However, Apple dropped the M4 chip and obliterated Windows laptops in one fell swoop. On Geekbench 6, the MacBook Pro notched a sweet multi-core score of 15,199. This beats our most powerful non-gaming PC laptop, Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, which delivered a score of 14,548 on the same test.

Hot on the heels of the Apple iMac and the entirely redesigned Mac mini comes the M4-powered 14-inch MacBook Pro—the basic model of Apple's 2024 laptop line. (Apple hasn't refreshed its popular-favorite MacBook Air with M4 at the same time.

Apple's brand-new M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch is already on sale, with preorder discounts knocking triple digits off the new release in addition to savings on three years of AppleCare.

Right now, the base MacBook Pro 14 M3 starts at $1,399 via Best Buy, though it's often discounted even lower. For this price, you'll get an M3 chip (consisting of an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine), 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 3024 x 1964-pixel resolution.

The MacBook Pro 14 M4 isn’t a huge departure from the M3 version, but laptops aren’t meant for annual upgrades.

Apple has made a change to its Low Power mode that drastically reduces performance.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros ・Excellent performance ・Thunderbolt 5 is a boon for professionals ・12MP CenterStage FaceTime camera ・Nano-texture glass display option Cons ・Wi-Fi 7 would’ve been nice to future-proof it a little Our Verdict The M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro is a powerful workstation and Apple makes the package even better