M2 Max vs M3 Max

One generation apart — but the real comparison is GPU core count. M3 Max 40-core matches M2 Max 38-core; M3 Max 30-core is slower.

The M2 Max and M3 Max span the same product tier (MacBook Pro 16" and Mac Studio), but each generation ships with two GPU config options: 30/38-core for M2 Max, and 30/40-core for M3 Max. This creates an unusual situation where generation comparison depends heavily on which config you're looking at.

~tie M3 Max 40-core vs M2 Max 38-core on 8B models

~19% slower M3 Max 30-core vs M2 Max 38-core on Llama 3.1 8B

128 GB M3 Max max RAM (vs 96 GB M2 Max)

5 models shared benchmark configurations

Why this comparison is unusual: M2 Max and M3 Max both ship in two GPU configs. The M2 Max top config (38-core GPU) actually outperforms the M3 Max base config (30-core GPU) on 8B models — a counterintuitive cross-generational result. Compare like-tier configs below.

M2 Max 38-core vs M3 Max 40-core (top configs)

Best published result for each model. Q4_K Medium. Higher tok/s is better.

Model	M2 Max 38-core (best)	M3 Max 40-core (best)	Difference
Llama 3.2 1B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	153.0 tok/s 38-core GPU, 96 GB	148.9 tok/s 40-core GPU, 48 GB	−3%
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	46.4 tok/s 38-core GPU, 96 GB	45.8 tok/s 40-core GPU, 128 GB	+1%
Qwen 2.5 14B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	25.2 tok/s 38-core GPU, 96 GB	25.5 tok/s 40-core GPU, 128 GB	+1%

The top configs are essentially identical in LLM throughput. The M3 Max 40-core has a marginal edge on larger models; M2 Max 38-core barely leads on 8B. Within measurement noise.

M2 Max 38-core vs M3 Max 30-core (cross-config)

This is the comparison relevant to buyers: M2 Max top config vs M3 Max base config. The newer chip's base tier is slower.

Model	M2 Max 38-core (best)	M3 Max 30-core (best)	Difference
Llama 3.2 1B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	153.0 tok/s	132.9 tok/s	M2 Max +15%
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	46.4 tok/s	37.7 tok/s	M2 Max +23%
Qwen 2.5 14B Instruct Q4_K - Medium	25.2 tok/s	20.8 tok/s	M2 Max +21%

If comparing a used M2 Max 38-core MacBook Pro vs a new M3 Max 30-core MacBook Pro at similar price points, the M2 Max wins on LLM throughput by 15–23% — purely because of the GPU core count difference.

Chip specs compared

Spec	M2 Max	M3 Max
GPU configs	30-core or 38-core	30-core or 40-core
Memory bandwidth	~400 GB/s	~400 GB/s
Max unified RAM	96 GB	128 GB
Process node	TSMC 5nm	TSMC 3nm
Largest model at Q4	~60B (fits in 96 GB)	~80B+ (fits in 128 GB)
Llama 3.3 70B at Q4	Marginal (needs ~42 GB)	Yes, comfortably

The key differentiator is the RAM ceiling: 128 GB on M3 Max vs 96 GB on M2 Max. This matters if you want to run Llama 3.3 70B at higher quantizations, or run two models loaded simultaneously.

Verdict

M2 Max top config ≈ M3 Max top config for LLM inference. M3 Max wins on RAM ceiling (128 GB) and newer CPU.

For pure LLM throughput, the M2 Max 38-core and M3 Max 40-core are within 1–3% of each other — statistically equivalent. The M3 Max is worth upgrading to for three reasons: 128 GB RAM maximum (vs 96 GB), the newer 3nm process (better efficiency), and the ability to run 70B models at Q4 without compression. If you already own an M2 Max 38-core and primarily run 8B–14B models, the throughput gain from upgrading to M3 Max is negligible. Wait for M4 Max, which delivers a more meaningful jump.

Considering M4 Max? M4 Max vs M3 Max comparison → shows the larger performance gain from the M4 generation.

Chip pages

M2 Max (38-core GPU, 96 GB) M3 Max (40-core GPU, 128 GB) M3 Max (30-core GPU, 96 GB)

Related comparisons

M4 Max vs M3 Max M1 Max vs M2 Max M3 Max vs M3 Pro M4 Max vs M4 Pro All generations compared Best Mac buying guide

Data

benchmarks.json — full dataset · chips.json — chip summaries · benchmarks.csv — CSV export

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