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.

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

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.

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