M3 Mac benchmarks are in and they're as good as Apple promised

Apple Mac Event
(Image credit: Apple)

Earlier this week, Apple unveiled the next generation of Apple Silicone, the M3 chip. Built using a 3nm (nanometer) process, the brand-new processor takes the Mac to new heights, and it looks like Apple’s speed claims during the “Scary Fast” event live up to hype according to the first benchmark results.

During the event, Apple said that the new M3 chip has an 8-core CPU that is up to 35% faster than M1 and 20% faster than M2 and a 10-core GPU that is up to 65% faster than M1 and up to 20% faster than M2. Now, thanks to some Geekbench results that appeared in the database, it looks like the M3 is an excellent upgrade for anyone looking to make the jump to Apple Silicone.

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The Geekbench results from the base model M3 MacBook Pro show a single-core result of 3030 and a multi-core score of 11694. These results align with Apple’s claims of 20% improvement on the M2 and 30% on the M1.

Benchmarks don’t give us the full picture of how the new MacBooks will perform in daily use, but the results give a good indication that the new M3 chips are as good as Apple claims.

The M3 MacBook Pro is available for preorder just now and will be available from November 7, but with Black Friday fast approaching it may be worth waiting for one of the Best MacBook Black Friday deals.

M3 Power

The new M3 MacBook Pro not only houses the new processor but also allows customers to own a Space Black MacBook. The new color available with the M3 Pro and M3 Max is the only external hardware difference from the previous M2 MacBook Pros released earlier this year.

We can’t wait to get our hands on the new laptops to check out the new color and test the M3 chip. Stay tuned to iMore for more M3 Mac news.

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John-Anthony Disotto
Editor

John-Anthony Disotto is the Editor of iMore, helping you get the most from your Apple products and fixing things when your technology isn't behaving itself.

Based in Scotland, where he worked as a Genius Bar technician repairing iPhones, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself on closing his Apple Watch activity rings.

He leads iMore's work on AI in the newsroom, testing where it genuinely improves editorial work and where it doesn't. Every story is written, edited, and signed off by a person.

Previously in editorial at TechRadar and Tom's Guide, John-Anthony is an avid film geek who won the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. Away from Apple, he tinkers with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.