64GB Ram M1 Max -- Macbook 14" 1TB SSD -- Silver

At 14.2 inches, this Macbook M1 Max is a portable beast. I have never heard the fans on it!

Note: In the second part, I give my take from a specs perspective (not new v used) on why the M1 Max might be a better buy for you than the newly released M4 Pro (with the 48GB RAM option).

Before that, here is Part 1 the high-level stuff first, along with details on this machine, logistics of sale etc.

***PART 1***

###SPECS###

Model: Apple MacBook Pro
Chip: M1 Max
RAM: 64GB
CPU: 10-core
GPU: 24-core
Neural Engine: 16-core
SSD: 1TB
Screen size: 14.2 inches
Colour: Silver
Keyboard: QWERTY (Ireland / UK)
Battery Condition: Normal
Cycle Count: 511
Battery Health: 82%

For full specs check out: support[dot]apple[dot]com/en-ie/111902

Included in the sale: A MacBook box & the original 96W power adapter with MagSafe cable.

###REASON FOR SALE###

It's a tentative sale, but I don't need the performance it packs.

###CONDITION###

In short great. Know this is subjective…

- Some very minor signs of wear on the outer shell
- Marks as photoed on the right-hand-side edge.

Hard to capture in pictures since the silver colour is very forgiving, but I can share a video with any would-be buyer.

Silver is timeless, and unlike with other MBP colours, fingerprints and light scuffs aren't something you need to worry about.

The screen is in perfect condition with no scratches. I only ever used safe products on it i.e. Whoosh's Tech Hygiene.

###WHO THIS MACHINE IS FOR###

It’s a dream machine for anyone doing creative work like photography or video editing work, who wants a machine they can bring with them. Or for anyone who doesn’t want to be left wanting power-wise. All without spending nearly 4k. Personally, I would have hated the 16-inch version, since portability was a big factor for me.

###LOGISTICS###

Delivery Options:

Collection is preferred, but I can personally deliver within 80 kilometers of Ballina, Mayo, for a fee (€30). In all cases, delivery or collection will take place at a public meet-up point. Alternatively, I can ship via An Post or courier if you have excellent feedback. You’ll choose the shipping method and cover any transit insurance costs.

Deposit Policy:

A deposit is required if:

>> You want me to hold the item beyond the day your offer is accepted.
>> I’m driving to meet you.

If a deposit is paid, I’ll mark the ad as sold. However, deposits are not mandatory unless the above applies. For same-day collection, I’ll hold the item without a deposit, subject to a feedback check.

Please Note:

At my discretion, the strength of a buyer’s feedback will influence how I handle requests. However, the general rules are as follows:

No deposit = no holds beyond the same day.
No deposit = no long-distance travel.

For shipping, full payment is required upfront (deposits aren’t applicable).

Payment: Revolut is much preferred to cash.

Part Trade? I might consider part trade if you have one of the following: Iphone (11 or later), Apple Watch (preference is Ultra), M1/M2 Air (preference 16GB RAM)


********************************************************************

***PART 2***


###FOR THOSE INTERESTED, MY TAKE BELOW###

Pre-warning: It's kinda technical, but then I don't get into benchmarks. Chances are I've missed some things, so I'd suggest you do your own research, but this may help as a starting point.

***

I expect anyone looking at this spec Macbook will know their alternatives, but here is my full take. Done my best to be balanced here.


##This M1 MAX versus the newer M4 Pro?##

I’ll call out the obvious here, the M4 Max > M1 Max. The M4 Max is way way overkill for most people – even those doing creative work. But for professional/full-time video editors it might make sense. Can’t imagine too many are on here looking for M4 Maxes though!

##This M1 MAX versus the M2 Max?##

If you're in two minds about a used M1 Max (like this) versus a M2 Max, then I'd suggest you check out what others say on Youtube, Reddit etc. From what I remember there's not much in it!

##This M1 MAX versus the midrange M4 Pro (with Pro chip NOT Base)?##

The more interesting comparison is this versus the new midrange M4 Pros (not the base) – this might surprise some... the upshot... a midrange M4 is not automatically better than top-range M1s like this one.

It’s too easy to fall into the trap of believing the bigger number 4 means it supersedes the 1.

In fact, this M1 Max chip will outperform the new M4 Pro chip with the 14-core CPU / 20-core GPU and the option with a higher (for that model) 48GB RAM config in certain video editing tasks.

How? More on the specs in a minute.

The midrange M4 with this spec cost 3.5-4k. I’m not suggesting my M1 Max is new. It's not. The point here is price to value (based on the specs). Fwiw the M1 Max was ~4k new.

As an aside, from a price standpoint, my direct comparison price-wise is a refurbed.ie example — for a *good* condition one (not a *mint* one) at ~€2600.

Sidenote: The refurbed in refurbed.ie seems to be a very liberal use of the word…

Let’s get into the specs (compared to the M4 spec I referenced):

- Both get Apple Intelligence (i.e you wouldn’t miss out on AI stuff)
- The charger is the same at 96w
- The keyboard is the same (as is the touch ID)
- The trackpad is the same
- The speakers are the same
- The amazing mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display is the same (see my note re brightness)
- The size/weight is the same / within 50 grams
- The number of ports/card slots is the same
- The MagSafe 3.0 connection is the same

The M1 Max has more RAM, more GPU cores, nearly double the bandwidth, and double encoder/decoder and media engines. This answers how it outperforms in certain tasks. The bandwidth advantage might also matter for anyone doing stuff with LLMs.

But the M4 Pro has a faster CPU, is less power hungry (due to 3nm v 5nm / # efficiency CPUs cores I guess), and it has some trinkets like HDMI 2.1 (v2.0), Bluetooth 5.3 (v5.0), WiFi 6E (v WiFi 6).

These are not world-shattering updates!

But the M4 is new of course and will be supported for longer with software updates — but then it’s a massive jump in spend. And the nano texture display is an add-on (see my note on M1 brightness).
Updates up to the late 2020s/ maybe 2030 are likely a safe bet for the M1 Max, and it will run well beyond those.

Anything else…

- M1 Max doesn’t have ray tracing – I don’t know much about it, but it might matter if you’re gaming a lot / think it might be particular to certain games.
- M4 has Thunderbolt 5 ports (v TB 4) - great for people trying to run three 6k monitors…. and there are very few TB 5 accessories, plus they are very pricey. More will arrive / come down - but this does not matter for most people for quite a while
- M4’s webcam is a marginal improvement (I’ve used an Obsbot Tiny 2 as I need a monitor mountable cam)
- M4’s SDR brightness is up to 1000 nits, but here’s something little known – you can download the BetterDisplay App on the M1 to go brighter (than the standard brightness) if you need.

###FINAL WORD###

Apple's M1s were a generational change from the Intel chips, their M2s, M3s, and even the latest M4s have been fairly incremental. It’s wild that they launched such incremental updates. M4 Pro is a nice bump from M1 Pro, as for from M1 Max, well it depends what you need.

Boiling it down, if CPU is more important to you (and those trinkets matter to you) get the M4 (Pro chip not base!). If RAM and GPU is more important to you get the M1 Max. If you are indifferent, and you want to save a fair whack, get the M1 Max.