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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

Tested using Methodology v0.8.3

Updated May 02, 2025 03:07 PM

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BestBuy.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Apr 26, 2024 07:12 PM

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Amazon.com
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Picture

Our Verdict

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) is a newer version of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021). The M3 model is better overall; it has a slightly brighter display, louder speakers, HDMI 2.1, and Wi-Fi 6E. It also has more configuration options, including a base M3 chip and up to 128GB of RAM. The M3 SoCs are faster and bring new features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AV1 decoding.

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Variants

  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX83LL/A) (Silver - M3 Max/14‑core CPU/30‑core GPU/36GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX63LL/A) (Silver - M3 Pro/11‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/18GB/512GB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX73LL/A) (Silver - M3 Pro/12‑core CPU/18‑core GPU/18GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MR7K3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8‑core CPU/10‑core GPU/8GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MR7J3LL/A) (Silver - M3/8‑core CPU/10‑core GPU/8GB/512GB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX53LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Max/14‑core CPU/30‑core GPU/36GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX33LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Pro/11‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/18GB/512GB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MRX43LL/A) (Space Black - M3 Pro/12‑core CPU/18‑core GPU/18GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MTL83LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8‑core CPU/10‑core GPU/8GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MTL73LL/A) (Space Gray - M3/8‑core CPU/10‑core GPU/8GB/512GB)
  • ‎‎MacBook Pro 14 (‎MKGT3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • ‎‎MacBook Pro 14 (MKGR3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro/8‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
  • ‎MacBook Pro 14 (‎MKGQ3LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 14 (MKGP3LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/8‑core CPU/14‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
Read more

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

9.0
8.7

Battery 
 

9.6
9.2

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Style Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

9.5
9.5

Build Quality Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Build Quality Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

9.1
9.1

Hinge Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Hinge Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

135°
135°

Stability 
 

Good
Good

One Finger Lift 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.5
8.4

Dimensions Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Dimensions Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

14"
14"

Thickness 
 

0.6" (1.6 cm)
0.6" (1.6 cm)

Width 
 

12.3" (31.3 cm)
12.3" (31.3 cm)

Depth 
 

8.7" (22.1 cm)
8.7" (22.1 cm)

Volume 
 

67.5 in³ (1,106.8 cm³)
67.5 in³ (1,106.8 cm³)

Weight 
 

3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)

Charger Size 
 

9.0 in³ (148.3 cm³)
9.6 in³ (157.5 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

3.5
3.5

Internals Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Internals Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

6.0
6.0

RAM Slots 
 

0
0

Storage Slots 
 

0
0

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

No
No
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) In The Box Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Display Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

3024 x 1964
3024 x 1964

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:10
16:10

Pixel Density 
 

254 PPI
255 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

No
No

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

89%
89%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

8.7
8.7

Motion Blur  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Motion Blur
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

120 Hz
120 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

Apple ProMotion
Apple ProMotion
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

10
10

Contrast Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Contrast Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

33,667 : 1
50,850 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness 
 

8.8
8.6

Maximum Brightness 
 

548 cd/m²
476 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

2 cd/m²
4 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

8.8
8.8

Reflections Photo Off  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Reflections Photo Off
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Reflections Photo Max
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Glossy

Total Reflections 
 

1.82%
1.92%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.18%
0.18%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

1.64%
1.74%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

10
10

Black Uniformity Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Black Uniformity Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

0.209%
0.350%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

6.9

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Left 
 

26°

Color Washout From Right 
 

29°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture

Color Shift From Left 
 

38°

Color Shift From Right 
 

44°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

29°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

32°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

33°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

37°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

6.6

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Below 
 

27°

Color Washout From Above 
 

31°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture

Color Shift From Below 
 

37°

Color Shift From Above 
 

42°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

31°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

34°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

40°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

31°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

33°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

9.7
9.8

White Balance Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) White Balance Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Gamma Curve Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Color Screencap
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

1.86
1.63

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.22
2.22

Avg. Color dE 
 

1.11
1.05

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,817 K
6,675.1 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

9.5
9.4

Gamut SDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Gamut SDR
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

99.99%
99.97%

sRGB uv 
 

99.95%
99.88%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

89.61%
88.88%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

94.62%
94%

Gamut HDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Gamut HDR
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

99.82%
99.82%

DCI P3 uv 
 

99.68%
99.43%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

73.19%
72.75%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

74.21%
73.82%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

9.0
10

Flicker Graph  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Flicker Graph
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

No
No

Flicker Frequency 
 

> 1000Hz
> 1000Hz

Flicker Active Below 
 

100%
0%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

8.0
8.0

Keyboard Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Keyboard Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

8.0
8.0

Numpad 
 

No
No

Backlighting 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details
See details

Operating Force 
 

62 gf
66 gf

Actuation Force 
 

38 gf
41 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

0.75 mm
0.75 mm

Total Travel 
 

0.84 mm
0.86 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

9.2
9.2

Touchpad Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Touchpad Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

9.5
9.5

Size 
 

16.1 in² (104.0 cm²)
16.1 in² (104.0 cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Glass

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

8.9
8.0

Frequency Response Plot  

See details
See details

Max Volume 
 

85 dB SPL
74 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

5.4 dB
3.9 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

-2.0
0.6

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

220 Hz
102 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

13 kHz
20 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

1.9 dB
3.3 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

9.1
9.1

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

9.5
9.5

Resolution 
 

1080p
1080p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
No

Face Unlock 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

8.5
8.5

Ports Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Ports Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

0
0

USB-C Ports 
 

3
3

Thunderbolt 
 

Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 4

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

2.1
2.0

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

SD UHS 2
SD UHS 2

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Proprietary Port 
 

Apple MagSafe 3
Apple MagSafe 3

Security Lock 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.3
5.0
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Apple
Apple

Model 
 

M3 Pro
M1 Pro

Core Count 
 

11
8

Thread Count 
 

11
8
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

Apple
Apple

Model 
 

M3 Pro
M1 Pro

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Integrated

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP) 
 

N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

18 GB
16 GB

Modules 
 

Unknown
Unknown

Type 
 

LP-DDR5
LP-DDR5

Speed 
 

6,400 MHz
6,400 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

512 GB
512 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

457 GB
463 GB

Drive 1 
 

Apple SSD AP0512Z
Apple SSD AP512R

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.6
9.4

Geekbench Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Geekbench Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

2,237 points
1,766 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

13,230 points
10,004 points

GPU Compute 
 

48,048 points
38,523 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

9.9
9.5

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Cinebench R23 Photo
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

1,916 points
1,532 points

Multi-Thread 
 

13,072 points
9,576 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

9.3
7.2

Blender Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Blender Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

2.7 min
5.5 min

GPU Render Time 
 

0.3 min
N/A

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

8.6
8.3

Basemark Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Basemark Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

69,112
62,548
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.5
9.5

Storage Performance Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Storage Performance Image
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

5,042.9 MB/s
4,513.3 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

4,609.9 MB/s
4,831.8 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

56.6 MB/s
54.2 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

59.9 MB/s
57.5 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

9.6
9.2

Capacity 
 

72 Wh
70 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

15.5 hrs
12.5 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

12.6 hrs
9.6 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

2.1 hrs
1.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.0 hrs
2.2 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

5.1
4.4

Borderlands 3 Graph  

See details
See details

Avg. FPS 
 

39 fps
32 fps

1% Low 
 

23 fps
18 fps

0.1% Low 
 

13 fps
9 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

18 ms
25 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

50 ms
78 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

78 fps
53 fps
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

7.2
5.8

Civilization VI Graph  

See details
See details

Avg. FPS 
 

59 fps
44 fps

1% Low 
 

44 fps
29 fps

0.1% Low 
 

40 fps
21 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

6 ms
12 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

8 ms
25 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

117 fps
59 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

8.93 s
10.7 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

8.8

CS:GO graph  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) CS:GO graph

Avg. FPS 
 

107 fps

1% Low 
 

N/A

0.1% Low 
 

N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

144 fps
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

0.0

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A

1% Low 
 

N/A

0.1% Low 
 

N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

N/A
Show Text 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

7.1
6.6

SOTTR Graph  

See details
See details

Avg. FPS 
 

55 fps
50 fps

1% Low 
 

40 fps
36 fps

0.1% Low 
 

35 fps
27 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

7 ms
8 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

10 ms
18 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

97 fps
69 fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

8.2
7.5

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) Keyboard Temps Picture
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

27 °C (81 °F)
26 °C (78 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

42 °C (108 °F)
48 °C (118 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

40.0 dBA
42.1 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

10
9.3

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details
See details

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

96 °C
93 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

0% loss
4% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

74 °C
88 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

0% loss
0% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

macOS
macOS

Additional Software 
 

None
None
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Biometrics 
 

Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor

RGB Illumination 
 

No
No

Touch Pen Support 
 

No Stylus Support

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
Show Text 

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

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