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MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) vs MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023)1MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Pro M3 Max against MacBook Pro
FigureMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Price£3,5993launch price£2,3994launch price
ChipM3 MaxchipCore i72.6GHz 6-core Intel
CPU14-coreCPU6-coreCPU
GPU30-coreGPUNot available5GPU
Memory36GBunified memory, base16GBmemory, base
Storage1TBstorage, base512GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to22 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to11 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released7 November 20236ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2023.13 November 20197Available online; Apple gave no in-store day
Security updatesNot available8Security updatesNot available9Security updates
Price
The MacBook Pro M3 Max is £3,599 at launch, per Apple UK Store (archived 31 October 2023); the MacBook Pro is £2,399 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) · 355.7 × 248.1 mm footprintMacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) · 357.9 × 245.9 mm footprint

Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Dimensions16.8 x 355.7 x 248.1 mm16.2 x 357.9 x 245.9 mm
Weight2.16 kg2 kg
ColoursSpace Black, SilverSilver, Space Gray
PortsThree Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jackFour Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports1034
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 4Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.11No USB-A ports.12
HDMIHDMI portNo HDMI port.13
SD card slotYesNo SD card slot.13
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeYesNo MagSafe port.12
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch IDBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch ID
Touch IDYesYes
Touch BarNo Touch Bar.14Yes

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Display size16.2 in16 in
Resolution3456 x 22343072 x 1920
Pixel density254 ppi226 ppi
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR displayRetina display
Brightness600 nits500 nits
Peak brightness (HDR)1,600 nitsNot available15
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.14Not available5

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
ChipApple M3 Max chip2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7
Apple siliconYesIntel processor, not Apple silicon.12
CPU cores146
Performance cores10Not available16
Efficiency cores4Not available16
GPU cores30Not available5
Graphics30-core GPU17AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
Neural Engine cores16Not available18
Chip optionsM3 Max with 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU, or M3 Max with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 2.3GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 or 2.4GHz 8-core Intel Core i9
Memory (base)36GB16GB
Memory (maximum)128GB64GB
Memory options36GB or 96GB (14-core CPU); 48GB, 64GB or 128GB (16-core CPU)16GB, 32GB or 64GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents19No, as Apple documents19
Memory bandwidth300 GB/sNot available20
Storage (base)1TB512GB
Storage (maximum)8TB8TB
Storage options1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginetwo video encode enginestwo ProRes encode and decode enginesAV1 decodeNot available18

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Battery capacity100 Wh100 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles211,000 cycles21
Video playback (claimed)22 h11 h
Wireless web (claimed)15 h11 h
Included power adapter140 W96 W
Fast chargingYesNo fast charging.13

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth5.35.0
EthernetNo Ethernet port.14No Ethernet port.13
External displays (base)44

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersHigh-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofersHigh-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming22Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Shipped withNot available23macOS Catalina24
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate25macOS Tahoe 2626
Model identifierMac15,7, Mac15,9, Mac15,1127MacBookPro16,1, MacBookPro16,428
Model year20232019

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) against Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M3 Max1MacBook Pro2
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,817291,27530
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)22,087295,38230

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Pro M3 Max · Apple’s figure · read 30 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple UK Store (archived 31 October 2023) — MacBook Pro 16-inch, M3 Max with 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU, 36GB, 1TB, £3,599.00 · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  6. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new MacBook Pro featuring M3 chips · Apple’s figure · read 30 Sep 2026

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  7. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 2 Oct 2026

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  9. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  10. Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Pro M3 Max: Thunderbolt 4. MacBook Pro: Thunderbolt 3.

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  11. MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs. Read 30 Sep 2026

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  12. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  13. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023): No Touch Bar. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  15. Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no separate HDR peak for this display

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  16. Doesn’t apply: this is an Intel processor, and Apple lists a total core count only

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  18. Doesn’t apply: Apple silicon feature; this Mac has an Intel processor

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  20. Doesn’t apply: Apple publishes it only for Apple silicon

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  21. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  22. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  23. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new MacBook Pro featuring M3 chips. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  24. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  25. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  26. Apple Support (UK) — macOS Tahoe 26 is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  27. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  28. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  29. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M3 Max, Nov 2023) · third-party figure · read 30 Sep 2026

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  30. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Pro M3 Max. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new MacBook Pro featuring M3 chips, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world’s best pro notebook; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro M3 Max (16-inch, Nov 2023)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.