Based on our overall comparison score, Apple M1 Ultra GPU rates higher at 77/100 versus 64/100 for Apple M4 (8 Core) — a 13-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 vs Apple M4 (8 Core)
Verdict
Our overall take, at a glance
Key takeaways
- Apple M1 Ultra GPU leads Apple M4 (8 Core) overall by 33 points (69 vs 36 out of 100).
- Apple M1 Ultra GPU stands out on Core Specifications Maximum Power: 120 W, Memory Capacity: 64 GB, Memory Technology: Unified.
Apple M1 Ultra GPU leads overall
Apple M1 Ultra GPU
69
Apple M4 (8 Core)
36
Why it stands out
- Core Specifications Maximum Power: 120 W
- Memory Capacity: 64 GB
- Memory Technology: Unified
Head-to-head verdictAI
AI-generated from the cited sources — may be incomplete or inaccurate; verify important details before deciding · generated Aug 2026.
The Apple M1 Ultra GPU and the Apple M4 (8 Core) serve entirely different performance tiers, reflected in their respective overall scores of 83 and 51. The M1 Ultra is a massive workstation-class system that leads in sheer graphics power and memory scaling, supporting up to 64 GPU cores and 128 GB of unified memory. Meanwhile, the M4 is a highly efficient 3-nanometer chip that introduces a newer CPU and GPU architecture, featuring a far faster 38 TOPS Neural Engine and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Professionals requiring heavy parallel rendering or vast memory pools will benefit from the M1 Ultra, whereas the M4 is best for users seeking modern, energy-efficient daily performance.
- Graphics and System Scale
- The M1 Ultra dominates in raw computing scale by utilizing interconnected dies to pack 114 billion transistors and up to 64 GPU cores, whereas the standard M4 chip is a much smaller slice of silicon with 28 billion transistors and an 8 or 10-core GPU.
- Architectural and Media Features
- The M4 wins in architectural capability, utilizing a newer 3-nanometer process and an ARMv9.2-A design that introduces hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and AV1 video decoding, which are absent on the older 5-nanometer M1 Ultra.
- Memory and AI Performance
- While the M1 Ultra leads in maximum system memory with configurations up to 128 GB, the M4 features a vastly superior Neural Engine capable of 38 TOPS compared to the older M1 Ultra's 11 TOPS.
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
Apple M4 (8 Core)
The Apple M4 is a System-on-a-chip (SoC) designed by Apple, featuring combined CPU, GPU, NPU, and DSP resources. It powers various devices including the iPad Pro, confirming its status as a versatile processor for modern computing tasks.
Best for Creative ProfessionalsBest for Advanced Mobile ComputingBest for AI/Machine Learning Workloads
Pros
- Incorporates advanced features like hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing in the graphics unit (Source 1).
- The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) offers advanced computational power, significantly exceeding previous generations’ performance (Source 1).
- Utilizes LPDDR5X unified memory, allowing for high memory bandwidth across various configurations (Source 1).
Cons
- High-end variants provide substantial memory capacity options, potentially limiting accessibility for budget users (Source 1).
- Some performance comparisons note significant strides in single-core performance rather than general multithreaded gains (Source 1).
Value for Money
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Apple M1 Ultra GPU
Apple M4 (8 Core)
Performance
Higher benchmark score = faster
Apple M1 Ultra GPU20,500
Apple M4 (8 Core)13,500
Benchmark score — a measured indicator of raw performance, not a guarantee of real-world speed.
Review Videos
Hand-picked expert reviews for each product
Detailed Specifications
The full spec sheet, side by side
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Apple M1 Ultra GPU vs Apple M4 (8 Core) comparison
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 64/100 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) (64/100). 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.
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