The M4 running in Apple’s latest 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models is available in a 9-core and 10-core CPU option. We did a report about the top-end version’s performance, and we were thoroughly impressed as it ran circles around the M2 and M3 and maintained a solid lead against the M3 Pro and Snapdragon X Elite. However, how well does the base variant perform, which has one performance core less than the top-tier version? In the latest benchmark, we find that there is little difference between them, but there will always be consumers who want the latest and greatest.
M4 with a 9-core CPU continues to remain unbeaten in the single-core department, with multi-core results only two percent slower than the 10-core version
An iPad Pro with the designation iPad 16,4 was benchmarked on Geekbench 6, obtaining a single-core and multi-core score of 3,630 and 13,060, respectively. The CPU cluster of the 9-core M4 is ‘3 + 6,’ meaning that it has one performance core less than the ‘4 + 6’ version. Typically, this difference would result in a stark variation in multi-core scores, but surprisingly, that is not the case here. The scores of the 10-core version are 3,767 and 14,677.
In short, both chipsets share a measly two percent performance difference in the multi-core run, suggesting that potential buyers of the iPad Pro will be more than happy to pick up the base versions and save some money in the process. However, Apple has another plan up its sleeve that may psychologically tease the consumer into paying more money. For instance, you cannot pair the 10-core CPU version of the M4 with the iPad Pro’s 8GB unified RAM option, as you have to pay more money to get the 16GB RAM variant.
This can only happen if you opt for the higher internal memory versions with 1TB and 2TB of storage. With a starting price of $999, Apple’s latest iPad Pro models are a little on the high side, and if you want the M4’s extra performance core, you have to spend a bare minimum of at least $1,599 for the Wi-Fi-only version. It is unlikely that users will witness any real-world benefits to using the 10-core CPU version of the M4, so our advice is to save a little money, sacrifice one-tenth of the performance, and get the 9-core option for less money.
News Source: Geekbench 6
