Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) compared with MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
AppleMacBook Pro 14″ (M3)AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2023February 2013
Display
Screen size14.2″13.3″
Resolution3024 × 1964 (better)2560 × 1600
PanelMini-LEDIPS LCD
Refresh rate120 Hz–
Brightness600 nits–
HDR peak brightness1,600 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED backlightingRetina LED-backlit IPS display with millions of colours; native 2560 × 1600 and scaled modes of 1680 × 1050, 1440 × 900 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Pixel density254 ppi227 ppi
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours–
Display features1,000,000:1 contrast; 1,000 nits sustained full-screen HDR brightness; ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz; fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz rates; True Tone–
Performance
ProcessorApple M3Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3520M, Intel Core i5-3230M or Intel Core i7-3540M
CPU cores82
CPU threads–4
Graphics10-core GPUIntel HD Graphics 4000
Memory8 GB, 16 GB or 24 GB (better)8 GB
Storage512 GB to 2 TB (better)128 GB to 768 GB
CPU8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency coresThe retained 128 GB base has a dual-core Core i5-3210M at 2.5 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, 3 MB cache), configurable to Core i7-3520M at 2.9 GHz (up to 3.6 GHz, 4 MB). The refreshed 256 GB base has Core i5-3230M at 2.6 GHz (up to 3.2 GHz, 3 MB), configurable to Core i7-3540M at 3.0 GHz (up to 3.7 GHz, 4 MB). Primate Labs identifies the exact processors; Apple includes both bases in this generation's sheet.
GPU10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing; media engine supports H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, video and ProRes encode/decode, and AV1 decodeIntel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory; 8 GB or 16 GB, configurable to 24 GB8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory; no higher memory option
Memory bandwidth100 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD; 512 GB or 1 TB, configurable to 2 TBFlash storage; retained 2.5 GHz base has 128 GB, configurable to 256 GB, 512 GB or 768 GB. Refreshed 2.6 GHz base has 256 GB, configurable to 512 GB or 768 GB. Processor upgrades follow their corresponding base; memory remains fixed at 8 GB.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 22 hoursUp to 7 hours
Battery capacity69.6 Wh74 Wh (better)
Weight1.55 kg (better)1.62 kg
Thickness15.5 mm (better)19 mm
Width × depth312.6 × 221.2 mm314 × 219 mm
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; marketed as 70 Wh, with actual rating 69.6 Wh in Apple’s footnoteBuilt-in 74 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger70 W USB-C Power Adapter60 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
Fast chargingWith optional 96 W USB-C Power Adapter–
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosureAluminium enclosure
ColoursSilver, Space GreySilver
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, SD card slot, MagSafe 3, headphone jack2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth5.34.0
Webcam1080p FaceTime HD720p FaceTime HD
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s; HDMI; SDXC slot; MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm jack with high-impedance headphone supportTwo USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt ports up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone/optical digital audio output. Supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters.
External displaysOne external display with the built-in screen active; macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later supports two with the lid closed: primary up to 6K 60 Hz (or 4K 144 Hz), secondary up to 5K 60 Hz (or 4K 100 Hz), according to Apple’s updated display support page; original tech specs state HDMI up to 4K 120 HzBuilt-in screen plus up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, including 12 full-height function keysFull-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadMulti-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag
SpeakersSix-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; spatial audio with Dolby AtmosStereo speakers
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with directional beamformingDual microphones
BiometricsTouch ID–
In the box14-inch MacBook Pro, 70 W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable (2 m)MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife apps

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