Apple M3 Pro: New Cores and Graphics with Lower Memory Bandwidth

Apple M3 Pro launched in fall 2023 alongside the M3 and M3 Max. The higher-end configuration received 12 CPU cores, an 18-core GPU, and support for up to 36 GB of unified memory. Compared with the M2 Pro, single-threaded performance increased substantially, while the GPU moved to a new architecture with Dynamic Caching, mesh shading, and hardware ray tracing.

At the same time, Apple changed the CPU balance. The M2 Pro had eight performance cores and four efficiency cores, whereas the higher-end M3 Pro has six of each. This reduction in the number of performance cores limited the Multi-Core gains. The reduction in memory bandwidth from 200 to 150 GB/s was a separate change and has a greater impact on memory- and GPU-intensive workloads.

Two Versions of the M3 Pro

The M3 Pro was released in two main configurations.

The lower-end version has 11 CPU cores-five performance and six efficiency cores-along with a 14-core GPU. It was used in the base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro.

The full version has 12 CPU cores in a 6P + 6E configuration and an 18-core GPU. It was installed in the 16-inch MacBook Pro and offered in higher-end configurations of the 14-inch model.

Both versions support up to 36 GB of unified memory.

CPU Performance

In Geekbench 6, the full M3 Pro scores around 3,100 points in Single-Core and 15,500 in Multi-Core. Compared with the 12-core M2 Pro, single-threaded performance increased by approximately 17-18%, while the Multi-Core advantage is around 6%.

For comparability, the table uses results from specific MacBook Pro models tested by Notebookcheck.

The prices refer to new computers at the time the corresponding generation was released.

The lower-end 11-core M3 Pro is approximately 7% behind the full version in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core and 14% behind it in Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core. There is practically no difference in Single-Core.

The full M3 Pro is only slightly faster than the M2 Pro when all cores are loaded, but it is noticeably ahead in Single-Core. The M4 Pro shows a different scale of improvement: the base 12-core version is approximately one-third faster than the full M3 Pro in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core and Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core.

Power Efficiency

The 6P + 6E configuration is accompanied by lower CPU power consumption under full load. In Notebookcheck tests, the full M3 Pro consumes around 26-27 W, while the M2 Pro can approach 34 W.

At the same time, the full M3 Pro is slightly faster than its predecessor in Cinebench R23 Multi. When performance and power consumption are compared for this workload, its performance-per-watt advantage is approximately 30%.

For extended compilation, CPU rendering, and other highly parallel workloads, the absolute gain over the M2 Pro is small. The generation’s main improvements here are higher single-core speed and lower power consumption under full load.

M3 Pro Graphics

The highest-end M3 Pro has 18 GPU cores, compared with 19 in the M2 Pro. The lower-end configuration has a 14-core GPU. The M3 generation also added Dynamic Caching, mesh shading, and hardware ray tracing.

In Wild Life Extreme, which does not use hardware ray tracing, the 18-core M3 Pro is approximately 12% ahead of the M2 Pro. The lower-end 14-core M3 Pro, by contrast, is approximately 7% slower than the 19-core M2 Pro.

The picture changes in Blender. Cycles on the M3 can use hardware ray tracing through MetalRT, so even the lower-end 14-core M3 Pro completes Classroom in 73 seconds, compared with 97 seconds for the M2 Pro. The full version takes 69 seconds-approximately 1.4 times faster than the M2 Pro.

Thus, the 14-core M3 Pro is noticeably behind the higher-end version in conventional raster workloads, but the gap between them is small in rendering. The GPU’s new hardware capabilities allow the M3 Pro to pull further ahead of the M2 Pro specifically in workloads that can use them.

Memory

The M3 Pro uses a 192-bit unified-memory bus with 150 GB/s of bandwidth. By comparison, the M2 Pro had a 256-bit bus and 200 GB/s.

With this memory configuration, the M3 Pro is offered in capacities unusual for previous Macs: 18 and 36 GB instead of 16 and 32 GB. The maximum capacity increased, but bandwidth simultaneously fell by 25%.

This change is barely noticeable in typical CPU workloads. The difference can be more pronounced in GPU computations and other workloads that constantly access large amounts of data.

Media Engine

In terms of capabilities, the M3 Pro’s media engine is close to the base M3’s. It supports hardware decoding and encoding of H.264, HEVC, and ProRes, ProRes RAW and AV1 decoding, as well as one video encode engine and one ProRes encode/decode engine.

The larger M3 Max differs by having two video encode engines and two ProRes encode/decode engines. Therefore, for particularly demanding video editing, the Max’s advantage is not limited to the CPU and GPU.

M3 Pro in 2026

The main reference point for the M3 Pro today is the M4 Pro. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro launched at the same $1,999 price as the M3 Pro a year earlier, but it came with 24 GB of memory instead of 18 GB and a significantly faster 12-core CPU.

Therefore, the M3 Pro MacBook Pro is primarily interesting when available at a substantial discount. This is especially true of the lower-end configuration with 11 CPU cores and 14 GPU cores: with only a small price difference, the base M4 Pro is significantly stronger in both CPU performance and memory capacity.

For an M2 Pro owner, upgrading to the M3 Pro also provides limited gains in multi-core CPU workloads. The move from an M1 Pro or weaker Apple Silicon chip is more noticeable.

Conclusion

Apple M3 Pro received significantly faster CPU cores and a more efficient graphics architecture, but changing the CPU configuration to 6P + 6E limited the Multi-Core gains over the M2 Pro.

In graphics, the result depends on the workload. In the conventional Wild Life Extreme test, the lower-end 14-core M3 Pro is actually slower than the 19-core M2 Pro, whereas in Blender, hardware ray tracing allows both M3 Pro versions to be noticeably faster.

In 2026, the M3 Pro should primarily be evaluated based on the price of the specific MacBook Pro. With only a small price difference versus the M4 Pro, the newer generation is significantly more attractive, while the M3 Pro becomes more appealing with a substantial discount.