Apple last week released an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and is the first Mac to be equipped with an upgraded M2 chip. Since it uses a new chip, we thought we would pick up the MacBook Pro M2 and compare it to the previous generation MacBook Pro M1 to see what’s new.
For video comparison, we’re using the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 input with 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD, and we’re comparing it to the 13-inch MacBook Pro M1 input with 8GB of unified memory and a 256 GB SSD. , therefore, this is a direct comparison between the new machine and its predecessor.
In terms of design, there are no differences because Apple kept the chassis and internal components the same, with the upgrade limited to internal chips. The bezels are the same, the MacBook Pro still has a touch bar and still uses USB-C without a MagSafe port.
The MacBook Pro’s M2 chip includes an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB of unified memory, while the M1 included an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, and up to 16 GB unified. memory. As a side note, even though the base machine ships with 8GB, it’s almost always a good idea to go up to at least 16GB to improve performance.
In terms of CPU performance, M2 exceeds M1. Although there is still an 8-core CPU, single-core Geekbench speeds are up to 12 percent faster than M1, while multi-core scores can be up to 20 percent faster. high. In our own tests, we saw more varied results with an eight percent improvement in single-core performance and a 12 percent improvement in multi-core performance.
In terms of GPU performance, the M2 is much faster than the M1 because it has two additional cores. Geekbench Metal scores were 35 percent better with M2, and 3DMARK frame rate benchmarks saw M2 gain 40 fps while M1 gained 29 fps.
In real-world usage, the video export times were roughly the same for a basic timeline, with improvements to the M2 by adding more effects and plugins.
There has been some controversy over the 256GB SSD on the MacBook Pro, which has been seeing slower speeds in Blackmagic disk speed tests. Apple used a single 256GB NAND flash storage chip for the M2 MacBook Pro, while the M1 model had two NAND chips probably 128 GB each. Multiple NAND chips allow faster speeds in parallel, meaning the MacBook Pro M1’s 256GB SSD significantly outperforms the MacBook Pro M2’s 256GB SSD. Note that this is a problem limited to 256 GB models, as 512 GB models do not have the same problem.
On machines with only 8GB of memory, the SSD is used for virtual memory when needed, and a slow SSD can mean slow overall performance speeds, something to keep in mind. We did some real-world testing by transferring large files and saw faster speeds on M2, but other performance tests on YouTube channels like Max Tech have had different results and seen performance successes on M2 compared to M1.
To avoid potentially disappointing performance, it’s probably best to upgrade the SSD to 512GB if you get the M2 MacBook Pro, and picking up more memory is also a good idea because it can’t be upgraded later. With the controversial base model, those considering the machine may also want to simply wait for the M2 MacBook Air, which will launch in July.
For our full comparison of the M1 MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Pro, be sure to watch our video above. Do you have a M2 MacBook Pro? Let us know what you think in the comments.