Review 247: 27.11.2021 at 11:00 am
This is the most powerful MacBook from Apple so far. This is the MacBook Pro with the M1 Max CPU. This CPU offers amazing performance, but is it good enough for gaming? đ€Ą Does the performance of this device suit your needs? đ€Ą Are you thinking of buying a new MadBook Pro laptop? đ€Ą
Peace be upon you all, đ In this new review, I’ll discuss the Pros and Cons of this device. And I’ll tell you what’s the best MacBook Pro for you by discussing the specs, prices and features. Let me start reviewing this MacBook Pro 16″ with the M1 Max CPU. This version here is the Silver model, and it is significantly thicker than the previous version. Apple went back to their old design with these new devices, but it still comes with generally the same MacBook design we’ve known for years, but there are three different design changes in this new device. đ
The first thing is that the device comes with the old ports, which is excellent. The second is that the device comes with a new keyboard. The older keyboard were heavily criticized even after the third iteration of it. The third change is that the screen now comes with a notch. This notch is very polarizing, and I’ll discuss it in this review.
The ports are: 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SD card, full HDMI and the new MagSafe port with 145W charging support, but there are lots of details, which I’ll also discuss in this review, Once you open the device, the first thing you’ll is the redesigned keyboard. The new kayboard looks like the new keyboard from the new iMac, it also comes with the Touch ID sensor, which allows you to unlock the device and authorize payments. The Touch Bar is also gone. The Touch Bar was a good idea, but it only served few people.
I don’t think the removal of the Touch Bar will be a loss for most users. And finally, once the device is turned on, you’ll notice the notch at the top of the screen. It looks like it contains the Face ID sensors, but it doesn’t. It is just a camera. Based on my experience and what Apple says, you won’t notice the notch as the OS is built around it.
You won’t lose much screen real estate with this notch. The camera now is 1080p and withdraws light in an excellent way. It is considered one of the best cameras in the market, but it is not that great. It is just better now.
The new camera is really good for online meetings. The device comes with a 16″ screen, and there’s another 14″ version. Both screens are identical except for the size. The screen is called Liquid Retina XDR, and it is made from 10,000 Mini LEDs. The contrast is really high. The resolution of the screen is 3456×2234. And it comes with 254ppi density, it supports up to 1 billion colors.
The screen brightness is 1000 NITs, which means you can still see it in direct sunlight. But in this case, it reaches up to 1200 NITs. It supports True Tone, Night Shift and Dark Mode. It also supports AirPlay, which is becoming popular lately. The screen also supports adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. This will make a huge difference when viewing or playing content that supports high refresh rate.
Let me now discuss the keyboard and audio of this device. The keyboard offers similar experience to the mechanical keyboards. It is way better than the previous keyboard. Apple has built this new keyboard from scratch, as the older keyboard was very troublesome. And based on our experience with the iMac Keyboard and this keyboard, we think it is the best keyboard Apple made. Next to the keyboard is the new big speakers.
The new sound system consists of 6 speakers and 4 woofers that offer way better bass than before. Based on our experience, the audio experiment is very noticeably different. The tweeters, without exaggeration, offer a very pure audio experience. You won’t need bluetooth speakers or external speakers with this device. The device supports spatial audio, meaning that you’ll feel like the audio is coming from all direction with supported content. But it is not better than having a dedicated home theater, though. But it still performs well through mimicking.
However, the change is still noticed. The device also comes with 3 mics that offers 60% better performance than the previous generation. With these directional mics, users can even record podcasts. It is still not as good as a dedicated mic. With a test for these mics, it doesn’t offer the best audio experience, but is still better than the previous generation.
Let’s discuss the OS. The device runs the latest macOS Monterey. The OS is available on most Mac devices. It supports Macs from 2013. Most of the users have tried the OS, but what about the CPU? đ€Ą This device here comes with the M1 Max CPU. It is simply the most powerful CPU Apple has made until now. This CPU comes with 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. It also comes with 64GB of RAM. The onboard storage is 2TB. These specs are customized. You can still oder the same specs, and it’ll cost you 4300 USD..
Some users wonder whether this MacBook is good for gaming. On paper, the specs support gaming, but there’s no cooperation between Apple and game developers. The gaming experience won’t be complete, and Steam doesn’t work smoothly. The system doesn’t also support Bootcamp, so you can’t run Windows on it. With this price, the device still isn’t great for gaming.
We compared the device with the 2019 version i9 CPU 2.4GHz with 64GB DDR4 RAM and the Intel UHD 1536 GPU. We used the Final Cut Pro X software for video editing. The unrendered video was 4.5 minutes. The video export was 4K, and it was full of visual effects. The i9 MacBook exported the video in 8 minutes. While the new Mabook Pro exported the video in 3 minutes. When the new MacBook finished exporting, the i9 version was still at 30%. Nearly 1/3 faster. This is a light project, so imagine how the performance will be with bigger more complicated projects. Saving more time is very valuable for us.
In Geekbench 5, the CPU scored 1761 points for the single core and 12359 points for multicores. In the graphics test, the device scored 59576 points. But to get the best performance, make sure that the app you’re using is compatible with the M1 and M1 Max CPUs.
Let’s now discuss the new MagSafe charger and its capabilities. The new charger supports 145W fast charging. It comes with a special USB-C to MagSafe 3 charing cable to enable 145W fast charging, it still comes with the same old MagSafe functionality but with a USB-C end. To be honest, a MagSafe charger with a device this expensive is a great idea. With the cable, you won’t drop off the device on the floor when your feet get tangled with the cable.
Let me now discuss the pros and cons of this device. đ€Ą
Pros: đ€Ą
The new design is great, and the screen is excellent,đ and now you won’t have to rely on external adapters as the device comes with lots of ports now. The CPU offers powerful performance whether the device is plugged in or run on battery. The battery is also great with this 16″ version. đ
Cons đââïž
But still, there are cons about this device. There was no need for the notch. Even though the nearly bezel-less design is great. The size of the notch is strange, too, considering that it is just a camera. The camera offers good performance, but doesn’t meet the marketing it received. This device costs 4300 USD, for for who is it directed?đ
This device isn’t meant for 90% of the viewers of this article. This device is not for students, games, teachers and businessmen.
This device is meant for content creators and those who use heavy apps like 3D rendering and so on.
This device is meant to be used with heavy loads of work. This device will make a huge difference for pro designers and directors. If you’re not a professional, you can get the M1 CPU or the M1 Pro version.
The M1 Pro version is a very balanced option. The M1 Max is only for those who require the utmost performance in their devices. The M1 Pro, on the other hand, is great for those who have a lot of workload. The regular M1 devices offer great performance, mobility and battery life.
đ€Ą For me, using the M1 device is better for mobility and travel more than the M1 Max. The M1 Max 16″ version is very big and heavy. đ
This is the end of this review guys, See you later and Peace be upon you all.â€đ
Written by:
CEO of OTTO Magazine