Apple M1 Ultra GPU vs Apple M4 (8 Core)

Verdict

Our overall take, at a glance

Apple M1 Ultra GPU leads overall

Apple M1 Ultra GPU

Apple M4 (8 Core)

In-depth analysisAI

AI-generated from the cited sources — may be incomplete or inaccurate; verify important details before deciding · generated Aug 2026.

Apple M1 Ultra GPU

The Apple M1 Ultra GPU is a high-end integrated graphics processor designed for workstation-class Mac desktops. Built by connecting two M1 Max chips via Apple's proprietary UltraFusion interconnect, the processor scales up to 64 GPU cores and shares up to 128 GB of unified LPDDR5X memory. It is engineered for demanding creative tasks that require massive memory bandwidth and processing parallelism.

Best for Memory-intensive professional workloads such as high-resolution video editing anBest for Workstation users seeking high power-efficiency and unified system architecture

Pros

Features an UltraFusion interconnect that delivers up to 2.5 TB/s of low-latency bandwidth between the dual-die setup
Provides access to a massive unified memory pool of up to 128 GB, surpassing the VRAM limit of typical discrete graphics cards
Highly efficient design built on TSMC's 5 nm manufacturing process with 114 billion total transistors

Cons

Underperforms compared to top-tier dedicated desktop graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 in standard gaming and compute benchmarks

Source

Apple M1 - WikipediaProvided architectural specifications of the M1 Ultra chip, including GPU core counts, memory bandwidth, fabrication process, and transistor volume.

Video — reviews used (1)

Provided comparative real-world performance observations showing the GPU trailing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 in compute and gaming benchmarks.

Generated Aug 5, 2026

Apple M4 (8 Core)

The Apple M4 is a specialized System-on-a-chip designed by Apple, forming the core processing unit for high-end devices, including modern iMacs and MacBook models. Featuring an advanced architecture that integrates CPU, GPU, and NPU components, it is primarily intended for professionals requiring strong performance in demanding creative and computational tasks.

Best for Professional Content CreationBest for AI/Machine Learning WorkloadsBest for High-Performance Computing (HPC)

Pros

Incorporates an advanced Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with a notable capability to accelerate AI workloads, compared to previous generations of the chip.
Supports hardware acceleration for modern functions like AV1 decoding, mesh shading, and ray tracing within its GPU architecture.
Employs high-speed LPDDR5X unified memory, offering substantial bandwidth to support multiprocessing applications.
The M4 series is built on a highly dense manufacturing process (3 nm), enabling the integration of numerous cores over 28 billion transistors.

Cons

Specific core configurations (CPU/GPU counts) vary greatly across its Pro and Max variants, which requires careful selection for targeted performance needs.
Memory bandwidth capacity is highly dependent on the specific model variant utilized, ranging from lower base limits to exceptionally high capacities.

Value for Money

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Review Videos

Hand-picked expert reviews for each product

Detailed Specifications

The full spec sheet, side by side

Core Specifications

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
Base Frequency	1.296 GHz	N/A
Base Power	N/A	N/A
Maximum Frequency	1.296 GHz	N/A
Maximum Power	120 W	N/A
Lithography Process	5 nm	N/A

Memory

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
Capacity	64 GB	N/A
Technology		N/A
Bus Width	N/A	N/A
Bandwidth	800 GB/s	N/A
Is Shared	Yes	N/A

API Support

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
DirectX Version	N/A	N/A
OpenGL Version	4.1	N/A
Vulkan Version	1.2	N/A
OpenCL Version	1.2	N/A

Theoretical Performance

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
Pixel Rate	165.9 GP/s	N/A
Texture Rate	663.6 GT/s	N/A
Performance (FP16)	42.4 TFLOPS	N/A
Performance (FP32)	21.2 TFLOPS	N/A
Performance (FP64)	N/A	N/A

Benchmark

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
G3D Mark	20,500	N/A

Miscellaneous

Feature	Apple M1 Ultra GPU	Apple M4 (8 Core)
Release Date	March 18, 2022	N/A
Platform		N/A

Specification Note

Specifications are compiled from official manufacturer data and other reliable internet sources. Some features may vary by region or model configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Apple M1 Ultra GPU vs Apple M4 (8 Core) comparison

Based on our overall comparison score, Apple M1 Ultra GPU rates higher at 77/100 versus 49/100 for Apple M4 (8 Core) — a 28-point lead. Apple M1 Ultra GPU is the stronger overall pick, though the right choice still depends on which specs matter most to you; the full spec table above breaks down every difference.

Apple M1 Ultra GPU and Apple M4 (8 Core) are compared side by side above across every spec in the gpus category — including performance, features and design — each scored 0–100 so you can see exactly where one leads the other. Our overall scores are 77/100 for Apple M1 Ultra GPU and 49/100 for Apple M4 (8 Core).

If you want the higher-rated gpus option overall, Apple M1 Ultra GPU (77/100) edges out Apple M4 (8 Core) (49/100). But if Apple M4 (8 Core) is cheaper or stronger on the specific specs you care about, it can still be the better buy — use the spec table and strengths profile above to decide.