Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Pro Space Black 2024

The M4 Pro MacBook Pro is a ridiculously fast and polished laptop with one of the best screens we've ever tested. The 48GB RAM config is the sweet spot for creative work, but the slow SD card slot and lack of Wi-Fi 7 are annoying oversights. If you find it priced near $3149, it's a killer deal for a pro machine that'll last.

The M4 Pro 12-core chip is a monster for CPU-heavy work. It sits in the 91st percentile in our database, which means it chews through code compiles, 4K video timelines, and massive photo batches without breaking a sweat. The 16-core GPU is solid for an integrated chip, landing in the 74th percentile, but let's be real: it's not a gaming GPU. You'll get playable frame rates in lighter titles, but demanding AAA games will humble it. The 48GB of unified memory is a standout, hitting the 92nd percentile, so memory pressure is basically a non-issue even with dozens of apps open.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, the MacBook Pro trades blows: the ASUS will demolish it in gaming with a dedicated GPU, but the Mac's screen, build, and CPU efficiency are in a different league. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a desktop replacement beast with more raw GPU power, but it's a chunky boy next to this 1.6kg Mac. For pure photo and video work, the Mac's display and optimized software make it the better tool. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 and MSI Prestige are solid Windows alternatives, but they can't touch the Mac's battery life or resale value.

Pricing on this specific 48GB/2TB config is all over the map, with a spread of $1205 across different vendors. At the low end around $3149, it's a serious investment but justifiable for a machine that will easily last five years. At the high end near $4354, you're getting into “why not just buy the Max?” territory. If you can snag it at the lower end of that range, it's a powerful, long-term workhorse. Just shop around before you click buy.

The M4 Pro MacBook Pro is Apple doing what Apple does best: refining an already excellent machine into something that feels almost unfair. This 14-inch config with 48GB of RAM and the nano-texture screen is aimed squarely at photographers, developers, and anyone who needs serious horsepower in a package that won't break your back. It's not a radical redesign, but the jump in CPU grunt and that stunning display make it feel like a genuine step forward.

If you need a machine that can double as a serious gaming rig after work, look elsewhere. The integrated GPU just can't keep up with a dedicated RTX card in a similarly priced Windows laptop. Also, if you rely on super-fast SD card offloads in the field, the 250 MB/s reader here will drive you nuts.

This is the “sweet spot” config for creative pros who don't need the absolute GPU heft of the M4 Max. The 48GB of RAM and nano-texture display make it a phenomenal photo and video editing rig, and the CPU performance is so far ahead that it'll feel fast for years. Just know its limits: it's not a gaming laptop, and a few legacy peripheral quirks might annoy you.