Since 2020, Apple has released four generations of its own silicon — M1, M2, M3 and M4 — and each is available in standard, Pro and Max versions. On the refurbished market they now sit side by side, which raises the obvious question: which one should you actually buy? Here is a plain-English comparison to help you get the most performance for your money.
M1 — the value champion
The chip that started it all is still remarkably capable. An M1 MacBook Air or Pro breezes through browsing, office apps, coding, photo editing and everyday multitasking, and it is silent and cool. On the refurbished market the M1 offers the lowest price for genuine Apple-silicon performance — ideal for students, everyday professionals and anyone on a tight budget.
M2 — the sweet spot
The M2 improved CPU and GPU performance and raised memory ceilings. In practice it feels a little snappier than M1 under load and handles light creative and data work more comfortably. A refurbished M2 Air with 16GB is arguably the best all-round value MacBook you can buy today — modern, efficient and affordable.
M3 — a real GPU and efficiency step
Built on a newer process, the M3 brought a more capable GPU (with features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing) and better efficiency. If you do more sustained creative work — video, photography, larger codebases — the M3 pulls ahead while keeping excellent battery life.
M4 — the latest and fastest
The M4 is Apple's newest generation, with higher core counts and the strongest performance and efficiency of the four. If you want the closest thing to current-generation power at a refurbished price, and you run demanding workloads, the M4 is the pick — though it commands the highest price of the group.
Standard vs Pro vs Max
Within each generation, the standard chip (in the Air and base Pro) is perfect for everyday and light-creative use. Pro chips add CPU and GPU cores plus much higher memory bandwidth — noticeable in video editing, development and data work. Max chips are for the heaviest professional workloads: high-resolution video, 3D and large local models. Read the exact core counts on each product page before you buy, since configurations vary.
So which is the best value?
Tightest budget: M1 — still excellent for daily work.
Best all-round value: M2 — modern and affordable.
For creators: M3 — a real GPU and efficiency step.
For power users who want the latest: M4.
Remember that memory and storage often matter more to your day-to-day experience than the chip generation. A well-specced M1 with 16GB will feel faster for real work than a base M3 with 8GB.
Compare and decide
You can compare our MacBook models side by side — chip, cores, memory, storage and price — and book a free consultation if you would like us to recommend the best value for your budget. Every device is quality-checked across 35 points and comes with a GST invoice and a 6-month warranty.