The first benchmark results of Apple‘s latest M3 chip have surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database. These results provide an early look into the chip’s CPU performance and show some encouraging enhancements.

The M3 chip, now available in the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac, has posted some impressive scores. In the world of single-core performance, it manages to reach around 3,000 points, while its multi-core performance stands at approximately 11,700 points. This is a significant leap from the standard M2 chip, which scores around 2,600 in single-core and 9,700 in multi-core tests. In fact, the M3 chip outpaces its predecessor by up to 20%, a claim that Apple had made during its “Scary Fast” event earlier this week.

Geekbench 6 multi-core scores show the following comparison:

• M3 chip: Approximately 11,700 (a 20% increase over the M2 chip)
• M2 chip: Approximately 9,700 (a 17% increase over the M1 chip)
• M1 chip: Approximately 8,315

It’s important to note that these benchmark results are linked to a “Mac15,3” identifier, which industry insiders like Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman previously associated with a laptop featuring the same display resolution as a 14-inch MacBook Pro. Thus, performance results should be quite similar for both the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac.

The standard M3 chip boasts an 8-core CPU and supports up to a 10-core GPU. It also offers compatibility with up to 24GB of unified memory, making it a potent contender for various tasks. Furthermore, the chip includes enhanced GPU architecture, featuring support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, which promise to deliver a more immersive gaming experience. Additionally, the M3 chip incorporates a 16-core Neural Engine designed for AI tasks.

One important aspect to keep in mind is that these benchmark results pertain to the standard M3 chip. Apple also offers higher-end variants, the M3 Pro and M3 Max, which are available in most new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. However, we have yet to see Geekbench results for these advanced configurations.

Apple fans are eagerly waiting for the release of the new Macs, and recent benchmark results suggest that the M3 chip will offer a significant performance boost over its predecessor, the M2.

Related /

• Apple’s M3/Pro/Max chips promise to make the Mac a viable gaming platform
• Apple’s new MacBook Pro is more powerful than ever with M3 Pro/Max chips and Dynamic Caching
• Apple’s new M3 MacBook Pro promises better performance without the Touch Bar
• Apple unveils lightning-fast M3 iMac at “Scary Fast” event