Notebookcheck Logo

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q vs Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU vs Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q

► remove from comparison NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q (for laptops, GN20-E7 Max-Q) is the former name for a RTX 3080 Laptop GPU with Max-Q technologies. In previous generations, the Max-Q name was used for low power versions. With the RTX 3000 series, every TGP-version can now use Max-Q technologies and all GPUs are called RTX 3080 Laptop GPU (80 - 150W+).

Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU

► remove from comparison Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU

The Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU is a self-designed graphics card in the Apple M3 SoC and offers 30 of the 40 cores that are included in the chip. According to Apple, the GPU uses a new architecture and now offers dynamic caching, mesh shading and ray tracing acceleration.

The graphics card can access up to 96 GB LPDDR5-6400 unified memory via a 512 bit memory bus (max 400 GBit/s). Thanks to dynamic caching, the GPU only reserves as much memory as is required.

Since the SoC is manufactured in the current 3nm (probably N3B) at TSMC.

Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU

► remove from comparison Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU

The Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU is a self-designed graphics card in the Apple M3 SoC and according to Apple with forty cores. According to Apple, the GPU uses a new architecture and now offers dynamic caching, mesh shading and ray tracing acceleration.

The GPU can access up to 128 GB LPDDR5-6400 unified memory via a 512 bit memory bus (max 400 GBit/s). Thanks to dynamic caching, the GPU should only reserve as much memory as is required.

Since the SoC is manufactured in the current 3nm (probably N3B) at TSMC. According to powermetrics, the GPU requires up to 60 watts (chip incl. CPU total 78 watts).

show full text
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-QApple M3 Max 30-Core GPUApple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
Apple M3 Series
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 10752 @ 1.56 - 1.86 GHz384 Bit @ 21000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 10496 @ 1.4 - 1.7 GHz384 Bit @ 19500 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 10240 @ 1.37 - 1.67 GHz384 Bit @ 19000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB 8960/ cores @ 1.26 - 1.71 GHz384 Bit @ 19000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 8704 @ 1.45 - 1.71 GHz320 Bit @ 19000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 6144 @ 1.58 - 1.77 GHz256 Bit @ 19000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 7424 @ 0.98 - 1.59 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 5888 @ 1.5 - 1.73 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 6144 @ 0.78 - 1.25 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 4864 @ 1.41 - 1.67 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU 5888 @ 0.92 - 1.48 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 5120 @ 0.78 - 1.29 GHz256 Bit @ 14000 MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 3584 @ 1.32 - 1.78 GHz192 Bit @ 15000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q 6144 @ 0.78 - 1.25 GHz256 Bit @ 6000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q 5120 @ 1.29 GHz256 Bit
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 3840 @ 0.82 - 1.7 GHz192 Bit @ 14000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q 3840 @ 1.28 GHz192 Bit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 2560 @ 1.55 - 1.78 GHz128 Bit Bit @ 1750 MHz
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU 2560 @ 1.22 - 1.49 GHz128 Bit @ 12000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU 2560 @ 1.24 - 1.49 GHz96 Bit @ 12000 MHz
GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU 1792 64 Bit
GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU 2048 @ 1.24 - 1.5 GHz128 Bit @ 12000 MHz
M3 Max 40-Core GPU 40
M3 Max 30-Core GPU 30
M3 Pro 18-Core GPU 18
M3 Pro 14-Core GPU 14
M3 10-Core GPU 10
M3 9-Core GPU 9
M3 8-Core GPU 8
M3 Max 40-Core GPU 40
M3 Max 30-Core GPU 30
M3 Pro 18-Core GPU 18
M3 Pro 14-Core GPU 14
M3 10-Core GPU 10
M3 9-Core GPU 9
M3 8-Core GPU 8
CodenameGN20-E7 GA104
ArchitectureAmpere
Pipelines6144 - unified30 - unified40 - unified
Core Speed780 - 1245 (Boost) MHz
Memory Speed6000 MHz
Memory Bus Width256 Bit
Memory TypeGDDR6LPDDR5-6400LPDDR5-6400
Max. Amount of Memory16 GB
Shared Memorynonono
APIDirectX 12_2, Shader 6.7, OpenGL 4.6
Power Consumption80 Watt53 Watt53 Watt
technology8 nm5 nm5 nm
Notebook Sizelargemedium sizedmedium sized
Date of Announcement04.01.2021 31.10.2023 31.10.2023
CPU in M3 Max 30-Core GPUGPU Base SpeedGPU Boost / Turbo
Apple M3 Max 14-Core14 x 2748 MHz, 78 W? MHz? MHz
CPU in M3 Max 40-Core GPUGPU Base SpeedGPU Boost / Turbo
Apple M3 Max 16-Core16 x 2748 MHz, 78 W? MHz? MHz

Benchmarks

3DMark - 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited
min: 31268     avg: 31336     median: 31335.5 (36%)     max: 31403 Points
Blender - Blender 3.3 Classroom METAL *
min: 29.6     avg: 30.8     median: 30.8 (3%)     max: 32 Seconds
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit + Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
min: 136.23     avg: 137.4     median: 137.4 (8%)     max: 138.52 fps
Cinebench R15 OpenGL Ref. Match 64 Bit + Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 OpenGL Ref. Match 64 Bit
99.5 % (100%)
GFXBench - GFXBench 5.0 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
min: 188.2     avg: 196     median: 196 (73%)     max: 203.7 fps
GFXBench - GFXBench 5.0 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
min: 416     avg: 431     median: 431 (77%)     max: 446 fps
GFXBench - GFXBench 5.0 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
min: 858     avg: 863     median: 863 (64%)     max: 868 fps
GFXBench - GFXBench Car Chase Offscreen
min: 556     avg: 560     median: 560 (53%)     max: 564 fps
GFXBench 3.1 - GFXBench Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
min: 1163     avg: 1178     median: 1178 (25%)     max: 1193 fps
GFXBench 3.0 - GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan Offscreen
min: 1557     avg: 1573     median: 1573 (66%)     max: 1589 fps
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
GFXBench T-Rex HD Offscreen C24Z16 + Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - GFXBench T-Rex HD Offscreen C24Z16
min: 2893     avg: 2942     median: 2941.5 (23%)     max: 2990 fps
Geekbench 6.5 - Geekbench 6.5 GPU OpenCL
min: 91413     avg: 91416     median: 91415.5 (24%)     max: 91418 Points
Geekbench 6.5 - Geekbench 6.5 GPU Metal
min: 154675     avg: 155214     median: 155214 (86%)     max: 155752 Points
Power Consumption - The Witcher 3 Power Consumption - external Monitor *
min: 87.7     avg: 91.6     median: 91.6 (13%)     max: 95.4 Watt
Power Consumption - Witcher 3 Power Consumption *
min: 92.5     avg: 100.8     median: 100.8 (22%)     max: 109 Watt
Power Consumption - Power Efficiency - Witcher 3 ultra
min: 0.633     avg: 0.8     median: 0.8 (73%)     max: 0.995 fps per Watt
Power Consumption - Power Efficiency - Witcher 3 ultra external Monitor
min: 0.723     avg: 0.9     median: 0.9 (73%)     max: 1.207 fps per Watt
Emissions Witcher 3 Fan Noise + Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
Emissions - Witcher 3 Fan Noise
min: 42.8     avg: 43.1     median: 43.1 (62%)     max: 43.4 dB(A)

Average Benchmarks Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU → 0% n=0

- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
red legend - Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation

Game Benchmarks

The following benchmarks stem from our benchmarks of review laptops. The performance depends on the used graphics memory, clock rate, processor, system settings, drivers, and operating systems. So the results don't have to be representative for all laptops with this GPU. For detailed information on the benchmark results, click on the fps number.

Total War Pharaoh

Total War Pharaoh

2023
low 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
242  fps
med. 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
207 212 ~ 210 fps
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
138 139 ~ 139 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
97 121 ~ 109 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
82 82 ~ 82 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty

2023
low 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
45  fps
med. 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
44  fps
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
43.7 44.4 ~ 44 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
40.8 42.8 ~ 42 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
35.5 37.4 ~ 36 fps
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

2023
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
96  fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
90  fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
60  fps
Star Wars Jedi Survivor

Star Wars Jedi Survivor

2023
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
51  fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms

Total War: Three Kingdoms

2019
med. 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
170 170 ~ 170 fps
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
109 113 ~ 111 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
80 84 ~ 82 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
54 58 ~ 56 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

2018
med. 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
145 150 ~ 148 fps
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
135 143 ~ 139 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
118 122 ~ 120 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
86 88 ~ 87 fps
Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5

2018
med. 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
56  fps
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
53 54 ~ 54 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
50 51 ~ 51 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
49 49 ~ 49 fps
The Witcher 3

The Witcher 3

2015
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
87  fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
69 92 ~ 81 fps
GTA V

GTA V

2015
high 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
77 79 ~ 78 fps
ultra 1920x1080
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
53 54 ~ 54 fps
QHD 2560x1440
M3 Max 40-Core GPU:
51 52 ~ 52 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-QApple M3 Max 30-Core GPUApple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
lowmed.highultraQHD4Klowmed.highultraQHD4Klowmed.highultraQHD4K
Total War Pharaoh24221013910982
Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty4544444236
Baldur's Gate 3969060
Star Wars Jedi Survivor51
Total War: Three Kingdoms1701118256
Shadow of the Tomb Raider14813912087
Far Cry 556545149
The Witcher 38781
GTA V785452
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-QApple M3 Max 30-Core GPUApple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
lowmed.highultraQHD4Klowmed.highultraQHD4Klowmed.highultraQHD4K
< 30 fps
< 60 fps
< 120 fps
≥ 120 fps

















< 30 fps
< 60 fps
< 120 fps
≥ 120 fps

















< 30 fps
< 60 fps
< 120 fps
≥ 120 fps
1

1
2

3
2
4
2
4
4
1
4
3



For more games that might be playable and a list of all games and graphics cards visit our Gaming List

v1.34
log 26. 11:34:37

#0 ran 0s before starting gpusingle class +0s ... 0s

#1 checking url part for id 10586 +0s ... 0s

#2 checking url part for id 12034 +0s ... 0s

#3 checking url part for id 11636 +0s ... 0s

#4 redirected to Ajax server, took 1761474877s time from redirect:0 +0s ... 0s

#5 did not recreate cache, as it is less than 5 days old! Created at Sat, 25 Oct 2025 05:18:42 +0200 +0s ... 0s

#6 composed specs +0.054s ... 0.054s

#7 did output specs +0s ... 0.054s

#8 start showIntegratedCPUs +0s ... 0.054s

#9 getting avg benchmarks for device 10586 +0.026s ... 0.08s

#10 got single benchmarks 10586 +0s ... 0.08s

#11 getting avg benchmarks for device 12034 +0s ... 0.08s

#12 got single benchmarks 12034 +0.003s ... 0.083s

#13 getting avg benchmarks for device 11636 +0s ... 0.083s

#14 got single benchmarks 11636 +0.004s ... 0.088s

#15 got avg benchmarks for devices +0s ... 0.088s

#16 min, max, avg, median took s +0.007s ... 0.094s

#17 before gaming benchmark output +0s ... 0.094s

#18 Got 53 rows for game benchmarks. +0.005s ... 0.099s

#19 composed SQL query for gamebenchmarks +0s ... 0.099s

#20 got data and put it in $dataArray +0s ... 0.099s

#21 benchmarks composed for output. +0.003s ... 0.102s

#22 calculated avg scores. +0s ... 0.102s

#23 return log +0s ... 0.103s

Please share our article, every link counts!
Mail Logo
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Benchmarks / Tech > Graphics Card Comparison - Head 2 Head
Redaktion, 2017-09- 8 (Update: 2023-07- 1)