TL;DR: For pure video editing throughput, the M4 chip in the 2024 MacBook Pro is the better buy, offering faster single-core performance and a more efficient media engine for H.264/HEVC and ProRes workflows. However, the M3 Pro and M3 Max still edge out the base M4 in multi-core rendering and GPU-intensive effects, so choose based on your project size—not just the chip generation.
Apple M3 MacBook Pro vs. M4: Which Chip Is Better for Video Editing
Apple’s silicon transition has reached a curious inflection point. The M3 family (launched late 2023) and the M4 family (launched late 2024) now overlap in the same 14-inch MacBook Pro chassis, creating confusion for editors who assume newer is always better. The reality is more nuanced: the M4 chip is a monolithic leap in efficiency and single-core speed, but the M3 Pro and M3 Max still hold the crown for heavy multi-stream timelines.
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Specs That Matter for Editing
The base M4 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) ships with a 10-core media engine supporting hardware-accelerated ProRes RAW, AV1 decode, and improved H.264 encode. Its memory bandwidth jumps to 120GB/s—up from 100GB/s in the M3 base. For 4K/60p multicam, this means smoother scrubbing and faster export times on lightweight projects. Meanwhile, the M3 Pro (up to 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU) offers 150GB/s bandwidth, and the M3 Max reaches 400GB/s with up to 40 GPU cores. That bandwidth is the secret sauce for 8K RED RAW or layered After Effects comps.
Real-World Performance: Where Each Wins
In Premiere Pro, the M4 completes a 5-minute 4K H.264 export roughly 12% faster than the M3 base, thanks to its newer encode/decode blocks. DaVinci Resolve’s Noise Reduction and Optical Flow, however, lean heavily on GPU compute—here the M3 Pro is 18% faster than the M4, and the M3 Max doubles that lead. The M4’s single-core Geekbench score (around 3,800) bests the M3 Pro (3,200), which speeds up timeline UI responsiveness, plugin launches, and LUT application. But when you drop 10 ProRes 422 HQ streams on a 4K timeline, the M3 Pro’s additional memory bandwidth prevents dropped frames that the M4 suffers at 6+ streams.
Latest Developments: M4’s Thermal and Efficiency Edge
Apple’s second-gen 3nm process (N3E) in the M4 reduces power draw by up to 30% under sustained load. In a 30-minute 4K export, the M4 MacBook Pro’s fan stays nearly silent and the chassis temperature peaks at 38°C versus 44°C on the M3 Pro. For editors working on location, that means longer battery life (up to 22 hours video playback) and no thermal throttling during long color passes. Additionally, the M4 supports Thunderbolt 5 on Pro models (though the base M4 MacBook Pro sticks with Thunderbolt 4), but external SSD transfer speeds for proxy workflows are identical in practice.
Industry Impact: The Shift to Efficiency Over Raw Power
The M4’s arrival signals Apple’s pivot from brute-force cores to per-core intelligence. For indie editors and YouTubers who cut 1080p or entry-4K, the M4 MacBook Pro at $1,599 is now the value king—outperforming the M3 base while costing the same. Professional post houses, however, still spec M3 Max machines for 8K finishing, as Apple has not yet released an M4 Pro or M4 Max. This creates a weird market where “last year’s chip” remains the professional’s choice for another six months, until the M4 Pro launches
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