Versus Engine
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max) against Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
Starts about $2,000 lower.
Rated higher
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
9.8 vs 9.2 on our design scale.
Standout
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
16-core CPU with 40-core GPU.
Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M3 Max)
Apple's 16-inch laptop with the M3 Max chip, a 40-core GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory at 400GB/s.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Equipped with a powerful M3 Max chip featuring a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU.
- Up to 128GB of unified memory running at 400GB/s for efficient data handling.
- Supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing for advanced graphics processing.
Cons
- The high price of $3499 may limit its appeal to a broader audience.
Specifications
- cpu_cores16-core (12 performance, 4 efficiency)
- display16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3456x2234, 120Hz ProMotion)
- fabrication_process3nm (TSMC N3B)
- architectureARMv8.6-A (Apple Silicon)
- battery100-watt-hour lithium-polymer
- connectivity—
- gpu_cores40-core (Hardware-accelerated ray tracing)
- key—
- M1 Max chip10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores Up to 32-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine 400GB/s memory bandwidth
- M1 Pro chip10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores 16-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine 200GB/s memory bandwidth
- M2 chip8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 10-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine 100GB/s memory bandwidth
- M2 Max chip12-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores Up to 38-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine 400GB/s memory bandwidth
- M2 Pro chip12-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 19-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine 200GB/s memory bandwidth
- M2 Ultra chip24-core CPU with 16 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores Up to 76-core GPU 32-core Neural Engine 800GB/s memory bandwidth
- M3 chip8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 10-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine 100GB/s memory bandwidth
- M3 Pro chip12-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores 18-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine 150GB/s memory bandwidth
- M3 Ultra chipUp to 32-core CPU with 24 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores Up to 80-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 32-core Neural Engine 819GB/s memory bandwidth
- M4 chip10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores 10-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine 120GB/s memory bandwidth
- M4 Max chipUp to 16-core CPU with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores Up to 40-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine Up to 546GB/s memory bandwidth
- M4 Pro chip14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 20-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine 273GB/s memory bandwidth
- M5 Max chip18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores Up to 40-core GPU Neural Accelerators Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine Up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth
- M5 Pro chipUp to 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores Up to 20-core GPU Neural Accelerators Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine 307GB/s memory bandwidth
- M5 Ultra chipUp to 36-core CPU with 12 super cores and 24 performance cores Up to 80-core GPU Neural Accelerators Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 32-core Neural Engine 1.2TB/s memory bandwidth
- M6 chip12-core CPU with 2 super cores, 4 performance cores, and 6 efficiency cores 12-core GPU Neural Accelerators Hardware-accelerated ray tracing Dual 16-core Neural Engine Up to 170GB/s memory bandwidth
- memory—
- memory_bandwidth400 GB/s
- neural_engine16-core (18 TOPS)
- npu—
- soc—
- unified_memoryUp to 128GB LPDDR5
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite)
The vanguard of Copilot+ PCs, introducing Windows on ARM that finally competes with Apple Silicon. The Snapdragon X Elite integrates a massive 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU, delivering ultra-low latency for local on-device AI tasks.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Class-leading 45 TOPS NPU for instant local AI inference
- Stunning fanless-like thermal efficiency and battery life
- Premium haptic touchpad and aluminum unibody build
Cons
- x86 emulation overhead for legacy specialized software
- Gaming performance is limited by driver compatibility
Specifications
- cpu_cores12-core Qualcomm Oryon (up to 3.4GHz, 4.0GHz boost)
- display13.8 or 15-inch PixelSense Flow (120Hz)
- fabrication_process4nm (TSMC)
- architecture—
- battery—
- connectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- gpu_cores—
- keyvalue
- M1 Max chip—
- M1 Pro chip—
- M2 chip—
- M2 Max chip—
- M2 Pro chip—
- M2 Ultra chip—
- M3 chip—
- M3 Pro chip—
- M3 Ultra chip—
- M4 chip—
- M4 Max chip—
- M4 Pro chip—
- M5 Max chip—
- M5 Pro chip—
- M5 Ultra chip—
- M6 chip—
- memory16GB or 32GB LPDDR5x (8448 MT/s)
- memory_bandwidth—
- neural_engine—
- npuQualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)
- socQualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100)
- unified_memory—