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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Display
- Interface
- Connectivity
- Configuration
- Performance
- Additional Features And Software
- Comments
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Dec 03, 2024 02:15 PM
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Updated Mar 28, 2025 02:10 PM
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Size16"
Operating SystemmacOS
Size15.3"
Operating SystemmacOS
Variants
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW73LL/A) (Silver - M3 Max/14-core CPU/36GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MUW73LL/A) (Silver - M3 Max/16-core CPU/48GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW43LL/A) (Silver - M3 Pro/12-core CPU/18GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW63LL/A) (Silver - M3 Pro/12-core CPU/36GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW33LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Max/14-core CPU/36GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MUW63LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Max/16-core CPU/48GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW13LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Pro/12-core CPU/18GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 16 (MRW23LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Pro/12-core CPU/36GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD43LL/A) (Midnight - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYU3LL/A) (Midnight - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYV3LL/A) (Midnight - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD23LL/A) (Silver - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYP3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYQ3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD13LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYM3LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYN3LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MXD33LL/A) (Starlight - M3/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYR3LL/A) (Starlight - M3/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MRYT3LL/A) (Starlight - M3/8GB/512GB)
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) is much better than the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) for most uses. The MacBook Pro is a much more powerful device designed for demanding workloads like content creation, while the MacBook Air is an ultraportable designed for general productivity tasks. While both devices sport a nice display, the MacBook Pro's is much more advanced, as it has a Mini LED backlight, allowing for local dimming, and it gets significantly brighter, up to 1600 cd/m² in HDR. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate (60Hz on the MacBook Air), improving motion smoothness and system responsiveness. Other improved features on the MacBook Pro include a wider port selection with better multi-display support, better-sounding, up-firing speakers, and a better active cooling system, allowing for better performance in heavy, sustained workloads.
Main Differences forSchool
School
Threshold
School
8.6
8.6
Portability
7.2
8.7
Ports
8.5
5.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
7.2
8.7
Dimensions Photo
Size
16"
15.3"
Thickness
0.7" (1.7 cm)
0.6" (1.4 cm)
Width
14.0" (35.5 cm)
13.4" (34.0 cm)
Depth
9.8" (24.8 cm)
9.3" (23.7 cm)
Volume
91.3 in³ (1,496.7 cm³)
68.8 in³ (1,128.1 cm³)
Weight
4.8 lbs (2.2 kg)
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
Charger Size
13.3 in³ (218.3 cm³)
4.2 in³ (68.6 cm³)
Charger Weight
1.1 lbs (0.5 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
3.5
3.5
Internals Photo
Ease Of Access
6.0
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
0
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
3456 x 2234
2880 x 1864
Aspect Ratio
16:10
16:10
Pixel Density
254 PPI
226 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
No
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
91%
87%
Refresh Rate
8.7
5.9
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Apple ProMotion
No
Contrast
10
7.5
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
51,150 : 1
1,412 : 1
Brightness
9.1
8.7
Maximum Brightness
601 cd/m²
494 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
3 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
8.8
9.1
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.83%
1.47%
Indirect Reflections
0.16%
0.38%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.67%
1.09%
Black Uniformity
10
7.3
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.179%
1.103%
Horizontal Viewing Angle
6.6
6.9
Horizontal Viewing Angle Video
Horizontal Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Left
26°
26°
Color Washout From Right
28°
30°
Horizontal Hue Picture
Color Shift From Left
31°
42°
Color Shift From Right
34°
47°
Horizontal Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Left
30°
29°
Brightness Loss From Right
30°
34°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
30°
30°
Gamma Shift From Right
31°
29°
Vertical Viewing Angle
6.6
6.9
Vertical Viewing Angle Video
Vertical Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Below
26°
26°
Color Washout From Above
29°
28°
Vertical Hue Picture
Color Shift From Below
35°
42°
Color Shift From Above
33°
44°
Vertical Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Below
31°
29°
Brightness Loss From Above
32°
30°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
27°
37°
Gamma Shift From Above
28°
36°
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
9.9
9.9
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
1.45
1.47
Avg. Gamma
2.24
2.24
Avg. Color dE
0.94
0.98
Avg. Color Temperature
6,718.9 K
6,742.3 K
Color Gamut
9.5
9.4
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
99.94%
99.93%
sRGB uv
99.76%
99.72%
Adobe RGB xy
89.32%
87.43%
Adobe RGB uv
94.31%
92.34%
Gamut HDR
DCI P3 xy
99.81%
99.05%
DCI P3 uv
99.59%
98.72%
Rec. 2020 xy
73.15%
71.83%
Rec. 2020 uv
74.31%
73.49%
Flicker
9.0
9.0
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
No
No
Flicker Frequency
> 1000Hz
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
100%
100%
Interface
Keyboard
8.0
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
8.0
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
62 gf
62 gf
Actuation Force
38 gf
40 gf
Pre-Travel
0.78 mm
0.80 mm
Total Travel
0.85 mm
0.91 mm
Touchpad
9.7
9.6
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
9.5
9.5
Size
24.8 in² (160.0 cm²)
21.4 in² (138.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
9.1
8.9
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
78 dB SPL
81 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
3.9 dB
5.9 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
0.6
2.2
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
112 Hz
155 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
20 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
2.6 dB
2.3 dB
Webcam & Microphone
9.1
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.5
9.0
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
No
No
Connectivity
Ports
8.5
5.0
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
0
0
USB-C Ports
3
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
2.1
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
SD UHS 2
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Apple MagSafe 3
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M3 Max
M3
Core Count
16
8
Thread Count
16
8
GPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M3 Max
M3
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
48 GB
8 GB
Modules
Unknown
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5
LP-DDR5
Speed
6,400 MHz
6,400 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
1,000 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
966 GB
214 GB
Drive 1
Apple SSD AP1024Z
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
9.9
9.4
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
2,354 points
2,322 points
CPU Multi-Thread
22,973 points
10,501 points
GPU Compute
99,702 points
33,403 points
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
10
9.7
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
1,915 points
1,892 points
Multi-Thread
24,046 points
9,179 points
Blender (3D Rendering)
9.3
8.7
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
1.5 min
4.0 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
1.6 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
N/A
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
9.5
7.4
Basemark Image
Overall Score
99,985
44,950
Storage Drive Performance
9.2
9.2
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
5,626.4 MB/s
2,738.0 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
2,652.1 MB/s
2,834.7 MB/s
Random Write Speed
47.1 MB/s
41.1 MB/s
Random Read Speed
47.5 MB/s
62.5 MB/s
Battery
9.4
9.1
Capacity
100 Wh
67 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
13.2 hrs
12.7 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
12.8 hrs
12.0 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
1.9 hrs
3.5 hrs
Charge Time
2.0 hrs
2.8 hrs
Borderlands 3
6.5
3.1
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
65 fps
20 fps
1% Low
38 fps
7 fps
0.1% Low
21 fps
4 fps
1% Low Delta
11 ms
89 ms
0.1% Low Delta
32 ms
230 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
72 fps
37 fps
Civilization VI
7.3
5.6
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
66 fps
41 fps
1% Low
47 fps
26 fps
0.1% Low
43 fps
17 fps
1% Low Delta
6 ms
14 ms
0.1% Low Delta
8 ms
33 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
120 fps
93 fps
Avg. Turn Time
8.65 s
10.24 s
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS:GO graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Low
Counter-Strike 2
0.0
0.0
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
N/A
N/A
1% Low
N/A
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
N/A
N/A
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
9.0
4.3
Avg. FPS
134 fps
32 fps
1% Low
96 fps
15 fps
0.1% Low
73 fps
8 fps
1% Low Delta
3 ms
36 ms
0.1% Low Delta
6 ms
90 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
157 fps
44 fps
Thermals And Noise
8.2
8.1
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
25 °C (77 °F)
27 °C (81 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
38 °C (100 °F)
50 °C (121 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
45.5 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
10
7.1
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
93 °C
90 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
0% loss
6% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
74 °C
90 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
0% loss
12% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
macOS
macOS
Additional Software
None
None
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen
No
No
Secondary Display
No
No
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024): Main Discussion
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