Review: M1 Max MacBook Pro After Three Months

It's now been a few months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models launched in October, and MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has been using one of the new machines since they debuted. Over on the MacRumors YouTube channel, Dan has shared a three month review of his MacBook Pro to see how it has held up over time and how it's changed his workflow.


Dan is using the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ that features an M1 Max chip with 10 compute cores and a 32-core GPU, aka the top of the line chip. The machine features 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it is the high-end pre-configured version that Apple offers.

In usage, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is close to perfect, but Dan does go over a handful of complaints in his video. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is subject to crashes and restarts when used in clamshell mode, which could be attributed to third-party Thunderbolt accessories.

The SSD can also malfunction randomly when transferring footage from an external drive. At times, transfer speeds slow to a crawl, an issue fixed with a restart. These are the two major issues that Dan has experienced, and he has otherwise had no problems. Performance overall is excellent, the display is beautiful, and the extra ports are useful.

For those considering a purchase, Dan says that he wishes that he had gone with a 2TB SSD over a 1TB because of his video editing needs, and he's not sure that he's happy with the weight and size of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ when the same functionality is available with the smaller and more portable 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Make sure to watch Dan's video for his full review, and let us know in the comments how you're liking your 2021 M1 Pro/‌M1 Max‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ if you have one.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Apple Announces iOS 18.2 Launching Today With These New Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 5:23 am PST by
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing. For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also ...
iphone 17 pro concept render cameras

Major iPhone 17 Pro Redesign Backed by Supply Chain Info, Claims Leaker

Thursday December 12, 2024 4:36 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 17 Pro models will reportedly feature a major redesign, specifically centering around changes to the rear camera module, and now new supply chain information appears to confirm the striking change, according to a Chinese leaker. iPhone 17 Pro concept render Late last month, The Information's Wayne Ma claimed that the rear of the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro...
m4 mac mini hands on

Cloud-Based M4 and M4 Pro Mac Mini Models Now Available

Wednesday December 11, 2024 7:34 am PST by
Developers now have access to cloud-based M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini units via MacWeb, a Silicon Valley-based provider of cloud services. The company has launched three configurations of the new Mac mini, powered by Apple's M4 and M4 Pro chips. Developers and IT teams can rent these machines for tasks ranging from basic development to advanced artificial intelligence modeling, providing an...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.2 With New Apple Intelligence Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:02 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.2, the second update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that was released in September. macOS Sequoia 15.2 comes over a month after the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds Image Playground, an app that lets you create...
macbook air m2 13 inch

macOS Sequoia 15.2 Confirms New M4 MacBook Air Models Are Coming

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:54 am PST by
Apple today made a mistake with its macOS Sequoia 15.2 update, releasing the software for two Macs that have yet to be launched. There is a software file for "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13," which are upcoming MacBook Air models. The leaked software references the "MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and the "MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025)," confirming that new M4 MacBook Air models are in...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 With Genmoji, Image Playground, Siri ChatGPT and More

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:03 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, the second major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. The new updates come over a month after Apple released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds Second Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Monday December 9, 2024 10:06 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
38 months ago
I love my MacBook Pro. I love the new design however at times I do miss the Touch Bar. In my opinion, this is definitely the product of the year. Hands down ?



Attachment Image
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Salty Pirate Avatar
38 months ago
Love my base 16 M1 pro. No crashes, no intel easy bake oven fan action, just zen like peaceful lack of fan noise.

Best laptop I have ever had.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
38 months ago
Hardware reviews which ignore the problems in the (mandatory) operating system are meaningless.

The 3 Month Review, done properly:

"Great hardware, probably more than you need, all crippled by a shoddy, premature OS & apps."
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
38 months ago

Hardware reviews which ignore the problems in the (mandatory) operating system are meaningless.

The 3 Month Review, done properly:

"Great hardware but more than you need, all crippled by a shoddy quality OS & apps."
What? I’d much rather use a similarly priced PC with Mac OS than a Mac with Windows.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lfshammu Avatar
38 months ago
I had the sleep crashing issues with clamshell mode + an OWC dock on my 2019 MBP. fixed it by changing my sleep mode to 'safe sleep' via 'sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 3' https://mackeeper.com/blog/mac-sleep-modes-explained/
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
38 months ago
1 Month in and it's the best modern Mac I've ever used. It seems every Mac in the last 10 years or since Intel transition had some caveat or "but" added. The 16" Max is an amazing computer. As portable as PC laptops and way more portable than the desktop replacement PC laptops out there. Fast I/O, great web cam, very good battery life. totally silent. I love it.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)