Customer Ratings & Reviews

Before going into details i want to say these are the best laptops on the market hands down there is no competition. I am intending this review to help people in a position of trying to figure out which model to get as a high end user and which size 14" vs 16". Also that there is ZERO reason to upgrade from an M1 2021 version of this laptop as it is so similar unless you have a very specific need (eg wi-fi 6e, bluetooth 5.3, hdmi 2.1) or use case (profesional video editing and time based 3D rendering projects that it would likely be a waste of money. Also sorry for an extremely long review but read it all if you want to know where things sit. I own the 2021 m1 max 32 core gpu as well as the 14 and 16 core, m2 air 8-core, a few other windows gaming laptops and macs and now m2 max 38-core gpu model. I have recently picked up this years 19 and 30 core so i know a thing or two about all of them. First I will cover 14" vs 16" size comparison and then go into details regarding why i daily drive the one i do and how they all compare. As you can see from my pictures i am showing a couple comparisons of the 14" vs the 16" for size wise. This is always a common thing to be looking at when making a purchase and portability plays a large role. Flat out the 16" is LARGE, heavy, but packs a greater punch so to speak. The 16" has better speakers, larger battery giving a couple more hours, clearly far more screen real estate, larger track pad, and larger fans/cooling system so it runs about 10c cooler than the 14" at all times though i want to note neither size ever EVER overheats unlike the old intel models. Speakers- the speakers are the best in any laptop ever on the 16" but the 14" ones are not that far behind or enough to be mad over they still are better than any windows laptop ive heard (ive heard a lot). The larger battery- Realistically speaking in the real world were talking getting 14 hours vs 16 hours on light use so again if you have a windows machine or older mac your probably only getting 6-10 hours max anyway so even the 14" is worth your time there. Screen- These are the best screens on the market today even against OLED as these have no risk of burn in yet still produce deep blacks. That said the screen real estate on the 16" is MUCH more and this is where you need to stop and think about what you need from your laptop. If you do any video editing or coding you may find that the 16" is the absolute best for you. The 14" can feel extremely cramped while using it on the go and for me this is the only real drawback of that size. Also note that if you dock at a desk using an external monitor or your TV at home ( hdmi or casting wirelessly to airplay) this becomes a non issue and i would much reccomend the 14" instead. Track pad- Again these are by far the best track pads made. Just like the screen if you do video editing it is much easier using the much larger 16" versions trackpad as its a few extra inches over the already ridiculously large one on the 14". If you use an external mouse this clearly doesnt matter and if you dont do intensive tasks like gestures constantly this also wont matter for you as both are abnormally large and amazing to use. Thermals Fans - Ok so by now you might know that the redesign with apple silicon in 2021 also came with extremely cool running laptops which is just amazing! Comparing the 14 and 16" models as said above you will see about a good 10c difference in temps under heavy load. That said you will still almost NEVER hear the fans run. Even when they do they are so quiet youd have to put your ear to the laptop to see if that is indeed what your hearing, thats how good they are. Now, if you are putting a large CPU and GPU load on your machine doing something like gaming or 3d work here is where you might realize something that most reviewers cant attest to. The 16" fans when at full speed (over 100c under extremely rare times that almost nobody can make it do mind you) are MUCH louder than the 14" ones at full speed as they push a lot more air with larger blades. This is a topic that is largely glossed over because you legit cannot get your machine this hot almost ever. So the 1% out there that do this, you know who you are, get the 14" if you care about fan sound which is the opposite of what most say because under normal use the 16" handles heat better and doesnt spin the fans as much generally speaking. To finish the whole 14" vs 16" debate its of course personal preference however i personally daily use my 14" as its way way more portable and i enjoy using it more regardless of the drawbacks stated above. I use it at the office and home desk docked with an external display so that doesnt bother me. I also air play it to my living room TV to get video editing done or use my magic keyboard and trackpad from my couch with it hooked to my TV HDMI and it works amazing. If you dont travel or you are going to keep it plugged in at all times go for the 16" as you can enjoy the better items it can provide. ---------------- M1 MAX 32-core vs M2 MAX 38-Core GPU's as well as others- The advertised spec bump is exactly as youd imagine it is a very small increase to graphical performance. You actually get a much larger leap by the fact the base clock speed is higher than the M1 chip rather than the 8 extra GPU cores. In gaming i can say in world of warcraft that the extra 8 gpu cores actually increased framerates 65%!! This game however also has more to do with single core cpu speeds then GPU but it is a massive increase none the less. In video rednering ive seen a massive decrease which was suprising because the documentation doesnt mention it having double encode and decode engines yet it must because its walking all over the m1 max 32 core. Most other generic workloads arent going to matter with saving time but almost everything ive done and tested on these are within 10% difference in performance and probably not worth spending more money to get the M2 version unless you have a very specific need. When looking at the base models of these the 19-core in the 2023 vs 2021 provides a larger increase in performance and is a very welcomed change over last year. Since if your buying that machine you would not be pushing the envelope most things will work better then youd ever imagine or need and you may also want to cross shop the M2 air model if you dont mind the worse speakers and screen (see in store). M1 10 core cpu vs 12 core cpu This year they added 2 more efficency cores which provides a tangable performance jump over the previous model. I can see this in daily use and i can see a large difference in battery life as well as its much more effecient. The cores run at a higher clock speed and provide just a much smoother experience multi tasking or under heavy cpu work load. Its much harder to get it to hiccup vs the older models. 14" vs 16" There is NO performance difference between the 14" and 16" contrary to popular belief from tech youtubers talking about thermal throttling. This is ridiculously based off of worthless benchmarks that literally max out your cpu and gpu for 10 mins straight and are not at all a normal use case so dont be fooled by those videos. I have real world experience on both. Do not base your choice on the made up metrics just decide what size phyiscally works better for your use case unless you need something very specific or NEED the extra 1.5-2 hours of battery for whatever reason that the 16" provides. RAM / Unified memory So you dont have that many options from the "stock" models that the stores get you can only choose between 16GB and 32GB which come with their own set of set SSD sizes and options but for MOST people are more then enough with any that you choose. These laptops will certainly last longer then 5 years and since you will already be spending a ton of money i highly suggest if you have any doubt to just go with the 32GB unified memory model to "futureproof" as many say. The 16GB though is more than capible and these machines can use what they call SWAP memory where it can write to the extremely fast SSD drive (except the base model 10/16 14" that has a slow ssd and worse performance) and use it as unified memory in the case your running out of physical memory. So its nothing like a windows computer where you just bluescreen and crash, these do not do that it will give you many warnings and allow you to choose how to proceed instead. There is many other things you could say about these but this is already more than long enough and i hope i have helped you make a better choice on your potentially new laptop. That said if your looking for the absolute king of the jungle this is your machine! Everything is largely identical to the eye between the 2021 models and these new 2023 so keep that in mind these are just an upgraded internally with some benefits. Some of those being wi-fi 6e, bluetooth 5.3, better battery life, and HDMI 2.1 which essentially means you have more bandwidth to output a video signal over if you wish to run something like a 4k monitor at up to 240hz (2021 can only do 4k 60hz).

Everything about owning an apple Silcon based Mac is great, this is refined! The screen is amazing and great to edit with. The internal improvements like HDMI 2.1 and BT 5.3 and welcome additions. The jump in performance from the i9 2019 MBP. That thing used to turn into a jet engine with its fans the moment you open up your laptop. Now I can push it for hours without hearing the fans. The battery life is great and it’s wonderful to edit on it.

I edit highly compressed footage from my FX3 in Davinci Resolve. This thing cuts through everything I throw at it. If you’re doing 4K video editing with compressed footage, this spec is more than enough and should last you 3+ years. It is big and heavy, but I’ll happily exchange the slight inconvenience of portability for the extra screen real estate, extra battery life and better thermal performance over the 14” M2 Max. The HDMI 2.1 port is a great addition! Love using this with my LG C2 42” OLED. Nothing quite like editing with a 4K 120hz screen and insane response times. When I’m not plugged into my LG, the screen and speakers do the job well! In my opinion, this is the perfect laptop for my needs. Well done, Apple.

The perfect laptop. I have been using a fully decked-out Razer laptop for the last 3 years, and the fan blows hard and loads on this from the moment it started up until shutdown. Anytime I connected another monitor to it, it would throttle and get SO HOT. And this was an i9 with a Nvidea 3900 card. On the other hand, the new m2 MacBook blew that out of the water. I have multiple monitors connected to this with dozens of tabs and programs running, and it doesn' make a sound and barely gets warm. It doesn't throttle and is fast as I've ever seen with any computer, not just a laptop. PLUS, the battery is INSANELY GOOD. I will have multiple monitors and run all my programs simultaneously and the battery lasts all through the day with plenty left. So all in all I don't know why I waited so long to get a MacBook, this is fantastic. I barely gamed on the Razer so I don't miss that and if I want to game I use my desktop. I haven't tried to game on this MacBook yet but, I'm sure it can handle quite a lot games.

Got mine today and it works absolutely great. Everything as advertised and it is LIGHTNING fast. I use mine for video editing and rendering in 4K and this handles everything with ease. Opened two heavy programs simultaneously and didn’t even see a slow down in pace at all. No frame rate dropping during my video playbacks at 60FPS. The battery has been an exceptional upgrade since a few generations ago and it now has an extra hour over its predecessor. I got the 32GB unified memory and I don’t regret it one bit. This is a monster of a machine that will certainly stand the test of time. It really is an investment that I would recommend. If you’re thinking of getting one this, I’d say go for it if you can. 5/5 Stars from myself.

Is it absurdly expensive? Yes. But, it's worth it in my opinion. I upgraded from a 16" 2019 Macbook Pro i9/16GB and the difference is like night and day. The M2 Max is a seriously impressive processor, and the 32GB of RAM has been plenty to handle everything I've thrown at it, including dozens of browser tabs across multiple browser windows, multiple instances of VS Code, and Spotify without so much as a hiccup when I forgot I had Postman, Photoshop, and Lightroom all running in the background, and all while driving a 4k external display and the built-in monitor. Even when memory usage gets high on this, nothing slows down. Memory management is very good. I haven't run any benchmarks or anything on the storage, but I haven't had any complaints. Files download from the internet extremely fast (1Gbps internet), and file transfers to other machines on the local network are also super fast over Wifi 6. I haven't upgraded my AP's to Wifi 6E yet, but everything runs fine on Wifi 6. Battery life is incredible when you're doing light to medium-duty stuff. I spent 5 hours sitting on the couch coding the other night and dropped 3%. I haven't had any issues with app compatibility, which was a minor concern before switching. Every app I normally run has run just fine on M2. I also haven't had any of the issues I had with Ventura running on my Intel based Macbook Pro. Long story short; If you're on an older Mac and wondering if the upgrade is worth it. It is.

This is absolutely an amazing powerhouse of a machine. It's quieter, cooler, and faster than every windows laptop I've had (and I had three last year ranging from 3060 to 3080ti — all sitting collecting dust now), while running for days at a time without being plugged in. I appreciate the way Mac OS handles power management and wake in laptops much more than Windows. And while I don't really play many games, I do play hours and hours of World of Warcraft. And honestly, this thing screams! It actually meets or beats my 3070ti gaming desktop in almost every scenario in the game. Summary: While this is an expensive device, it's not too much more than comparably-powered Windows gaming laptops. It lasts longer on battery, it isn't held back by Windows power management, it's quiet, it's cool, and it has the best screen I've used on any laptop (even compared to OLED laptops). If you're like me and you're looking for a great mobile workstation that also plays WoW (very specific) then you'll be thrilled with this machine!

I have owned many other Apple products (phone, watch, tablet, iPod) but never a computer. I never wanted to jump into the Mac world, mainly due to incompatibility with Microsoft and the cost. Well, the cost is still an issue, but the compatibility issues seem to be gone. I can run all of the programs I was previously running on my HP without any issues. Yes, pretty much all of your software programs will look a little different and there is a learning curve, but ultimately everything works for me that I am used to using in the past. I did watch some YouTube videos on customization and getting used to the new Mac, those are very helpful. (Nerd alert) This laptop is much more than I need and I barely test it to its full capacity. I generally have at least 7-10 web pages open at the same time as I jump between work and personal pages. I also have multiple programs open at the same time, email/Adobe/Word/Excel/Edge/Apple Music/Zoom, and it does not slow a bit. I am not even sure I have ever heard a fan kick on. Much more customizable than I thought it would be. I bought a Unicorn Beetle Supercase to protect it and that fits perfect and adds a little more personalization. The desktop and options within software are tricky to find, but managegable. (Nerd alert-videos help with this). Some cons are that it is a bit heavy. Just an ounce or four more than my HP but it is heavier. It also does not have a 10-key option. I know many laptops are going away from that, but having that option would be nice. I purchased a separate Bluetooth 10-key that works fine, but is just one extra thing to lug around. Battery life is amazing! I can go several days without charging with moderate use. If I am working on it all day, I generally charge it once a day. It boasts a longer battery life than I have experienced but it all depends on how hard you are working the machine. Without a doubt, best battery life on a laptop I have experienced, hands down! It charges relatively fast. I have not timed it, but it is much faster to charge from 10-15% to 100% than any other laptop I have owned. Very unique charging port and traditional (maybe even retro) Apple power pack. Power pack reminds me of the old square blocks for my iPods in the early 2000's. Very clean and clear screen. I use a separate HP monitor for dual screens and this one is clearly better. No technical info to share on specifics, but it does look crisp, clear, and runs Hulu, Zoom, Netflix, without any visible issues. Sound is surprisingly good. It has some bass to it and has some great sound. I mostly use my AirPods, but when I am not, it sounds great. I would not recommend the Magic Mouse to go with it. It has some cool features but overall not a big fan and you can get a Logitec for less money and you will be happier with its functionality. Owned it for almost two months and really do like it. Is it better than an HP, or less expensive laptop? Jury is still out on that, but the supposed life span of a MacBook Pro is MUCH longer than the average laptop, so longevity is definitely a plus that balances out the cost over time.

I have been using this MacBook Pro for two years, and it still performs flawlessly. The M2 Max chip delivers incredible speed, and the 32GB memory handles multitasking effortlessly. The battery life and display quality remain outstanding, making it a great long-term investment.

Switching from Windows to Mac is an adjustment but i made the sacrifice because i felt Mac handles media much better. I am a photographer that is budding into a videographer and the M2 Max chip is very efficient. Yes windows can compete in a greater way depending on who you ask but why Mac is a win for me is the superior battery life and the consistent power of the laptop when it's not plugged in. Windows laptops are great but much better plugged in when using them rigorously. Next, the mini led xdr screen is very close to OLED quality and coming from an OLED laptop and having 4 OLED TVs in my home the screen is very impressive and gives me greater color and detail for my editing. Of course this is can be subjective to some but this is a strong win for me. The negative about MAC is that it tries so hard not to be windows by avoiding the simple tasks of managing multiple applications not being very organized and installation of different programs can be inconsistent. Windows wins easily here. There seems to be about 3 different ways to install an app but now by the users choice. It's all in how it's programmed. I think these things Apple can adopt from Windows to enhance the experience. The issue isn't big enough for me to send it back. Just takes a little getting used to. I won't call myself an apple fanboy just yet but this is a great start. Oh yes, one last con about Mac, if you see yourself using your Mac in a greater capacity later you can't change the parts to enhance it. You have to go all in up front which is very costly. Otherwise, it's a great laptop that I highly recommend to anyone but Windows users be patient.

Apple made incremental updates when they released the new M2 Pro/Max lines. New are the HDMI 2.1 port for 8K 60p and 4K 240p monitor support, Bluetooth 5.3 (2nd Gen AirPod Pro) and WiFi 6E support. These are not essential or must have updates but are more of "quality of life" improvements. Overall, the laptop is about 15-20% faster when you run professional apps but you won't see huge gains with video editing as the video encoders have not been improved. Pros who make money with their computers will benefit from the faster chips where time is money. Also, gamers who must have as many GPU cores (38 here) would also benefit. But if you are a hobbyist editing photos, videos or creating music for fun, you are better served with the Pro instead of the Max versions. Better yet, get a M1 Pro/Max as they are now discounted to near Apple Refurbished price points and are not that much slower.

It is an incredible achievement. It blows all the Windows laptops out of the water. The audio is great, the screen is great, the battery is amazing. It is not particularly light and being unupgreadable is kind of a kick in the groin. Other than that it is an excellent machine. Would hope that at least the RAM would not be soldered in. Alas, it even holds some value, not like a Windows machine. The M series processor is such a gamechanger.

The title is genuine, I have honestly never seen this much power with such amazing battery life in a laptop. Apple’s silicon blew me away with how great it performed under extremely intensive loads. My Macs almost always get out under coding / 3d modeling environments along with video editing. This Mac not only took my workload to a level I can’t even begin to describe, but it was effortless. Yes, there’s a couple of hurdles here and there as it is an ARM based processor that’s replacing intel architecture, but it’s well worth it. If you want to see how much you can push this machine, walk into the store, open the applications folder, type command-a, and open every single application. Seriously, it will not only take it, it’ll fly through it. Unified memory along with these new SSDs are shocking to watch under load. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see a lot more Arm based laptops down the road in the Windows space. This machine is definitely for the die hard professionals out there as well as those who are power users, and I absolutely love it.

An excellent computer for Graphic design, music production and video editing. 32GB of memory allows me to have most of the entire adobe suite open. Super fast load times. Insane 12-18 hour battery life. 120hz screen. The only con is its price.

Apple has really done their homework. I would definitely recommend this computer. It was well worth the money I paid. Very easy to use a beginner will have no problem. The graphics are out of this world!

As most of Apple's product - solid piece of electronics, super powerful, fast, efficient. Battery lasts very long. Great for development and gaming use as well.

Unreal performance and battery life. Mainly do music production and 3d art work and lasts me all day. Not to mention the screen is nothing like I've ever seen. Apples hrd is best I've ever used.

I recently had the opportunity to experience the Apple MacBook Pro 16" equipped with the revolutionary M2 Max Chip, and I must say, it is truly the epitome of excellence in the world of laptops. This formidable machine has left an indelible impression on me, pushing the boundaries of what a laptop can achieve and solidifying its position as the best laptop on the market today. Let's start with the M2 Max Chip, which is the driving force behind this laptop's unparalleled performance. Apple has once again raised the bar, delivering a chip that combines raw power, efficiency, and seamless integration with the macOS ecosystem. The M2 Max Chip effortlessly handles resource-intensive tasks, ensuring lag-free multitasking, lightning-fast data processing, and remarkable graphics performance. Whether you're a professional video editor, a 3D designer, or a demanding gamer, this laptop will exceed your expectations. The 16" Retina display is a visual feast, boasting vibrant colors, incredible contrast, and razor-sharp clarity. Whether you're immersed in a movie, editing photos, or working on a complex project, the screen delivers an immersive and mesmerizing experience. The True Tone technology further enhances the visuals, adapting the display to the ambient lighting for a natural viewing experience. In terms of design, Apple has meticulously crafted a laptop that exudes elegance and sophistication. The sleek aluminum unibody construction not only enhances durability but also adds a touch of luxury. The refined keyboard with its satisfying tactile feedback and the expansive trackpad that glides effortlessly under your fingertips make for an impeccable typing and navigation experience. Apple's commitment to user convenience shines through in the MacBook Pro 16" M2 Max Chip. The introduction of the MagSafe charging port ensures quick and secure charging, while the inclusion of multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports allows for seamless connectivity with a wide range of peripherals. Additionally, the laptop offers a robust battery life that keeps you powered throughout the day, minimizing interruptions to your workflow. Furthermore, the MacBook Pro's audio prowess is nothing short of remarkable. The built-in stereo speakers deliver immersive sound, whether you're listening to music, watching movies, or participating in video conferences. Apple's spatial audio technology further enhances the experience by creating a virtual surround sound environment. Lastly, the macOS ecosystem is a testament to Apple's dedication to providing a seamless user experience. The MacBook Pro 16" M2 Max Chip effortlessly integrates with other Apple devices, allowing for effortless file sharing, messaging continuity, and device synchronization. The App Store offers a vast selection of software tailored to enhance productivity, creativity, and entertainment, further enhancing the laptop's versatility. In conclusion, the Apple MacBook Pro 16" M2 Max Chip is undeniably the best laptop on the market. With its groundbreaking M2 Max Chip, stunning Retina display, impeccable design, convenient features, and seamless integration into the macOS ecosystem, it sets a new benchmark for laptop excellence. Whether you're a professional or a creative enthusiast, this laptop will undoubtedly elevate your computing experience to new heights.

It's been 5 years since my last MacBook Pro and was uncertain if I'd like the latest model using the new Apple Silicon Chip. Soooooooo.... I LOVE it!. It's unbelievably powerful, as great keyboard, is not that heavy, considering how powerful it is, and has a great, awesome screen. I run multiple programs on it at the same time, including VMware Fusion for Mac, so I'm also running windows 11 Pro, which runs as fast as it would on a normal PC. And with all that taxing the computer, the cooling fans have yet to come on, which speaks to the amazing processing power of apples M2 chip.

I’m coming from an i7 3.0 GHz intel dual core 2014 MBP that lasted me all through college and post grad. I was looking to invest in something that could last another 9 years (which btw my old MBP still works perfect with 1100 cycles on the battery. It’s just the lack of OS updates available for the model). The speed/power/battery life on this machine is AMAZING. By trade I’m Dev so I use this thing for 10+ hours a day. I know it’s probably over-engineered for my dtd, but if it last another 9 years without any major repairs, I’m a happy customer. Get it. So worth the investment.