In a shock transfer, Apple quietly revealed its M2 Pro/M2 Max chips final week, alongside a refreshed 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Professional and Mac mini (2023).
Visually, each units look an identical to their predecessors, which is smart given the MacBook Professional was redesigned again in 2021, and the Mac mini doesn’t actually want a brand new look due to its comparably low-cost and easy design (how far more might you actually do with it?).
The primary questions surrounding each new units are how the M2 Professional and M2 Max chips benchmark in comparison with the M1 Professional/M2 Max, and if Apple’s upgraded chips supply a notable enchancment over the considerably disappointing M2, which was solely a marginal improve over the M1.
Sadly, I wasn’t in a position to get my palms on a MacBook Professional with the M2 Max chip, however with the under M2 Professional benchmarks in thoughts, it’s protected to imagine that it might surpass all current M2 Apple chips and sure come near matching final yr’s M1 Extremely concerning efficiency (I’ll replace this story with M2 Max benchmarks if I’m in a position to put one by way of its paces). I additionally haven’t examined the 16-inch model of the MacBook Professional (2023).
However earlier than diving into the benchmarks, let’s study the delicate {hardware} adjustments the 14-inch MacBook Professional and Mac mini (2023) supply.
14-inch MacBook Professional (2023)
Whereas the general design of Apple’s flagship laptop computer is identical, there are minor {hardware} adjustments beneath the hood with the brand new MacBook Professional.
First off, the MacBook Professional (2023) helps Wi-Fi 6E, an improve over the Wi-Fi 6 the M1 Professional and M1 Max variations supplied. This offers the brand new 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Professional entry to a 6GHz frequency band so long as you’ve a router that helps it (Google’s not too long ago launched Nest Wifi Pro contains Wi-Fi 6E, for instance).
The laptop computer additionally helps Bluetooth 5.3 and, lastly, HDMI 2.1, which may very well be a notable improve if you happen to personal a high-end monitor that gives a refresh price above 60Hz (it’s baffling that the 2021 redesign didn’t already embody HDMI 2.1).
Apple’s MacBook Professional (2021) options an HDMI 2.0 port, which provides output to a single 4K show at 60Hz. You possibly can hit larger refresh charges through a USB-C/Thunderbolt 4-to-display port adapter, regardless of Apple’s claims (that is what I did with my LG UltraGear monitor). Nevertheless, this requires an costly cable slightly than a normal HDMI 2.0 wire.
With the MacBook Professional (2023), now you can use the laptop computer’s built-in HDMI 2.1 port to connect with an 8K show at as much as 60Hz or a 4K show at 240Hz, so long as you’ve a suitable HDMI cable. This makes profiting from the upper refresh price some 4K displays supply extra simple.
Apple additionally claims there’s roughly a 1-hour enchancment concerning battery life with the M2 Professional/M2 Max. I’ve solely spent just a few hours with the laptop computer, so I’ll must take the tech big’s phrase on that estimate, although to Apple’s credit score, its battery life estimates are normally correct.
And at last, each the ‘House Grey’ and ‘Silver’ variations of the MacBook Professional (2023) characteristic a colour-matching braided MagSafe cable, similar to the MacBook Air (2022). This clearly doesn’t enhance the laptop computer’s efficiency, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a cool design change.
Mac mini (2023)
On the Mac mini (2023) aspect, the state of affairs is just about the identical concerning {hardware} upgrades past the brand new M2 or M2 Professional chip (there’s no M2 Max mini, with Apple doubtless conserving that chip for a future Mac Studio improve). The brand new desktop system options Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI 2.1 and Bluetooth 2.1, similar to its 14-inch and 16-inch laptop computer counterparts.
Updates distinctive to the Mac mini (2023) embody an non-compulsory 10GB ethernet port, further RAM (8GB, 16GB or 24GB) and storage choices (512GB, 1TB or 2TB).
It’s additionally price mentioning the marginally cheaper $799 price ticket ($100 cheaper than the M1 Mac mini was) for the entry-level M2 Mac mini is a rarity in Apple’s world, given the corporate sometimes expenses extra money for newer units. If you happen to already personal a mouse, keyboard and monitor, the brand new M2 Mac mini is a fair higher deal now.
The benchmarks
That is doubtless what you clicked on this story for, so let’s get into it.
So far as Geekbench 5 single-core and multi-core energy is anxious, the MacBook Professional (2023)’s M2 Professional 12-core CPU and the Mac mini (2023)’s M2 Professional 10-core CPU carry out properly above the M1 Max 12-core CPU and M1 Max 10-core CPU included within the Mac Studio and Macbook Professional, respectively.
Given the somewhat disappointing benchmarks we noticed with the 13-inch M2 MacBook Professional final yr, I didn’t count on this a lot of a lift and assumed the brand new chip would solely come near matching the M1 Max and never surpass it, so it is a welcome shock.
Subsequent up, we’ve GPU efficiency. These outcomes are barely disappointing but additionally make sense given the M1 Max Mac Studio I benchmarked encompasses a 24-core GPU, and the M1 Max MacBook Professional features a 32-core GPU. Fewer cores in an built-in GPU sometimes equate to decrease efficiency, and that is what we’ve on show right here.
Nonetheless, each units outshine final yr’s 14-core M1 Professional, however not by a large margin. As famous within the chart, Apple’s M1 and M2 chips aren’t suitable with Heaven’s ‘Excessive ‘setting and solely work with ‘Primary,’ skewing these outcomes when in comparison with the Home windows units. All of the Mac comparisons are correct, nonetheless.
Lastly, we’ve Cinebench R23 CPU scores that yield comparable outcomes to Geekbench 5. Each the M1 Max-powered units within the chart are one-upped by the brand new M2 Professional, a powerful feat on Apple’s half. That mentioned, as you possibly can inform from the outcomes, the MacBook Professional and Max mini (2023) don’t benchmark that significantly better.
My fundamental takeaway from these benchmarks is the M2 Professional outperforms the M1 Professional and, in my assessments, even the M1 Max in CPU energy. That mentioned, it lags barely behind the M1 Max in pure GPU energy since each variants I examined supply fewer cores. Which means if, like me, you are presently utilizing an M1 Max-powered MacBook Professional and do quite a lot of GPU-intensive duties (Premiere, Photoshop), the efficiency is so shut between chip generations (with the M1 Max pulled out of the combo), that it is not definitely worth the improve.
That mentioned, in real-world efficiency, I am unsure if I would discover that a lot of a distinction, at the very least with how I take advantage of my MacBook Professional. I’ve solely spent just a few hours with the MacBook Professional (2023) to date and can replace this story if I encounter any notable efficiency points with my day-to-day use.
This could make anybody that paid the additional cash for an M1 Max-powered Apple system in the previous few years really feel somewhat higher about their buy. Nonetheless, it is stunning to see the M2 Professional take down the M1 Max in a number of the above benchmarks.
Apple’s 14-inch M2 MacBook Professional begins at $1,999 for the 10-core CPU/16-core GPU model. On this story, I benchmarked the pricier $2,499 32GB 12-core CPU/19-core GPU iteration. Concerning the Mac mini, the desktop system begins at $599 for the M2 8-core/10-core GPU model. For this story, I benchmarked the 10-core/16-core GPU iteration with 16GB of RAM, which prices $1,299.
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