Tek Deals Store via eBay has
16" Apple MacBook Pro M1 Max Laptop (Refurbished, Silver, 2021, MK1F3LL/A) on sale for
$1388.99.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to community member
Dr.Wajahat for finding this deal.
Condition Note: "Signs of wear, if any are minimal and do not affect the normal use/functions of the item. Does not come in its original packaging."
Specs:
- 16" Liquid Retina XDR display (3456 x 2234)
- Apple M1 Max 10-Core 3.20GHz Processor
- 64GB Memory
- 1TB Solid State Drive
- Apple GPU w/ 24-Core Graphics
- WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0
- Backlit Keyboard
- MacOS
- Includes Power Adapter
- Ports:
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- 3x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C
- 1x 3.5mm Headphone/Mic combo jack
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Top Comments
The M1 Max is far superior to the base M1, and in many ways, it's pretty much just as good (if not significantly better in some tests) than the M4 base chip.
Let me break it down:
- the M1 Max single core is slightly slower than the base M4, but it's so close, you'd be hard-pressed to see the difference in real life use.
- the M1 Max multi-core is just as good & better than the M4 (depending on the benchmark test being used). There are some benchmarks where the M4 performs modestly better on multi-core, but it's not easily perceptible under normal conditions. This is even more so when factoring in thermals (see next point below). If you have a real-life usage scenario that uses the M1 Max's extra video encoders, you will see a very sizable performance gain over the M4.
- This is probably the most important performance factor right here -- the M1 Max is inside a large 16" Macbook Pro chassis, which has active cooling (fans). This means it can sustain continued high-demand tasks near indefinitely. The M4 base is in a smaller/thinner non-cooled chassis (M4 Air 13" or 15", for example), which gets heat-soaked really quickly, leading to thermally throttling the performance. It happens REALLY fast with multi-core performance, but a little slower with single core. In short, M4 Airs will experience thermal throttling under heavy loads. So yes, the M4 might have "faster" specs on paper or in laboratory benchmark tests -- but in the real world, it doesn't have the stamina to maintain that top speed.
- This is a 16" Macbook Pro with enhanced screen, speakers, and microphone + a larger trackpad. The Pro screen is absolutely gorgeous, and the speakers are probably best-in-class for ANY laptop. A 13/15" M4 Air will be smaller, and they don't have those premium tier components. Don't get me wrong, the Air isn't a slouch -- it's some of the best ultraportable hardware to be had at the $850-1000 pricetag. But the MBP is in an entirely different quality class.
- Last but not least -- you're getting a 1tb drive and 64gb of ram. That's a massive upgrade to the base specs of the M4 Air -- which you can only max out to 32gb of ram. The extra ram will help performance in a variety of high-stress applications. What Apple charges for extra storage and ram in a new machine is almost criminal.
The closest machine to the specs of the deal above is the 15" M4 Air w/ 32gb ram + 1tb ssd, which will run you $2000.
Simply put, this is an excellent value at sub-$1400, and it will outperform any M4 Air. I'd suggest going with an M4 Air only if you are on a strict $1000 budget or absolutely need the weight + size reduction instead of performance.
1. Single core performance is ~50% faster on M4 vs M1 Max.
2. Multi core performance is generally similar to, albeit slightly higher on M4.
3. M1 Max has 2 media engines so video work that can take advantage of that will be faster.
4. MBA will thermal throttle under constant load but the impact is workload dependent.
5. MBP chassis is nicer but, especially in the 16" config, it's also much larger and heavier.
6. More storage and RAM is always nice, but 64GB is well past the point of diminishing returns for most people.
I'd also add a few things you didn't mention:
The M4 MBA has:
A. A 2-3x faster Neural Engine for many ML tasks (AI denoising, transcription, etc), and a GPU with support for mesh shading and ray tracing.
B. An actual warranty from Apple so you can get service anywhere without having to deal with being reimbursed, and you're also AppleCare+ eligible.
C. A longer software support window from Apple
D. Some newer tech like Wi-FI6E.
The M1 Max MBP has:
A much faster GPU; around 2x as fast as an actively cooled M4, and could be ~3x+ the sustained performance of a fan-less MBA (in games.)
64GB of RAM which is indeed very nice if you have a use for it.
I disagree. There are a lot of good reasons to choose a MBA at this price point. In fact I would argue that unless you know you can benefit from what the the extra RAM, GPU grunt, and screen size that the 16" M1 Max MBP offers, and are willing to tolerate the tradeoffs, you'd probably be better served by the MBA
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Let me break it down:
- the M1 Max single core is slightly slower than the base M4, but it's so close, you'd be hard-pressed to see the difference in real life use.
- the M1 Max multi-core is just as good & better than the M4 (depending on the benchmark test being used). There are some benchmarks where the M4 performs modestly better on multi-core, but it's not easily perceptible under normal conditions. This is even more so when factoring in thermals (see next point below). If you have a real-life usage scenario that uses the M1 Max's extra video encoders, you will see a very sizable performance gain over the M4.
- This is probably the most important performance factor right here -- the M1 Max is inside a large 16" Macbook Pro chassis, which has active cooling (fans). This means it can sustain continued high-demand tasks near indefinitely. The M4 base is in a smaller/thinner non-cooled chassis (M4 Air 13" or 15", for example), which gets heat-soaked really quickly, leading to thermally throttling the performance. It happens REALLY fast with multi-core performance, but a little slower with single core. In short, M4 Airs will experience thermal throttling under heavy loads. So yes, the M4 might have "faster" specs on paper or in laboratory benchmark tests -- but in the real world, it doesn't have the stamina to maintain that top speed.
- This is a 16" Macbook Pro with enhanced screen, speakers, and microphone + a larger trackpad. The Pro screen is absolutely gorgeous, and the speakers are probably best-in-class for ANY laptop. A 13/15" M4 Air will be smaller, and they don't have those premium tier components. Don't get me wrong, the Air isn't a slouch -- it's some of the best ultraportable hardware to be had at the $850-1000 pricetag. But the MBP is in an entirely different quality class.
- Last but not least -- you're getting a 1tb drive and 64gb of ram. That's a massive upgrade to the base specs of the M4 Air -- which you can only max out to 32gb of ram. The extra ram will help performance in a variety of high-stress applications. What Apple charges for extra storage and ram in a new machine is almost criminal.
The closest machine to the specs of the deal above is the 15" M4 Air w/ 32gb ram + 1tb ssd, which will run you $2000.
Simply put, this is an excellent value at sub-$1400, and it will outperform any M4 Air. I'd suggest going with an M4 Air only if you are on a strict $1000 budget or absolutely need the weight + size reduction instead of performance.
Personally I'd prefer a 14" because the screen is plenty big and the weight is better.
Similar CPU speed to an M4, faster GPU.
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https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacB...ef=sr_1_
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The M1 Max is far superior to the base M1, and in many ways, it's pretty much just as good (if not significantly better in some tests) than the M4 base chip.
1. Single core performance is ~50% faster on M4 vs M1 Max.
2. Multi core performance is generally similar to, albeit slightly higher on M4.
3. M1 Max has 2 media engines so video work that can take advantage of that will be faster.
4. MBA will thermal throttle under constant load but the impact is workload dependent.
5. MBP chassis is nicer but, especially in the 16" config, it's also much larger and heavier.
6. More storage and RAM is always nice, but 64GB is well past the point of diminishing returns for most people.
I'd also add a few things you didn't mention:
The M4 MBA has:
A. A 2-3x faster Neural Engine for many ML tasks (AI denoising, transcription, etc), and a GPU with support for mesh shading and ray tracing.
B. An actual warranty from Apple so you can get service anywhere without having to deal with being reimbursed, and you're also AppleCare+ eligible.
C. A longer software support window from Apple
D. Some newer tech like Wi-FI6E.
The M1 Max MBP has:
A much faster GPU; around 2x as fast as an actively cooled M4, and could be ~3x+ the sustained performance of a fan-less MBA (in games.)
64GB of RAM which is indeed very nice if you have a use for it.
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