The M4 GPU may not offer any performance improvement over the M3, especially in non-ray tracing workloads, according to various claims

Apple’s M4 has been positioned as a new chipset that brings a big leap in performance and efficiency since the company skipped the M3 for the latest iPad Pro models in favor of its successor. However, while the difference in CPU between the two SoCs may be significant, different claims are being made regarding identical GPU performance with the M4 and M3. Here, we take a closer look at these claims and see if they hold some truth.

With a higher number of CPU cores, the M4 may just provide noticeable gains in computing performance

The interesting thing is that during Apple’s official announcement of the M4, the company ignored any comparison with the M3, almost acting as if the latter did not exist. Instead, attention has been focused on the M2, noting that the M4 offers a 50 percent performance boost in the CPU department, with a 10-core GPU that offers hardware-accelerated retinal shading and hardware-accelerated ray tracing support. Unfortunately, when it comes to non-ray tracing workloads, @negativeonehero Provides a deeper look into the M4’s performance.

Sharing the performance chart on the Unfortunately, on the topic of GPU performance, the M4 and M3 reportedly perform similarly in non-ray tracing workloads. In addition, the prominent reviewer Jekerwanwhich has built its reputation through extensive testing of various high-end smartphones and chipsets, stated on Chinese video sharing site BiliBili that the M4 will not offer any improvement in graphics performance like the M3.

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I currently expect the M4 CPU to perform like this. The baseline is M2, and the x-axis is power consumption.
As for the GPU, there seems to be almost zero improvement in non-ray tracing workloads, but let’s wait and see. pic.twitter.com/RtEJg5enqp

– Nguyen Phi Hung (@Negativeonehero) May 7, 2024

However, it does mention that switching to TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process could improve power efficiency, suggesting that, once again, Apple can focus on increasing battery runtime rather than raw performance. Then again, before we see some actual benchmarks and numbers, we cannot immediately believe the claims of these individuals. Likewise, our readers should take these rumors with a pinch of salt and wait for further updates.