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Apple M3 Pro 12 Core
Apple · CPU

Apple M3 Pro 12 Core — Benchmarks & Specs

Short answer: the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core generates 62.0 tokens/sec on llama3.1:8b (q4_K_M) under ollama in a single cited run, per LLMCheck; there are too few comparable runs on file for a median.

Bottom line: how fast is the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core?

For local LLM inference it generates 62.0 tokens/sec running llama3.1:8b at q4_K_M under ollama, per LLMCheck. In PassMark CPU Mark it scores 23,984–24,014 points, across two PassMark results (PassMark CPU benchmark listing, PassMark CPU benchmark listing). Across all its cores it scores 15,106 points in Cinebench R23 multi, per Notebookcheck.

Every figure above is a row in the tables below, and each row links out to the review or public benchmark database the number was taken from. SpecPicks aggregates published measurements; it does not report first-party benchmark runs.

The Apple M3 Pro 12 Core is a processor from Apple. Data on this page draws on 9 synthetic benchmark results, 4 community AI inference reports, compiled from Notebookcheck, LLMCheck, Geekbench Browser, llama.cpp GitHub Discussion #4167, PassMark; each table row links to its source. Read this page when shopping the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core, comparing it against other processors in your build, or sizing it for a specific workload (synthetic benchmark scores or local LLM inference).

AI Inference Performance

Tokens per second under each model + quantization. Higher = faster generation. Bars compare runs across the same model.

Local LLM inference throughput on the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core, in generated tokens per second for a single request (one user's generation speed). Higher is better; each row links to the community report or benchmark database it came from.
Model Quantization Relative Tokens/sec VRAM used Source
gemma3:4b q4_K_M ollama 88.0 tok/s — LLMCheck retrieved 2026-08-04
llama3.1:8b q4_K_M ollama 62.0 tok/s — LLMCheck retrieved 2026-08-04
llama-2:7b q4_0 llama.cpp 30.6 tok/s — llama.cpp GitHub Discussion #4167 2023-11-25
llama-2:7b q8_0 llama.cpp 17.4 tok/s — llama.cpp GitHub Discussion #4167 2023-11-25

Synthetic Benchmarks

Higher is better. Bars are scaled within each benchmark family (multi-thread, single-thread, etc.) so you can compare like-with-like at a glance.

Synthetic benchmark scores for the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core — higher is better. Each row links to the public database the number was taken from. A benchmark listed more than once is separate published results, shown as published rather than averaged.
Benchmark Relative Score Source
PassMark CPU Mark 24,014 points PassMark retrieved 2026-07-02
PassMark CPU Mark 23,984 points PassMark Software retrieved 2026-06-02
Geekbench 6 multi 15,480 points Notebookcheck retrieved 2026-09-05
Geekbench 6 multi 15,254 points Geekbench Browser retrieved 2026-06-02
Cinebench R23 multi 15,106 points Notebookcheck 2023-11-24
PassMark CPU Mark single thread 4,246 points PassMark Software retrieved 2026-09-05
Geekbench 6 single 3,138 points Notebookcheck retrieved 2026-09-05
Geekbench 6 single 3,105 points Geekbench Browser retrieved 2026-06-02
Cinebench R23 single 1,977 points Notebookcheck 2023-11-24

Apple M3 Pro 12 Core — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core best used for?
Apple M3 Pro 12 Core is a processor. Mainstream desktops and gaming builds are the typical workloads.
Where do the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core benchmark numbers come from?
Each benchmark row on this page names its source (public benchmark databases such as TechPowerUp, PassMark, Geekbench and Cinebench, and community reports such as r/LocalLLaMA threads) and links to it, so every number can be checked against the original.
How many cores does the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core have, and how does it benchmark?
Core and thread counts for Apple M3 Pro 12 Core aren't on file. Synthetic benchmark results (PassMark CPU Mark, Cinebench, Geekbench) are in the Synthetic Benchmarks section.
Where can I buy the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core?
No verified listing for this exact part is on file yet. The Compare tool and the /benchmarks index cover adjacent parts that are in stock.

Buying guides that rank the Apple M3 Pro 12 Core's class

This page is the raw performance data. The guides below turn it into a ranked pick for a specific build.

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