When it unveiled the first M1 chip in December 2020, Apple predicted that the transition of Macs to the new architecture would take about two years. Just eighteen months after that announcement, however, the launch of the M2 processor during the WWDC 2022 keynote has already marked the first major turning point.
It is good to specify immediately what the M2 represents. Despite the number in the abbreviation, the M2 is no more powerful than the M1 Pro, Max and Ultra (as nobody expected). The new chip is instead as expected the new basic iteration of Apple branded processors, on which the company will build any M2 Pro, M2 Max and M2 Ultra over the next year and a half.
New processes
Compared to M1, the new chip is built with new generation 5nm processes that have allowed Apple to increase the number of transistors to 20 billion, compared to the 16 billion of the predecessor. M2 still improves the already excellent thermal performance of the previous model in terms of “performance per watt” of energy consumed.
The result, according to Apple’s official benchmarks, is an 18% increase in CPU performance, 35% GPU performance and 40% computational performance of the Neural Engine, the portion of the processor dedicated to learning calculations. automatic and artificial intelligence.
The 8-core CPU
In the CPU the number of base cores is 8 (in the case of the M1 there was also a 7-core base version on the less expensive MacBook Air), but these are new generation units: the so-called performance cores have a larger cache, while the “efficiency” cores, ie those designed for basic computer operations that do not require too much power, have been optimized to consume even less. The performance gains will particularly be felt on multi-threaded operations, such as audio editing in Logic Pro X with many effects and tools open at the same time.
La GPU
Even the GPU of the M2 has been completely rethought, and now it can be configured in two modes with 8 or 10 cores. The cache is larger and the performance gains even more noticeable. With the same core and energy performance, the M2 GPU is 25% more powerful than that of the M1. At maximum revs and with 10-cores active, however, a jump of 35% is reached.
Whether these percentages will translate into a significant advantage in the daily use of Macs is to be seen: for sure in the case of the GPU you will notice a leap forward especially in video editing and games, as suggested by the preview of Resident Evil. included in the WWDC keynote.
Great for video makers
The real difference for those involved in video editing, however, is the implementation in the chip of a new generation of “media engine”, with a portion of the processor intended for hardware acceleration of Apple’s ProRes codec for ultra-smooth playback and rendering. of videos in 4k and 8k. Also renewed the Neural Engine, which on M2 can process up to 15,800 billion (“15.8 trillion”) of operations per second, the secure enclave to encrypt sensitive information and the ISP for image processing, which has improved the reduction of noise.
The icing on the cake that holds it all together is the implementation of a new memory controller that comes to provide a bandwidth of 100GB / s for unified memory (+ 50% compared to M1), which can now be taken up to 24GB. maximum (against the maximum 16GB of the M1). It is perhaps the most impressive detail of the new chip, considering that such a band is certainly not seen on chips of the band for which the M2 is intended. It is also a great reference for making a comparison with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which instead have a memory bandwidth of 200GB / s (roughly) and 400GB / s respectively.
Apple M2: for whom it is meant
As with all Apple chips, it is impossible to think of the new M2 except in relation to the hardware it was designed for. This is because in the choice of the features that will end up on the chip, Apple engineers already think in terms of the Mac (and the iPad) on which they will end up. In the case of the M2, the intended use is the same as that of the M1, i.e. entry-level and mid-range computers. To launch the M1, Apple presented a triad of Macs consisting of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini. The new M2 still arrives on the MacBook Pro, which otherwise remains the same Mac compared to its predecessor, and on a new MacBook Air with a completely new design that is inspired by that – rounded and less angular – of the high-end MacBook Pros.
In the case of the two new computers equipped with the M2 chip, as was the case with the M1, the difference is not in any way the chip, since it is exactly the same. The MacBook Pro, again, has a different thermal profile thanks to the presence of the fans and can keep the chip at high rpm for longer. Therefore, those who have to make video rendering or very long exports could be better off with the MacBook Pro. The other difference, instead, is the battery size: on the MacBook Pro it is larger and lasts longer.
Interestingly, much of the considerations we had set out in our 2022 Mac Buying Guide remain valid, with due distinction, even after the M2 launch.
There is only one addition to do, linked to the permanence in the price list of the old MacBook Air M1, which can now be purchased only in the configuration with a 7-core CPU and costs less. It is the perfect entry level Mac for students and anyone who wants to use the computer for writing or office work. Despite the appeal of the new MacBook Air with M2 chips – thinner, better screen and more performing – we are sure that Apple will still sell plenty of them.
Only one external monitor
Finally, there is a fundamental difference to be taken into account between the MacBook Air / Pro with M2 and the Macs equipped with M1 Pro and Max of the professional range. Like the M1, the new chip also supports a maximum of one external display with resolution up to 6K. Nothing to do, in short, for those who hoped that the M2 would also introduce support for multiple monitors at the same time on low-end Macs. The reason for this choice is to be found precisely in the Mac models to which the new chip was intended. According to Apple, users who will buy a new generation MacBook Air or a mid-range MacBook Pro do not usually use external monitors or at most are satisfied with only one display.