There’s no doubt that the introduction of new M3 chips was the main event at Apple’s Scary Fast show. Yet, it looks possible that the M3 Pro might actually have a significant downgrade compared to the Apple silicon chips that came before it. Apple explained that the M3 Pro chip in the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro is up to 40% faster than the M1 Pro in the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Yet, as spotted by MacRumors, there are some situations where the latest chips actually look a little worse than their predecessors — at least on paper. For instance, the M3 Pro comes with 150GBps memory bandwidth, which is 25% less than the 200GBps found in the M1 Pro and M2 Pro. One variant of the M3 Max, meanwhile, has 300GBps memory bandwidth, while its M2 Max equivalent comes with 400GBps. Because Apple spent most of the show comparing the M3 chips to the M1 series, it’s hard to actually know how much of a difference in performance there will be over the M2 chips. It’s possible that Apple’s comparisons mask a lower performance leap over the M2 than had been hoped, or that improvements elsewhere make these downgrades less relevant. The reduced memory bandwidth is not the only way the M3 Pro has changed versus what came before. Apple has tweaked the core configurations so that the M3 Pro with a 12-core CPU comes with six performance cores and six efficiency cores. The 12-core M2 Pro, though, has eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. There’s another thing to consider. Every M3-series chip comes with a 16-core Neural Engine, just like the A17 Pro in the latest iPhones. However, while the A17 Pro’s Neural Engine can perform 35 TOPS (trillion operations per second), the M3 maxes out at 18 TOPS. It’s unclear if any of this will actually be a problem. It could be that the performance cores in the M3 Pro are more powerful than those in the M2 Pro, so Apple doesn’t need to pack as many of them in. Similarly, Macs might be able to hand off more processing to the GPU than an iPhone can, meaning the Neural Engine doesn’t require as much power. Ultimately, we won’t know for sure until we get the latest MacBook Pro models in for testing. Until then, we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that the gains from the M3 chip are as impressive as Apple has claimed. Apple’s Mac engineers have been on a tear in recent years, with high-performance chips appearing at every turn. That’s led to a lot of fevered speculation about what Apple is planning next, with rumors running wild about a secretive chip codenamed “Hidra” that’s reportedly in the works. If you’ve been wondering what to expect from the Hidra chip and want to make sense of all the rumors, you’re in the right place. We’ve combed the internet for all the latest ideas and collated them here, so you can find out everything you need to know about Apple’s upcoming superpowered chip. Read on to get in the know.
Which Macs will get the Hidra chip? Apple has begun outfitting its Macs with the M4 chip, following the chip’s debut in the iPad Pro in spring 2024. But not every Mac comes with the M4 — several are still sporting the previous-generation M3, which offers impressive performance in its own right, and appears in the best MacBooks and Macs. These devices are expected to make the switch over the coming months. That means there’s a split between M3 Macs and their M4 siblings, and the big question is whether you should upgrade. Is the M4 a large upgrade over the M3, or will you be fine sticking with the older chip? What sort of performance do the M3 and M4 offer, and how do they work under the hood? We’ve analyzed all the similarities and differences so that you know exactly what you should buy.
Where can you find these chips? Apple has officially announced the M4 MacBook Pro in both 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. In addition to the base M4 model, they also come in M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations in both sizes. But let’s be real: the M3 MacBook Pro was already a fantastic laptop. Is it really worth upgrading to the new model? I won’t know for sure until I’ve tested them myself, but here are the six major changes you need to know about when it comes to the next generation of MacBook Pros. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.

There’s no doubt that the introduction of new M3 chips was the main event at Apple’s Scary Fast show. Yet, it looks possible that the M3 Pro might actually have a significant downgrade compared to the Apple silicon chips that came before it. Apple explained that the M3 Pro chip in the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro is up to 40% faster than the M1 Pro in the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Yet, as spotted by MacRumors, there are some situations where the latest chips actually look a little worse than their predecessors — at least on paper. For instance, the M3 Pro comes with 150GBps memory bandwidth, which is 25% less than the 200GBps found in the M1 Pro and M2 Pro. One variant of the M3 Max, meanwhile, has 300GBps memory bandwidth, while its M2 Max equivalent comes with 400GBps. Because Apple spent most of the show comparing the M3 chips to the M1 series, it’s hard to actually know how much of a difference in performance there will be over the M2 chips. It’s possible that Apple’s comparisons mask a lower performance leap over the M2 than had been hoped, or that improvements elsewhere make these downgrades less relevant. The reduced memory bandwidth is not the only way the M3 Pro has changed versus what came before. Apple has tweaked the core configurations so that the M3 Pro with a 12-core CPU comes with six performance cores and six efficiency cores. The 12-core M2 Pro, though, has eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. There’s another thing to consider. Every M3-series chip comes with a 16-core Neural Engine, just like the A17 Pro in the latest iPhones. However, while the A17 Pro’s Neural Engine can perform 35 TOPS (trillion operations per second), the M3 maxes out at 18 TOPS. It’s unclear if any of this will actually be a problem. It could be that the performance cores in the M3 Pro are more powerful than those in the M2 Pro, so Apple doesn’t need to pack as many of them in. Similarly, Macs might be able to hand off more processing to the GPU than an iPhone can, meaning the Neural Engine doesn’t require as much power. Ultimately, we won’t know for sure until we get the latest MacBook Pro models in for testing. Until then, we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that the gains from the M3 chip are as impressive as Apple has claimed. Apple’s Mac engineers have been on a tear in recent years, with high-performance chips appearing at every turn. That’s led to a lot of fevered speculation about what Apple is planning next, with rumors running wild about a secretive chip codenamed “Hidra” that’s reportedly in the works. If you’ve been wondering what to expect from the Hidra chip and want to make sense of all the rumors, you’re in the right place. We’ve combed the internet for all the latest ideas and collated them here, so you can find out everything you need to know about Apple’s upcoming superpowered chip. Read on to get in the know.
Which Macs will get the Hidra chip? Apple has begun outfitting its Macs with the M4 chip, following the chip’s debut in the iPad Pro in spring 2024. But not every Mac comes with the M4 — several are still sporting the previous-generation M3, which offers impressive performance in its own right, and appears in the best MacBooks and Macs. These devices are expected to make the switch over the coming months. That means there’s a split between M3 Macs and their M4 siblings, and the big question is whether you should upgrade. Is the M4 a large upgrade over the M3, or will you be fine sticking with the older chip? What sort of performance do the M3 and M4 offer, and how do they work under the hood? We’ve analyzed all the similarities and differences so that you know exactly what you should buy.
Where can you find these chips? Apple has officially announced the M4 MacBook Pro in both 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. In addition to the base M4 model, they also come in M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations in both sizes. But let’s be real: the M3 MacBook Pro was already a fantastic laptop. Is it really worth upgrading to the new model? I won’t know for sure until I’ve tested them myself, but here are the six major changes you need to know about when it comes to the next generation of MacBook Pros. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.