Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores) vs Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores): specs and benchmark comparison
Short verdict
Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) leads in every scenario with comparable benchmarks: rendering and compute. This does not imply an advantage in tasks without benchmarks.
Compare with AIRendering and compute
B +141.1%Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) leads in this scenario (up to 141.1% in comparable benchmarks).
No comparable benchmarks yet: gaming: rasterization, gaming: ray tracing, power efficiency.
Advantages
Only measured and rated values: a noticeable benchmark gap and specs where more is better.
Where Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores) is better1
Compute units 6 more14 GPU cores vs 8 GPU cores
Where Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) is better1
Blender Benchmark 4.5.0 141.1% faster1,068 samples/min vs 443 samples/min
Benchmarks
Results are compared within one benchmark, one version and the same conditions.
- B ahead by 141.1%
Blender Benchmark 4.5.0
GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) · samples/min, higher is better
Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores)442.9 samples/minApple M4 (GPU, 8 cores)1,067.8 samples/minPosition among tested models (18, Metal)
A · 443B · 1,06802,0004,0006,000Each dot is one model’s median in this benchmark. The scale starts at zero, samples/min. Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) is ahead by 141.1% in this benchmark.
About the measurement and source
- A · Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores)
442.9 samples/min · community measurement, sample 22 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 22 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 439.6–445.29; submissions 2025-07-18 to 2026-03-15; METAL backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
- B · Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores)
1,067.8 samples/min · community measurement, sample 45 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 45 submissions (6 outliers excluded), interquartile range 1050.17–1078.73; submissions 2025-07-19 to 2026-02-27; METAL backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
difference = |A − B| ÷ the smaller value × 100%. The 5% noticeable threshold is a UX heuristic, not statistical significance.
Cycles render in Blender Benchmark. Median of the sum of samples per minute over three scenes after removing outliers.
Reference results (14)
| Benchmark | A | B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Benchmark 4.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 442.4 | 1,023.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 465.6 | 1,256.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 507.6 | 1,191.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 390.6 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 407.8 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.5.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 483.6 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.6.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 446.3 | 755 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 429.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 441.6 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 443.6 | 1,045.2 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 4.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 444.7 | 1,057.9 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 468.6 | 1,251.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 365.4 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | — | 1,114.3 | no pair |
Each benchmark version has its own scale: numbers are compared only within a row.
Specifications
| Specification | A · Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores) | B · Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | |||
| GPU chip | Apple M1 Pro | Apple M4 | differs |
| Architecture | Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon | equal |
| Compute unitsSM (NVIDIA), CU (AMD) and Xe-core (Intel) are different units and are not compared numerically across vendors. | 14 GPU cores | 8 GPU cores | A: 6 more |
| Memory | |||
| Memory type | Unified memory | Unified memory | equal |
Chip
GPU chip
AApple M1 Pro
BApple M4
differsArchitecture
AApple Silicon
BApple Silicon
equalCompute units
A14 GPU cores
B8 GPU cores
A: 6 moreSM (NVIDIA), CU (AMD) and Xe-core (Intel) are different units and are not compared numerically across vendors.
Memory
Memory type
AUnified memory
BUnified memory
equal
“More” does not always mean “better”: higher power draw or size is a system requirement, not an advantage (such bars are dimmed).
Compare with AI
An AI model reviews the specs and benchmarks of this pair and gives a plain-language verdict on who each model suits.
Questions and answers
Which is faster: Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores) or Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores)?
Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores) leads in every scenario with comparable benchmarks: rendering and compute. This does not imply an advantage in tasks without benchmarks.
See also
Data sources (2)
- Apple — specifications of Apple M1 Pro (GPU, 14 cores), specifications of Apple M4 (GPU, 8 cores)checked November 14, 2026
- Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation) — benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.6.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.0.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.1.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.0.0checked November 14, 2026
How we compare: methodology. Where the data comes from: sources.