Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro, 2024) review – A Pro’s Machine
With the 2024 model of Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 you can choose between a 12-core or 14-core M4 Pro processor with a 16 or 20-core GPU respectively, or a 16-core M4 Max with 32-core GPU. As always, the bigger memory and storage options are pricey. However, the base iteration of this machine comes with 24GB of unified RAM. If you aren’t a power user, this amount should be sufficient for daily tasks or normal work. If your wallet is wide enough, you could pick a machine with double the memory.
The default 512GB SSD seems enough if you don’t store too much of photos and videos on it. If you need more space, you can go as high as 4TB or you can just attach an external HDD or SSD to one of the three Thunderbolt 5s that support super fast data transfer.
Wi-Fi 7 isn’t onboard so you have to settle for the Wi-Fi 6E standard. On the bright side, you get a six-speaker sound and a 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR display with a 3024×1964 resolution. The optional Nano-texture display coating is a true game changer but more on that later.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/apple-macbook-pro-14-m4-pro-m4-max-late-2024/
Contents
Specs, What’s in the box
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro / M4 Max, Late 2024) - Specs
- Display
- 14.2”, 3K+ (3024 x 1964), IPS
- HDD/SSD
- up to 8000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- soldered SSD
- RAM
- up to 128GB
- OS
- macOS
- Battery
- 72.4Wh
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 312.6 x 221.2 x 15.5 mm (12.31" x 8.71" x 0.61")
- Weight
- 1.60 kg (3.5 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 3x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 5, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- Card reader
- SD (SD, SDHC, SDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- FHD FaceTime HD camera with Advanced image signal processor with computational video
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
- Speakers
- Six Speaker Sound System with force-cancelling woofers
- Security Lock slot
All Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro / M4 Max, Late 2024) configurations
What’s in the box?
The package contains the mandatory paperwork, a 2-meter USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable, and a USB-C Power Adapter. The 12-core iterations come with a 70W charger or you can opt for the optional 96W unit that supports fast charging (the latter is standard for the 14-core machines).
Design and construction
Of course, the Pro moniker hints that the MacBook Pro 14 with its beefy M4 SoC is meant for users who need more power for their work. That’s why this Apple creation isn’t as thin as a MacBook Air. However, the incredibly solid metal chassis is pleasantly thin and flat with its 15.5 mm profile height. The weight is 1.60 kilos so the portability seems good.
There’s a little cut-out on the main body that makes it easy to grab and open the screen with one hand.
Our device is in Space Black finish. It makes the minimalistic boxy-shaped machine to looker even stealthier. However, if you don’t want to clean the fingerprints on the chassis regularly, the Silver color option is the way to go.
Thin bezels around a color-accurate panel are a great combination! The notch that houses the 12MP Web camera starts to look dated.
The lid can be pushed back to around 135 degrees. It’s not that much but this kind of angle is wide enough for work or watching videos.
If we don’t count the small Arrows, the backlit Magic Keyboard is near perfect. The key travel is kind of short but the feedback feels great. The keys are well spaced and the backlight is still impressively even. The Power button in the top right edge doubles as a fingerprint reader (Touch ID). The speaker grills are on the sides of the board.
The big haptic touchpad is great thanks to its smooth surface and outstanding tracking!
No surprises on the bottom cover. The four rubber feet provide superb grip. The tall vents are on the sides and the cutouts for them are tall. The hot air is pushed through four vents on the rear. That’s why some heat reaches the high-end screen during full system loads.
Ports
On the left, there is a MagSafe 3 charging port, two Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 ports, and an Audio jack. On the right, you get an HDMI 2.1 for up to 8K@60Hz / 4K@240Hz external displays, one more Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 port, and an SDXC Card reader.
The three Thunderbolt 5s support up to 120 Gbps transfer rate, DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery capabilities, and USB4 40 Gbps. They can handle two external displays simultaneously (2x 6k@60Hz over Thunderbolt or 1x 6k@60Hz + 1x 4K@144Hz over HDMI).
Display, Get our Profiles
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) | |
| Diagonal | 14.2 inches (36 cm) |
| Panel Type | Mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display |
| Resolution | 3024 x 1964 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 120 Hz with “ProMotion” automatic adaptation |
| Aspect Ratio | 14:9 |
| Pixel Density | 254 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 34 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024): the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 100% of the Display P3 color gamut.
(Fig.2) Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) covers 100% of the Display P3 gamut
When the user opens a web page in a browser on the Apple MacBook Pro screen, the content is typically displayed in the sRGB color space by default, although the native coverage is Display P3.
(Fig.3) sRGB
The display on the Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, allowing HDR content to take advantage of a wider color gamut and higher brightness levels. The display has 10-bit color depth per channel and 1600 cd/m² maximum brightness when transmitting HDR content
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode (indoor) is 605 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 589 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 4%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6400K.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 182 nits (Windows slider = 58%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024). We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Below are the results of the Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) in its factory condition compared to sRGB color spaces.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The backlight of the display of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Pro Max) uses Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), which operates at a high frequency of around 15 kHz. The fill factor is low, meaning the screen is on for a much shorter duration compared to being off. This could potentially have a negative impact on individuals with sensitive vision due to the nature of the flickering
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024)’s screen is 8.4 GU. This is an incredible achievement, and it’s thanks to the Nano-texture coating.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Sound
The Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024)’s sound is of very good quality. The low, mid, and high frequencies are clear.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “High Power” preset activated in the Battery menu.
CPU performance
The M4 Pro CPU is more punchier than its predecessor.
The 12-core chip beats the M3-based Apple MacBook Pro 16 with a 31% higher multi-core performance in Geekbench 6.
| Laptop Model | Geekbench 6: Single / Multi score |
|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) | 3922 (+24%) / 20622 (+31%) |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Pro) | 3173 / 15749 |
| Apple MacBook Pro (14″, M3) | 3181 / 12055 |
| Apple MacBook Air (13″, M3) | 3135 / 12042 |
| Apple MacBook Air (15″, M3) | 3069 / 11976 |
| Apple MacBook Air (15″, M2) | 2631 / 10087 |
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU performance
Our laptop has the 16-core GPU which again, outscored the one of the M3 Pro iteration with up to 25% better result in the GeekBench 6 Compute Metal test.
| GPU Benchmarks | GFXBench Manhattan 3.0 (1080p offscreen) | GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 (1080p offscreen) | GFXBench Aztec Ruins OpenGL (1080p offscreen) | GeekBench 5 Compute OpenCL | GeekBench 5 Compute Metal | GeekBench 6 Compute OpenCL | GeekBench 6 Compute Metal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) | 1136 fps (+21%) | 767 fps (+14%) | 634 fps (+9%) | – | – | 60642 (+20%) | 98925 (+25%) |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Pro) | 935 fps | 671 fps | 581 fps | – | – | 50402 | 78940 |
| Apple MacBook Air (15″, M3) | 524 fps | 373 fps | 331 fps | – | – | 30566 | 47354 |
| Apple MacBook Air (13″, M3) | 530 fps | 367 fps | 331 fps | – | – | 30546 | 47782 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (М3, Late 2023) | 561 fps | 390 fps | 321 fps | – | – | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, Mid-2023) | 533 fps | 370 fps | 289 fps | 27856 (Geekbench 6) | 46025 (Geekbench 6) | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) | 478 fps | 319 fps | 247 fps | 23824 | 26182 | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 (M2, 2022) | 552 fps | 370 fps | 296 fps | 35262 | 38692 | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 8C/14C) | 818 fps | 496 fps | 394 fps | 35262 | 38692 | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Air (M1) | 404 fps | 273 fps | 214 fps | – | – | – | – |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 (M1) | 407 fps | 274 fps | 215 fps | – | – | – | – |
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro / M4 Max, Late 2024) GPU variants
Here you can see an approximate comparison between the GPUs that can be found in the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro / M4 Max, Late 2024) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro / M4 Max, Late 2024) model is the best bang for your buck.
Note: The chart shows the cheapest different GPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / GPU.
Results are from the 3DMark: Wild Life (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Storage
The 512GB NVMe drive is sufficiently fast for daily or office tasks with its adequate ~4313 MB/s and ~5114 MB/s write and read speeds.
Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
| Apple M4 Pro | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) | 3.92 GHz @ 2.59 GHz @ 77°C @ 41.83W | 3.92 GHz @ 2.59 GHz @ 91°C @ 41.68W | 3.92 GHz @ 2.59 GHz @ 88°C @ 41.49W |
The P and E cores of the M4 Pro SoC boost to 3.92 GHz / 2.59 GHz no matter the load at the expense of high temperatures in medium and long stress. On the flip side, the high CPU clock leads to great responsiveness during work.
Stability (Cinebench R23 30-min test)
We tortured the processor with the 30-minute Cinebecnh R23 stress tests. The average score is just 5% lower than the first run which indicates that the sustained performance is very good. Again, the 3D rendering power of the new M4 Pro SoC is ~ 30% higher than the previous-gen variant.
| Apple M3 / M4 | First run | Average Score |
|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) | 19823 (+31%) | 18860 (+30%) |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Pro) | 15140 | 14457 |
| Apple MacBook Air (15″, M3) | 10121 | 8441 |
| Apple MacBook Air (13″, M3) | 10871 | 7864 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (М3, Late 2023) | 10471 | 9890 |
Comfort during full load
In “High Power” mode, the fans are loud when using the laptop for 3D rendering. Still, the keyboard feels just warm to the touch. The hotspot at the center reaches 44°C and the zones of the bottom display bezel that are in front of the back exhausts are 2°C warmer.
Battery
We conduct the battery tests with the screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 72.4Wh battery lasts for around 16 hours of video playback. That’s a great score given the high-res panel and the powerful hardware!
Оur test was conducted with the “Automatic” preset activated in the “Battery – On Battery” menu.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, upgrade options and maintenance
The disassembly of most new Apple laptops is almost the same with a few exceptions here and there. All you need is a spudger, a suction cup, and a really thin pry tool.
For starters, undo the eight Pentalobe screws that hold the bottom panel fixed to the base.
Press and attach a suction cup to the left. Pull up until the internal clips on this side are released. Repeat the same process for the right and front sides.
Push the rear towards the front with a spudger in the zones behind the hinges.
Pry the front with a thin plastic tool (using your fingernails is a bit risky). Now, the panel should be fully released and you can access the unupgradable internals.
All credits to this guide go to iFixit and the official Apple disassembly instructions.
Verdict
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is a pricey well-built machine with powerful hardware. The M4 CPU maintains a rock-solid P and E core clock of 3.92 GHz / 2.59 GHz no matter the load. This, combined with the color-accurate mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display makes the machine a great choice for wealthy professionals who are constantly on the go. The panel impresses with 605 nits of max indoor brightness and full sRGB and Display P3 coverage. The optional Nano-texture display (ergo, it transforms the screen into a matte panel) is worth the money, especially if your workspace is close to windows and the sunlight directly reaches the display.
The keyboard feels great for typing despite the short-ish key travel. The touchpad is outstanding because of its super smooth surface. The port selection is good and as modern as possible. Expectedly, there are no Type-A connectors but you get full-function three Thunderbolt 5s and an HDMI port.
At the end of the day, the Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro, 2024) is a well-performing machine with a vibrant display, long battery life, and solid metal build.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/apple-macbook-pro-14-m4-pro-m4-max-late-2024/
Pros
- The 12-core CPU sustains 3.92 GHz / 2.59 GHz for the P and E cores during any kind of load
- Great sustained performance for such a compact form factor
- The fans are quiet in light loads
- Mini-LED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 605 nits of max brightness
- Full sRGB and DCI-P3 coverage
- Color-accurate panel
- The optional Nano-texture display handles the reflections like a champ
- Great overall performance
- Solid metal chassis
- Very long battery life (~ 16 hours of videos)
- Great sound quality
- Mag Safe charging port
- 3x Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 ports
- Comfortable keyboard + smooth touchpad
- Snappy 512GB NVMe drive
- The keyboard doesn’t feel hot to the touch during heavy loads
- Optional 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU
- 24GB unified memory as standard
- Up to 48GB RAM
- Up to 4TB SSD
- Optional 96W USB-C Power Adapter with fast charging
Cons
- Pricey
- Soldered memory and NVMe
- High processor temperatures under medium and long stress
- Loud fans in long 100% CPU stress scenarios
- No Wi-Fi 7
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