# Introduction
The new Apple M3 chip has been heralded as the “most advanced chip ever built for a personal computer” by Apple. It promises up to 60{4dbbffb7ff6e7fb0ccf569e586cac957305ffa8ee172700c59e45cf92501f7cb} higher performance in some apps compared to its predecessor, the M2. But what exactly does this mean for users? In this article, we will compare the M3 and M2 chips to see how they stack up in terms of performance and whether it’s worth upgrading to the M3.
# Availability of M3 and M2
Currently, the M2 chip can be found in devices such as the 13-inch MacBook Air, 15-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. On the other hand, the M3 chip is only available in the 24-inch iMac and the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 will replace the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2. It’s important to note that the M3 devices will coexist with the M2 devices, and not all Macs have been updated with the new chip yet.
# Pricing
When it comes to pricing, the M3 devices are more expensive compared to the M2 devices. The 24-inch iMac with the M3 starts at $1,300, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 starts at $1,600. On the other hand, the M2 devices, such as the 13-inch MacBook Air, range from $1,100 to $1,400, and the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,300. The Mac mini with the M2 is the cheapest option, priced at $600. If immediate access to the M3 is not necessary, it might be wise to wait for the chip to be included in more affordable options like the Mac mini.
# Specifications
Both the M2 and M3 chips have similar core counts, featuring an eight-core CPU and the option of an eight-core or 10-core GPU. They also both use Unified Memory, with the M3 offering up to 24GB of memory, similar to the M2. However, the M3 boasts a major advantage with its use of a 3nm process, compared to the M2’s 5nm process. The smaller process allows the M3 to fit more transistors, resulting in higher performance and better efficiency. Furthermore, the M3 introduces a new GPU architecture with Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and an enhanced Neural Engine.
# Performance
While we haven’t had the opportunity to test the M3 chip yet, Apple claims that it offers 35{4dbbffb7ff6e7fb0ccf569e586cac957305ffa8ee172700c59e45cf92501f7cb} higher CPU performance compared to the M1. Based on our previous tests, we saw an 18{4dbbffb7ff6e7fb0ccf569e586cac957305ffa8ee172700c59e45cf92501f7cb} increase in multi-core performance with the M2 compared to the M1, so a similar jump can be expected for the M3. The real difference lies in the GPU performance, with Apple stating that the M3’s GPU delivers 65{4dbbffb7ff6e7fb0ccf569e586cac957305ffa8ee172700c59e45cf92501f7cb} more performance than the M1. As for the M2, we can assume that the M3 will offer a larger boost in GPU performance. However, until we can test the chip, it is difficult to make a direct comparison between the M3 and M2.
# Conclusion
The M3 chip offers significant performance improvements over the previous M2 chip. With a smaller process and a new GPU architecture, the M3 promises higher efficiency and better overall performance. However, the availability of the M3 is currently limited to select devices, and the pricing is higher compared to the M2 models. Users will have to consider their specific needs, budget, and the devices available to decide whether upgrading to the M3 is worth it. As we wait for more devices to adopt the M3 chip, it will be interesting to see how it performs compared to the M2 and whether it lives up to the hype.
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