Is the Apple M3 Chip Worth the Price Difference Compared to the M1?

Looking for a new entry-level Mac such as the MacBook Air or iMac? You might be tempted by the bleeding-edge M3 chip, but the original M1 is now available at a significantly lower price point. For example, you can snag the M1 for less than £800/$800 at select retailers, while the M3 starts at £1099/$1099.

The Apple M1 marked a historic moment for the company as the first in-house processor. But the M3 has since surpassed it with a 25 billion transistor count, compared to the M1's 16 billion. The M3 also boasts 10 cores and up to 24GB of unified memory, compared to the M1's 7 cores and 16GB limit.

While we haven't tested the M3 chip yet, Apple claims it offers up to 1.6x faster performance than the M1 in overall tasks. The M3 also excels in GPU power, with apps like No Man's Sky running 60% faster and Final Cut Pro showing a 60% performance boost compared to the M1.

Ultimately, the choice between the M1 and M3 comes down to your specific needs. For basic tasks, the M1 is still a strong performer. But if you require extra processing power for creative work like video editing, the M3 might be worth the investment.