Apple M1 Max in 2026: Performance, Graphics, and 64 GB of Memory

The Apple M1 Max launched in October 2021 as the top-end chip in the first generation of professional Apple Silicon. Its CPU is almost identical to that of the 10-core M1 Pro, but it has a much more powerful GPU, 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and support for up to 64 GB of unified memory. In 2026, the M1 Max still handles development, video editing, photo processing, and other demanding workloads with ease.

10 Cores and Up to 64 GB of Memory

The M1 Max is manufactured using a 5-nanometer process and contains 57 billion transistors. Its CPU consists of eight performance cores and two efficiency cores.

The chip supports 32 or 64 GB of unified memory with bandwidth of up to 400 GB/s. The M1 Pro has a maximum memory bandwidth of 200 GB/s.

32 GB is enough for development, photo processing, and most video-editing projects. 64 GB is needed for large 3D scenes, multiple virtual machines, and demanding video projects.

M1 Max Performance

In Geekbench 6.6, the M1 Max scores around 2440 points in Single-Core and 13,000 in Multi-Core. In Cinebench R23, the results are approximately 1533 and 12,390 points, while PassMark CPU gives it around 22,160 points.

In CPU performance, the M1 Max is only marginally faster than the 10-core M1 Pro. The difference in PassMark is around 1%, while the Cinebench R23 results are practically identical.

The main differences are the M1 Max’s more powerful GPU, twice the memory bandwidth, and support for up to 64 GB of memory.

24- or 32-Core GPU

The M1 Max was available with 24- and 32-core GPUs. In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited, the 24-core version scores around 15,730 points, while the 32-core version scores approximately 20,260.

The 32-core GPU is approximately 29% faster in this test. The difference is especially noticeable in 3D workloads, video editing, and other GPU-intensive tasks.

The M1 Max does not support hardware-accelerated ray tracing. It was introduced in Apple Silicon starting with the M3.

Media Engine

The M1 Max features hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW. The chip has two video-encoding engines and two ProRes encoding and decoding engines.

This speeds up work with multiple video streams and ProRes footage without placing additional load on the CPU.

Computers That Used the M1 Max

The M1 Max was installed in the 14- and 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pro models. They were available with 24- and 32-core GPUs and 32 or 64 GB of unified memory.

In 2022, the M1 Max appeared in the Mac Studio. The base configuration had a 24-core GPU and 32 GB of memory, while the higher-end versions featured 32-core graphics and up to 64 GB of memory.

Is It Worth Buying a Mac with the M1 Max in 2026?

The M1 Max still handles development, video editing, photo processing, 3D work, and other demanding tasks with ease. Its strengths are its powerful GPU, 32-64 GB of memory, and 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

For a MacBook Pro with an M1 Max, 32 GB of memory, and a 1 TB SSD, a reasonable used-market price is around $950-1100. Versions with 64 GB usually cost more.

At around $1200-1300, it is worth comparing the M1 Max with a MacBook Pro featuring the M2 Max. The newer generation offers faster CPUs and GPUs and supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing.