MacBook Professional comparability: M2 Professional/Max vs M1 Professional/Max

Apple’s newest MacBook Professional laptops are powered by the brand new M2 Professional and M2 Max customized silicon. Together with a extra highly effective CPU and GPU, the MacBook Professional machines help as much as 96GB RAM, Wi-Fi 6E, 8K output through HDMI, and extra. Learn on for our in-depth M2 Professional/Max MacBook Professional comparability for the way all the pieces stacks up in opposition to its predecessor.

Apple overhauled its MacBook Professional laptops in late 2021 with the M1 Professional and M1 Max chips. That introduced RAM as much as 64GB, CPUs with as much as 10 cores, and GPUs with as much as 32 cores. Different additions have been a 1080p webcam, Liquid Retina XDR Show with mini-LED backlighting, an up to date I/O array with HDMI, SD, and MagSafe returning.

Then the M2 Professional and M2 Max MacBook Professional machines arrived in early 2023 with elevated efficiency, higher battery life, as much as 96GB RAM, 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 8K HDMI, Wi-Fi 6E, and extra.

Notice – the 13″ MacBook Professional up to date with the M2 chip in 2022 is most similar to the M2 MacBook Air fairly than these MacBook Professional machines.

We’ve additionally acquired a comparability should you’re on the fence between the Air and Professional:

Let’s get into all of the variations between the M2 Professional/Max MacBook Professional and the M1 variations!

MacBook Professional comparability: M2 Professional/Max vs M1 Professional/Max

CPU, GPU, reminiscence, neural engine

Apple says the M2 Professional offers 20% sooner CPU and 30% sooner GPU efficiency than the M1 Professional. And the M2 Professional neural engine has seen a 40% velocity improve over its predecessor.

You’ve additionally acquired as much as 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU with the M2 Professional.

For the M2 Max, Apple says the identical 20, 30, and 40% efficiency enhancements apply when in comparison with the M1 Max for CPU, GPU, and neural engine.

The M2 Max now helps as much as 96GB of unified reminiscence, 12-core CPU, and as much as 38-core GPU.

The general transistor rely has gone from 33.7 billion on the M1 Professional to 40 billion on the M2 Professional and from 57 billion on the M1 Max to over 67 billion on the M2 Max.

Like their predecessors, each the M2 Professional and M2 Max characteristic devoted media engines to supply hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW help.

Apple says the brand new media engine has “twice the ProRes help to dramatically speed up media playback and transcoding.” The brand new M2 Max chip continues to incorporate two video encode engines like Apple did with the M1 Max.

Show

A significant development for the 2021 MacBook Professional notebooks was the Liquid Retina XDR Show. It options double the sustained brightness through mini-LED backlighting, ProMotion with as much as 120Hz refresh charges, an elevated decision/pixel per inch density, and tremendously decreased bezels.

The M2 MacBook Professional machines characteristic the identical show with equivalent specs.

The newest MacBook Professionals include a notch on the prime heart of the show for the 1080p FaceTime digicam similar to the 2021 fashions.

Sadly, Face ID has not arrived with the M2 MacBook Professional machines.

MacBook Professional I/O

The M2 MacBook Professional options nearly all the identical ports with the identical format because the M1 MacBook Professional. That features an HDMI port, SDXC card reader, and MagSafe (formally known as MagSafe 3). There are additionally 3 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4 ports.

However M2 Professional and M2 Max do take exterior show help a bit additional with an improve from the HDMI 2.0 to 2.1 port that helps as much as 8K output at 60Hz. That additionally permits for multichannel audio output.

Two extra upgrades embrace Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Correction: The chart beneath for the exterior show row was up to date to replicate correct particulars.

Measurement and weight

Bodily dimensions are the identical between the 2023 and 2021 MacBook Professional laptops. And Apple continues to be making the computer systems in two finishes: silver and area grey.

Right here’s the total breakdown of dimension and weight:

Battery life

Battery life was spectacular with the M1 MacBook Professional machines and Apple was capable of prolong that even additional with the M2 MacBook Professional fashions.

Each the 14 and 16″ M2 MacBook Professional laptops characteristic 1 hour longer battery life for video playback and wi-fi net use as in contrast with their predecessors.

Which means as much as 22 hours of video use for the 16″ M2 MacBook Professional and 18 hours of video playback for the 14″ M2 MacBook Professional.

Just like the 2021 MacBook Professional fashions, the present MacBook Professional machines can quick cost which supplies as much as 50% battery in simply half-hour.

Worth

Costs for the bottom and middle-level commonplace configurations from Apple stay the identical. Nevertheless, customized builds with as much as 96GB RAM and barely completely different GPU core selections imply the M2 MacBook Professional machines can value as much as $6,499.

M2 MacBook Professional comparability wrap-up

The M2 Professional and M2 Max MacBook Professional laptops definitely provide some notable upgrades, however naturally, they aren’t as spectacular because the leap from Apple’s Intel MacBook Professional to M1 Professional/Max fashions have been.

In the event you’re a inventive professional or different skilled who wants the newest and biggest from Apple, the improve could also be value it. The most recent MacBook Professionals may also be nice for many who are coming from an Intel MacBook.

Nevertheless, for anybody who already has an M1 Professional/Max MacBook Professional and/or doesn’t have workflows that necessitate absolutely the quickest efficiency, passing on these releases might take advantage of sense.

For these on the fence about which M2 MacBook Professional specs to go together with, keep in mind you can get the identical 10 or 12-core processor with the M2 Professional and M2 Max. The massive distinction you’re paying for is the additional GPU energy together with the extra succesful media engine and elevated exterior show help with the M2 Max chip builds.

With regards to RAM (unified reminiscence), if in case you have medium to heavy workflows and/or plan to maintain your new MacBook Professional for some years, going with 32GB or extra will doubtless be definitely worth the $400+ improve.

You will discover the brand new MacBook Professional at Apple, Amazon, Finest Purchase, and extra.

Thanks for testing our MacBook Professional comparability!