![]() ![]() ![]() So what about the differences between the M1 and M2 series of processors? The M2s are faster, yes. The M2 Max also has an extra video encode engine, and an extra ProRes video decode/encode engine.Īll told, what this means is that the M2 Max is the choice for you if you are performing work that requires a large amount of graphics power or enormous amounts of memory (and memory bandwidth). The M2 Pro is limited to 32 GB RAM, and its memory bandwidth is half of the Max, at 200 GB per second. The M2 Max can have as many as 38 graphics cores and maxes out at 96 GB of RAM with 400 GB per second memory bandwidth. ![]() Since you’ve got the choice of an M2 Pro or M2 Max processor on these laptops, it’s worth detailing the differences between them: memory and graphics. Even maxing out the CPU cores failed to make a peep. (And I mean that-I ran Cinebench on a loop for ten minutes and didn’t see any degradation in performance.)įor those who are sensitive to fan noise, I am happy to report that I couldn’t make the MacBook Pro’s fans audible unless I deliberately stressed out the GPU cores. They will warm up, however, at which point the MacBook Pro’s cooling system will kick in to keep them running at peak performance. These are incredibly fast laptops, and they don’t slow down when they’re running on battery power. Similarly, this MacBook Pro’s 38-core GPU posted a Geekbench Metal score 2.8 times higher than the 8-core GPU in my M2 MacBook Air.īack in 2021, I referred to the M1 Pro and Max versions of the MacBook Pro as providing the power of a Mac Pro in your backpack, and as you might expect, the M2 generation provides even more of that. The 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 I tested 1, which has the 12-core (eight performance cores) M2 Max chip, was roughly 1.6 times the speed of the eight-core (four performance cores) M2 chip in the M2 MacBook Air or 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. (Efficiency cores are not going to get you fast scores on computer benchmark tests, but they’re great in saving power when your computer’s not working hard.) And that speed scales somewhat linearly (albeit with diminishing returns) based on the number of performance cores. (Witness their nearly identical single-core Geekbench scores.) The speed gains from higher-end chips are largely because there are more cores doing the work. It’s important to note that each individual M2 core, both CPU and GPU varieties, are essentially identical. The M2 Max comes standard with 30 cores and is also available in a 38-core configuration. ![]() The M2 Pro starts at 16 cores but is also available in a configuration with 19 cores. When it comes to GPU cores, the M2 has eight or 10. The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro has six performance cores, while on all other models, the M2 Pro or M2 Max chips have eight performance cores. The M2 is an eight-core chip with four high-speed “performance” CPU cores and four lower-speed “efficiency” CPU cores. The laptops are available in both M2 Pro and M2 Max configurations, and those chips differ from the base M2 model in a few ways. Looking beyond these particular trees to see the whole forest, the new MacBook Pro models are also the first Macs to be powered by high-end versions of the M2, Apple’s second-generation Mac-specific system-on-a-chip. But how you view these laptops will depend on who you are, where you’re coming from, and what you’re looking for. I’ve been able to spend nearly a week with a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Max processor, and it’s been a great experience. From their bright HDR displays to an array of ports and slots, they’ve got functionality that separates them from the lower end of Apple’s laptop line. Of course, what makes the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops appealing goes beyond the processor running inside them. The new M2 Pro and Max processors are an incremental improvement over their predecessors but an enormous one over all Intel-based models. The M2 MacBook Pro is the product of Apple’s repentance from its confused mid-2010 laptop designs and offers all the benefits of running on Apple’s own processors. If you’ve seen an M1 MacBook Pro, you know what the M2 MacBook Pro looks like.īut when it comes to professional workhorse computers, novelty can be overrated. Yes, it’s powered by a new generation of Apple silicon, but it’s very much the same laptop that was updated for the Apple silicon era in 2021. Here’s what the new M2 MacBook Pro is not: new. 2023 MacBook Pro Review: More of the same, in a good way ![]()
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