Announced during Apple's "Scary Fast" event on Oct. 30, Apple's new MacBook Pro M3 lineup brings new GPUs and a wealth of new capabilities for you to harness. However, there are a few models available, and it might not be immediately obvious what the differences are and which one makes sense for you. Let's break down these great Macs to find out which MacBook Pro laptop you should buy.

What you should know about Apple's MacBook Pro M3 lineup

The MacBook Pro M3 lineup contains some commonalities regardless of configuration and size. All MacBook Pro M3 models feature a Liquid Retina XDR display and an SDR brightness boost from 500 to 600 nits. You'll also get a 1080p webcam built-in, six-speaker sound, and up to 22 hours of battery life.

Each also now comes with an M3 chipset, which uses 3nm technology and a 16-core neural engine. This is Apple's custom silicon, and it can dynamically assign memory as needed, which offers better performance during heavy graphical tasks. That, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, means great gaming and rendering performance, too. Performance upgrades are focused on the GPU, as the CPU is mostly an incremental improvement over the M2 series, so you'll notice graphics performance ramps up considerably.

14-inch MacBook Pro with M3

The introductory model for the MacBook Pro M3 features a 14-inch 3024x1964-resolution screen and contains a capable list of features that every model above it also incorporates. That means you get a modern chassis with better thermal management, more ports, and MagSafe 3 charging. It starts with 8GB RAM, but you can choose 16GB or 24GB if you wish. Hard drive options include 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB, which should cover the gamut of different users.

As for performance, Apple claims Final Cut Pro will be up to 7.4x faster than a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Core i7. That is thanks to the base M3 chip, which has an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. For a base model, this kind of performance is ideal for most people, including students, officer workers, and everyday computer users. If anything, it might be overkill for those who just want a laptop for everyday tasks.

14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro

Confusingly, the mid-range MacBook Pro M3 model has an M3 "Pro" chip. You get all the basic features found in the base model, and you can choose between a 14-inch model or a 16-inch model. The 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro offers the option for an 11-core CPU and 14-core GPU or a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU. RAM starts at 18GB, and you can choose to upgrade to 36GB. All 16-inch models come with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU chipset, and RAM options include 18GB or 36GB, while hard drive selections include 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB.

As a result of these specs, Apple claims that a 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro can run Photoshop up to 40% faster than a 16‑inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip. The 14-inch model has the same screen resolution as the base model, while the 16-inch model has a 3456x2234 resolution. With more CPU and GPU cores, this lineup is great for graphic designers, programmers, and professionals involved in higher education or academic research. Specifically, the 14-inch model will likely suit the more budget-minded professional, while the 16-inch version offers slightly more power and screen space for photo editing or illustration. Plus, you can snag these models in the new Space Black color.

14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max

The highest-end 2023 MacBook Pro is the M3 Max-equipped range. The M3 Max chipset includes everything found in the other models, plus so much more. The 14-inch model comes with a 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU, and you can upgrade to a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU. The default memory is 36GB, and you can upgrade to 96GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB. Hard drive sizes include 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB. Screen size and resolution remain the same as the base model. The 16-inch model comes with a 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU or a 16-core GPU and a 40-core GPU. RAM options include the default 36GB for the former and 48GB for the latter, and you can upgrade that to 64GB or 128GB for the 16-core CPU version or 96GB for the 14-core CPU version.

With these kinds of specs, the M3 Max lineup is best suited for intense video editing, highly complex computer modeling, and 3D graphics. Apple claims the M3 Max MacBook Pro can run MATLAB up to 2x faster than a 16‑inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Max, for example. If you use lots of apps to get your work done or rely on huge, complex coordination of many moving parts, these laptops will likely be worth their hefty price tags. The 14-inch model is more portable, while the souped-up 16-inch model carries the heftiest price tag but also the maximum possible specs. The M3 Max versions are also available in the new Space Black color.

Which 2023 MacBook Pro M3 model is right for you?

As you can see, each 2023 MacBook Pro boasts a version of the M3 chipset and quite capable specs. For most people, the regular MacBook Pro M3 will likely be more than enough. It will do great handling everyday tasks for students, office workers, and general computer users. For people who do more intensive coding or image editing, the M3 Pro lineup will suit these tasks well. Finally, for power users and those who use their laptops for incredibly demanding tasks like lots of video editing or 3D modeling, the M3 Max series is a great choice, but it comes with a hefty price tag, too.