The initial reported benchmark score for Apple’s much-awaited M3 Ultra chip has shown up in the Geekbench 6 database, providing early indication of the performance of the tech giant’s newest high-end processor. The M3 Ultra chip drives the recently released Mac Studio, which was introduced earlier this week.
Apple’s most powerful chip yet
Apple has referred to the M3 Ultra as the “highest-performing chip it has ever produced,” and early benchmark results seem to support that assertion. Based on the unconfirmed Geekbench 6 report, the 32-core M3 Ultra reached a multi-core CPU score of 27,749. This score puts the M3 Ultra around 8% ahead of Apple’s previous best, the 16-core M4 Max chip, which just broke the benchmark record.
Directly compared to its immediate predecessor, the 24-core M2 Ultra, the M3 Ultra had a staggering 30% jump in multi-core performance. That said, Apple had earlier touted the M3 Ultra as potentially up to 1.5x faster than the M2 Ultra, or a 50% increase, which would leave one wondering if more benchmark figures are necessary before making a solid judgment.
Single-core performance: M4 Max holds the lead
Although the M3 Ultra excels in multi-core performance, the M4 Max still leads as far as single-core workloads are concerned. The benchmark proves that the M4 Max scores over the M3 Ultra by a margin of almost 20% in terms of single-core CPU performance. This result should be expected as the M4 Max is underpinned by the newest architecture that is focused on single-threaded workloads.
What these benchmarks mean
Synthetic tests such as Geekbench 6 provide a useful reference point to compare hardware performance, but actual performance can differ based on application. The M3 Ultra should deliver performance gains that accelerate workflows in video editing, 3D modeling, and other high-end applications—the Mac Studio’s main target markets.
Additional benchmarking results are likely in the weeks ahead as independent testers and early adopters stress test the M3 Ultra. In the meantime, the results available now offer a promising preview of Apple’s most sophisticated silicon to date.