Short answer: Early Geekbench 6 results suggest the M3 Pro is faster than the M2 Pro in single-core CPU work, modestly faster in multi-core work, and nearly tied in one OpenCL GPU comparison. The spread is not a universal M3 Pro score: the first report used one result, a later hands-on comparison used a different machine, and public Geekbench entries vary by MacBook Pro size, core count, memory and benchmark version.
What the first M3 Pro result actually showed
A November 4, 2023 MacRumors report by Joe Rossignol described one early Geekbench 6 result for an M3 Pro MacBook Pro. It recorded 3,035 single-core and 15,173 multi-core. MacRumors characterized those figures as up to 14% faster in single-core and up to 6% faster in multi-core than the M2 Pro results it selected.
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Those percentages were conditional on the result being accurate. The report cautioned: “This is only a single benchmark result, so further results are needed to ensure accuracy.” That makes the numbers an early indication, not an official Apple performance guarantee or an average for every M3 Pro Mac.
How a later hands-on comparison changed the picture
A subsequent MacRumors hands-on report produced a different M3 Pro result and compared it with a specific 16-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro:
#1 Best Overall
- SUPERCHARGED BY M3 PRO OR M3 MAX - The Apple M3 Pro chip, with a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU, delivers amazing performance for demanding workflows like manipulating gigapixel panoramas or compiling millions of lines of code. M3 Max, with an up to 16-core CPU and up to 40-core GPU, drives extreme performance for the most advanced workflows like rendering intricate 3D content or developing transformer models with billions of parameters.
- UP TO 22 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE - Go all day thanks to the power-efficient design of Apple silicon. The MacBook Pro laptop delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in. (Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.)
- BRILLIANT PRO DISPLAY - The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display features Extreme Dynamic Range, over 1000 nits of brightness for stunning HDR content, up to 600 nits of brightness for SDR content, and pro reference modes for doing your best work on the go. (The display has rounded corners at the top. When measured diagonally, the screen is 16.2 inches. Actual viewable area is less.)
- FULLY COMPATIBLE - All your pro apps run lightning fast - including Adobe Creative Cloud, Apple Xcode, Microsoft 365, SideFX Houdini, MathWorks MATLAB, Medivis SurgicalAR, and many of your favorite iPhone and iPad apps. And with macOS, work and play on your Mac are even more powerful. Elevate your presence on video calls. Access information in all-new ways. And discover even more ways to personalize your Mac. (Apps are available on the App Store.)
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| Test | 16-inch M3 Pro result | Selected 16-inch M2 Pro result | Reported difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 3,085 | 2,643 | 16.7% higher for M3 Pro |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 15,155 | 14,206 | 6.7% higher for M3 Pro |
| OpenCL GPU | 51,093 | 50,302 | 1.6% higher for M3 Pro |
These are the publication’s reported results for one M3 Pro and one chosen M2 Pro, not a controlled laboratory average. They reinforce a pattern of a clearer CPU single-core gain, a smaller multi-core gain and little separation in that particular OpenCL test.
CPU results: single-core and multi-core are different stories
Single-core CPU
The early score of 3,035 and the later score of 3,085 both point to a substantial single-core improvement over the cited M2 Pro comparisons. The later report’s 16.7% figure is tied specifically to 3,085 versus 2,643 in those 16-inch systems; it should not be applied to every M3 Pro configuration or workload.
Rank #2
- Apple M3 Pro 12-Core Processor (Up to 4.05GHz)
- Apple 14 Core GPU
- 18 GB Memory & 512GB SSD
Multi-core CPU
Multi-core gains were smaller. The first report described up to 6% improvement, while the later comparison reported 6.7% from 15,155 versus 14,206. Multi-core performance depends on the exact core mix, software and thermal conditions, so these figures do not establish a fixed advantage for all M3 Pro Macs.
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Why the GPU result looked almost unchanged
In the later report’s OpenCL test, the M3 Pro scored 51,093 and the selected M2 Pro scored 50,302, a reported 1.6% difference. That is one GPU API and one comparison. It does not show that graphics performance is identical in every game, creative application, API or workload, nor does it replace application-specific testing.
Rank #3
- Apple M3 Pro 11-Core Chip 18GB Unified RAM | 512GB SSD
- 14" 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR Screen 14-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.3 Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI | MagSafe 3
- SDXC Slot | FaceTime HD 1080p Camera Backlit Magic Keyboard
- Force Touch Trackpad | Touch ID Sensor macOS
Configuration details that affect comparisons
The later report identified a 12-core M3 Pro layout with six performance cores and six efficiency cores, versus eight performance cores and four efficiency cores in its M2 Pro comparison. It listed memory bandwidth of 150 GB/s for M3 Pro and 200 GB/s for M2 Pro. Those are design-context figures, not a demonstrated explanation for every benchmark result. Core scheduling, workload characteristics and system limits can all affect outcomes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Public Geekbench records show real variation
Individual Geekbench Browser submissions underline why a single headline number is risky:
Rank #4
- SUPERCHARGED BY M3 PRO OR M3 MAX — The Apple M3 Pro chip, with an up to 12-core CPU and up to 18-core GPU, delivers amazing performance for demanding workflows like manipulating gigapixel panoramas or compiling millions of lines of code. M3 Max, with an up to 16-core CPU and up to 40-core GPU, drives extreme performance for the most advanced workflows like rendering intricate 3D content or developing transformer models with billions of parameters.
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Go all day thanks to the power-efficient design of Apple silicon. The MacBook Pro laptop delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in. (Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.)
- BRILLIANT PRO DISPLAY — The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display features Extreme Dynamic Range, over 1000 nits of brightness for stunning HDR content, up to 600 nits of brightness for SDR content, and pro reference modes for doing your best work on the go. (The display has rounded corners at the top. When measured diagonally, the screen is 14.2 inches. Actual viewable area is less.)
- FULLY COMPATIBLE — All your pro apps run lightning fast — including Adobe Creative Cloud, Apple Xcode, Microsoft 365, SideFX Houdini, MathWorks MATLAB, Medivis SurgicalAR, and many of your favorite iPhone and iPad apps. And with macOS, work and play on your Mac are even more powerful. Elevate your presence on video calls. Access information in all-new ways. And discover even more ways to personalize your Mac. (Apps are available on the App Store.)
- ADVANCED CAMERA AND AUDIO — Look sharp and sound great with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a studio-quality three-mic array, and a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.
| System record | Geekbench version | Single-core | Multi-core |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-inch MacBook Pro, 11-core M3 Pro, 18 GB memory | 6.2.1 | 3,147 | 13,986 |
| 16-inch MacBook Pro, 12-core M3 Pro, 36 GB memory | 6.2.2 | 2,988 | 14,931 |
These are individual submissions, not matched samples. The systems differ in screen size, CPU core count, memory and Geekbench version, so they should not be averaged or treated as a controlled M3 Pro baseline.
Quick Recap
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What can you conclude when choosing between M3 Pro and M2 Pro?
- Is the M3 Pro faster? The cited early and hands-on Geekbench comparisons both show higher CPU scores for M3 Pro, especially in single-core work.
- How much faster? The reported figures range from the first report’s “up to” 14% single-core and 6% multi-core to the later comparison’s 16.7% and 6.7%. Those percentages belong to their respective results and comparisons.
- Does it win every workload? The evidence does not establish that. The one OpenCL comparison showed only a 1.6% difference, and no broad repeated workload study or Apple-published test protocol was provided.
- Should you compare by chip name alone? No. Check the MacBook Pro size, exact core count, memory capacity, benchmark version and the application you care about.
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