Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max vs HP Essential 17t-cn300
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
HP Essential 17t-cn300 2024, Core i7-1355U, 64GB, 1TB SSD, Silver
The MacBook Pro M4 Max is for video editors, developers, and creative pros who need serious horsepower and don't blink at a $3,000+ price tag.
Grab the HP Essential if you just need a basic 17-inch machine for web browsing, email, and light office work without spending MacBook money.
Key Differences
- The MacBook's M4 Max scores 43,903 on multi-core benchmarks vs the HP's 13,899, so rendering or compiling that takes the HP an hour takes the Mac around 20 minutes.
- Display quality is night and day: the MacBook hits 1,600 nits brightness with a 3024px resolution, while the HP manages just 250 nits at 1600px, which is rough if you work near a window.
- The HP gives you 1TB of storage and 1 USB-C port, but the MacBook packs 4TB and 3 USB-C ports, plus Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 6.
- Owners of the MacBook Pro M4 Max consistently praise it as a workhorse for heavy photo and video editing, with fast file imports and no real gripes, while the HP's 4.5-star rating comes from just 4 reviews, so there's not much real-world data to go on.
What Buyers Say
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
The MacBook Pro M4 Max is widely praised as a powerful workhorse, handling heavy photo and video editing tasks with ease. Users highlight its smooth performance, fast file processing, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem. Verified buyers consistently note excellent value, especially when opting for the Pro over the Max model, and commend B&H's customer service and shipping process.
Pros
- Powerful performance for heavy tasks
- Smooth handling of photo and video editing
- Fast file import and export
- Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- Excellent value for money
Cons
- No significant drawbacks mentioned
HP Essential 17t-cn300 2024, Core i7-1355U, 64GB, 1TB SSD, Silver
No customer feedback yet
Scores
Specifications
| Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max | HP Essential 17t-cn300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Apple M4 Max★ | Intel Core i7 1355U |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 16★ | 10 |
| Frequency | — | 1.7 GHz★ |
| L3 Cache | — | 12 MB★ |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | Apple (40-Core)★ | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | integrated | integrated |
| VRAM Type | System Shared | Shared |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Generation | LPDDR5★ | DDR4 |
| Storage 1 | 4 TB★ | 1 TB |
| Storage 1 Type | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Display | ||
| Size | 14.2" | 17.3" |
| Resolution | 3024 px★ | 1600 px |
| Panel | Mini-LED★ | — |
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz★ | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 1600 nits★ | 250 nits |
| Color Gamut | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 3★ | 1 |
| USB Ports | — | 2★ |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 5 | — |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI Output | HDMI 1.4b |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E★ | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 1.60 kg★ | 1.75 kg |
| Battery | 72 Wh★ | 41 Wh |
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Pro |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M4 Max 2024, 64GB, 4TB SSD, Silver
- Strong screen (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong storage (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong reliability (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Below average affordability (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
HP Essential 17t-cn300 2024, Core i7-1355U, 64GB, 1TB SSD, Silver
- Strong ram (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong storage (79th percentile)
- Below average portability (7th percentile)7th %ile
- Below average screen (8th percentile)8th %ile
- Below average affordability (33rd percentile)
- Below average reliability (33rd percentile)
Verdict
Scores 99 overall, wins 8 of 8 usage categories and 15 of 28 specs.