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M3 Max is a big step up from M2 Max, and a giant leap from M1 Max.
We own multiple machines of all three types, and for our purposes an M3 Max Mac Studio gives basically 2x the performance of an M1 Max equivalent, especially with GPU-bound workflows, allowing us to run far more complex shows on a single machine. It’s a huge real-world difference.
ectoplasmosis-
Depends on the individual use. I checked the DgLloyd PS benchmarks and while quicker in some tasks there were no significant gains to had apart from doing batch processing which is something I don’t do in huge volume's, for me a batch process is 10-20 images so we are talking 15-20 seconds on something I do once at the beginning of a job.
There isn’t anything I do that means going back to the ‘go make a cup of tea’ days or a delay on small tasks that I do multiple times per hour be it saving or brush/filter lag or the shitty refine edge performance that annoyed the hell out of me, it’s these small multiple delays that add up to a significant amount of time and costing me time/money/productivity.
The only thing that still really sucks is smart sharpen but that’s an Adobe/Apple thing not a processor performance thing.
If I was doing raw video/complex editing jobs then there might be a case for an M3.
The 300 layer 8k timelapse animations in PS (from raw stills not video) were just about possible on my 15in intel MBP but each adjustment/change was fraught with danger of crashing/out of scratch/memory/spinning beachball of death. simply not an issue moving to M1, the differences between M1-M3 are not as significant as intel to M.
Mr_Smyth
“ I definitely won't be buying an M2 tho', I don't see any point in buying an older gen machine”
But they can make perfect sense as the M processors were such a big leap forward that the differences between M1/2/3 are moot.
I now have an M1 Sudio and 16in MBP, they are not really stressed by any video editing/grading or photoshop work on big 20-35GB files with multiple adjustment layers, the MacBook feel’s slightly slower on some tasks but I saved a fair bit by buying an M1 refurb for half the price of a maxed out latest model as all the heavy lifting is done on the Studio, the MBP is just for tethering a camera to on shoots.
Both machines are faster and more efficient with no fan/heat hissy fits than the intel based macs.
Another few £k on M2/M3 would make no difference to productivity, my usual upgrade cycle of 3 years will likely move to 5 now.