Okay, so I’ve been itching to compare these two chips for a while now, the Apple M4 Pro and the Intel Ultra 7 155H. I finally got my hands on both, so I jumped right in!
Getting Started
First things first, I unboxed both laptops. The one with the M4 Pro, obviously a MacBook Pro, felt super sleek as usual. The other, a brand-spanking-new Windows laptop, was pretty nice too, a solid build.
Then, I powered them both on. The MacBook booted up in a flash, as expected. The Windows machine took a tad longer, you know, with all the usual setup stuff.
The Real Test Begins
I installed a bunch of my go-to apps on both machines: my favorite code editor, a video editing program, and a couple of games (gotta have some fun, right?). Installation was smooth on both, no hiccups there.
- Coding: I opened up a fairly large project I’ve been working on. The M4 Pro felt incredibly snappy, compiling code like it was nothing. The Ultra 7 155H was no slouch either, but I could definitely feel a slight difference, especially with bigger files.
- Video Editing: This is where I thought the M4 Pro would really shine, and I wasn’t wrong. Scrubbing through 4K footage was buttery smooth. The Ultra 7 155H handled it pretty well, but I did notice a few dropped frames here and there when I added a bunch of effects.
- Gaming: Okay, I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do like to unwind with a few rounds of my favorite strategy game. Both laptops ran the game fine, but the M4 Pro consistently had slightly higher frame rates and smoother visuals, especially at higher settings.
My Everyday Workflow
After the specific tests, I used both laptops for my daily routine for a few days. This included browsing the web, writing emails, attending video calls, and working on some documents and spreadsheets. Honestly, for these kinds of tasks, both chips performed perfectly fine. I didn’t really notice a significant difference in my day-to-day use.
The Verdict (For Now)
So, after spending some quality time with both, here’s my take: the M4 Pro feels noticeably faster and smoother for demanding tasks like video editing and coding with very large projects. The Ultra 7 155H is a very capable chip, and for everyday stuff, it’s more than enough. It’s a tough call, and it really depends on what you’ll be using your laptop for the most.
I plan to keep using both and I want to see which fit me best. I’ll probably do a follow-up after a few weeks with some more long-term thoughts!