory.

Every MacBook Pro chip from M1 through M5 Max

For a consistent comparison, the table uses the 14-inch model when available. The base M1 and M2 were sold in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and configurations that were also available in the larger chassis are marked 14/16-inch.

The 13-inch M1 and M2 models offered 256GB to 2TB of storage. Pro and Max systems generally started at 512GB or 1TB and reached as high as 8TB, depending on the generation and base configuration. Storage choices are less often tied to a particular chip configuration than memory choices are. The memory column shows the restrictions most likely to affect which chip you need.

Full Pro chips score 9–20% higher in multi-core CPU tests

The lowest-core M1 Pro has the largest CPU performance gap because it has eight CPU cores rather than ten. From M3 onward, the full Pro’s CPU advantage is around 10%. That difference matters in sustained compilation, CPU rendering and encoding; it is much harder to notice in browsing, office work or short builds.

The 10 CPU/14 GPU M1 Pro is the useful exception. Its CPU result matches the 10 CPU/16 GPU full chip, so a discounted used system can be excellent for development or audio work that does not need the last two GPU cores.

Max chips should be selected by GPU cores and memory first

M1 Max and M2 Max keep the same CPU across their binned and full versions. Their Geekbench 6 CPU averages are therefore identical. M5 Max returns to that design: both choices use an 18-core CPU and average 4,235 single-core and 28,746 multi-core.

M3 Max and M4 Max are different because the lower bin also loses CPU cores. Moving to the full M3 Max raises multi-core performance by 10.2%; the full M4 Max gains 11.1%.

Geekbench 6 Metal shows larger gains from full Max GPUs

The following scores come from individual public Geekbench 6 Metal runs, rather than averages like the CPU figures above. Use them to gauge the size of the GPU performance difference within each chip family.

The full Pro configurations gained roughly 12–15% in these runs, while the full Max chips gained about 21–24%. A full Max makes its strongest case in 3D rendering, sustained video effects and GPU compute—not ordinary development or photo work.

How CPU, GPU and memory choices changed from M1 to M5

M1: check both core counts to identify the Pro configuration

The M1 Pro has three versions, so a used listing must include both CPU and GPU core counts. A “10-core M1 Pro” could have either a 14-core or a 16-core GPU.

M2: 96GB arrived only on the full Max

The 30-core GPU M2 Max stopped at 64GB. The 38-core GPU chip opened a 96GB configuration even though both versions delivered the same CPU score.

M3: the binned Max has fewer CPU cores as well as GPU cores

The binned M3 Max has a 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU; the full chip has a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU. Their memory options also differ: the binned chip offered 36GB or 96GB, while the full version offered 48GB, 64GB or 128GB.

M4 Max: more than 36GB requires the full configuration

The 14 CPU/32 GPU M4 Max is fast, but it is available only with 36GB of memory. Choosing 48GB on an M4 Max requires the full 16 CPU/40 GPU chip.

M5: both Max versions have the same CPU, with different GPUs and memory options

Both M5 Max versions use the same 18-core CPU. Paying for the full version increases the GPU core count from 32 to 40 and replaces the fixed 36GB memory configuration with a choice of 48GB, 64GB or 128GB.

Choose the CPU, GPU and memory your workload needs

The value choice is usually a binned Pro; sustained CPU work can justify a full Pro; a full Max earns its price only when GPU throughput or high-capacity unified memory is the actual constraint. On M4 and M5 Max in particular, choose memory capacity before comparing benchmark points.

Frequently asked questions