Apple has launched its next-generation MacBook Pro laptops powered by the brand new M2 Professional and M2 Max customized silicon. Together with a extra highly effective CPU and GPU, the brand new MacBook Professional machines help as much as 96GB RAM, Wi-Fi 6E, 8K output by way of HDMI, and extra. Learn on for our in-depth M2 Professional/Max MacBook Professional comparability for a way all the pieces stacks up in opposition to its predecessors.
Desk of contents
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 had 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.
Now the M2 Professional and M2 Max MacBook Professional machines have arrived 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 akin to the M2 MacBook Air somewhat than these MacBook Professional machines.
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
| M2 MacBook Professional (2023) | M1 MacBook Professional (2021) | |
| Processor | M2 Professional or M2 Max – 10 or 12-core | M1 Professional or M1 Max – 8 or 10-core |
| Storage | As much as 8TB | As much as 8TB |
| RAM | 16 to 96GB | 16 to 64GB |
| Graphics | As much as 38-core | As much as 32-core |
| Neural engine | 16-core | 16-core |
| FaceTime digital camera | 1080p | 1080p |
| Audio system | 6-speaker high-fidelity | 6-speaker high-fidelity |
| Mics | Studio-quality 3-mic array | Studio-quality 3-mic array |
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 enhance 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 function 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.” Curiously, Apple doesn’t embody two video encode engines on the brand new M2 Max chip prefer it 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 by way of mini-LED backlighting, ProMotion with up to 120Hz refresh charges, an elevated decision/pixel per inch density, and enormously lowered bezels.
The M2 MacBook Professional machines function the identical show with similar specs.
| 14″ M2 MacBook Professional | 14″ M1 MacBook Professional | 16″ M2 MacBook Professional | 16″ M1 MacBook Professional | |
| Precise display measurement | 14.2″ | 14.2″ | 16.2″ | 16.2″ |
| Decision | 3024 x 1964 | 3024 x 1964 | 3456 x 2234 | 3456 x 2234 |
| Facet Ratio | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch | 16:10 + notch |
| PPI | 254 | 254 | 254 | 254 |
| Nits (brightness) | XDR: 1000 sustained, as much as 1600 peak; SDR 500 | XDR: 1000 sustained, as much as 1600 peak; SDR 500 | XDR: 1000 sustained, as much as 1600 peak; SDR 500 | XDR: 1000 sustained, as much as 1600 peak; SDR 500 |
| Liquid Retina XDR show | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion (as much as 120Hz) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| mini-LED backlit | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| P3 broad coloration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The new MacBook Pros include a notch on the prime heart of the show for the 1080p FaceTime digital camera 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 embody Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
| 14″ M2 MacBook | 14″ M1 MacBook Professional | 16″ M2 MacBook Professional | 16″ M1 MacBook Professional | |
| Magic Keyboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Contact ID | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| USB-C/Thunderbolt ports | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| HDMI | ✅ 2.1 | ✅ 2.0 | ✅ 2.1 | ✅ 2.0 |
| SDXC card reader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| MagSafe charging | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax) |
| Exterior show help | M2 Professional: As much as 3 exterior shows at 6K/60Hz, 1 exterior show at 8K/60Hz, or 1 show at 4K/240Hz over HDMI
M2 Max: As much as 4 exterior shows, 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz or 3 complete with 2 at 6K/60Hz and 1 exterior show at 8K/60Hz or 1 show at 4K decision at 240Hz over HDMI |
M1 Professional: As much as 3 exterior shows, 2 at 6K/60Hz, 1 at 4K/60Hz
M1 Max: As much as 4 exterior shows with 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 show as much as 4K/60Hz |
M2 Professional: As much as 3 exterior shows at 6K/60Hz, 1 exterior show at 8K/60Hz, or 1 show at 4K/240Hz over HDMI
M2 Max: As much as 4 exterior shows, 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 at 4K/60Hz or 3 complete with 2 at 6K/60Hz and 1 exterior show at 8K/60Hz or 1 show at 4K decision at 240Hz over HDMI |
M1 Professional: As much as 3 exterior shows, 2 at 6K/60Hz, 1 at 4K/60Hz
M1 Max: As much as 4 exterior shows with 3 at 6K/60Hz and 1 show as much as 4K/60Hz |
Measurement and weight
Bodily dimensions are the identical between the 2023 and 2021 MacBook Professional laptops. And Apple remains to be making the computer systems in two finishes: silver and area grey.
Right here’s the total breakdown of measurement and weight:
| 14″ M2 MacBook Professional | 14″ M1 MacBook Professional | 16″ M2 MacBook Professional | 16″ M1 MacBook Professional | |
| Weight | 3.5 kilos (1.6 kg) | 3.5 kilos (1.6 kg) | 4.7 kilos (2.1 kg) | 4.7 kilos (2.1 kg) |
| Thickness | 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) | 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) | 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) | 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) |
| Width | 12.31 inches (31.26 cm) | 12.31 inches (31.26 cm) | 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) | 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) |
| Depth | 8.71 inches (22.12 cm) | 8.71 inches (22.12 cm) | 9.77 inches (24.81 cm) | 9.77 inches (24.81 cm) |
| Show measurement | 14.2 inches | 14.2 inches | 16.2 inches | 16.2 inches |
| Finishes | Silver or area grey | Silver or area grey | Silver or area grey | Silver or area grey |
Battery life
Battery life was spectacular with the M1 MacBook Professional machines and Apple was in a position to prolong that even additional with the M2 MacBook Professional fashions.
Each the 14 and 16″ M2 MacBook Professional laptops function 1 hour longer battery life for video playback and wi-fi internet 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.
| | 14″ M2 MacBook Professional | 14″ M1 MacBook Professional | 16″ M2 MacBook Professional | 16″ M1 MacBook Professional |
| Wi-fi internet battery | 12 hours | 11 hours | 15 hours | 14 hours |
| Video playback | 18 hours | 17 hours | 22 hours | 21 hours |
| Included energy adapter | 67W or 96W USB-C + MagSafe | 67W or 96W USB-C + MagSafe | 140W USB-C + MagSafe | 140W USB-C + MagSafe |
| Battery capability | 70Wh | 70Wh | 100Wh | 100Wh |
| Quick charging | ✅ (with 96W) | ✅ (with 96W) | ✅ | ✅ |
Just like the 2021 MacBook Professional fashions, the brand new MacBook Professional machines can quick cost which provides 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 totally different GPU core decisions imply the M2 MacBook Professional machines can value as much as $6,499.
| Mannequin/worth | 14″ M2 MacBook Professional | 14″ M1 MacBook Professional | 16″ M2 MacBook Professional | 16″ M1 MacBook Professional |
| 512 / 16GB | $1,999 | $1,999 | $2,499 | $2,499 |
| 1TB / 16GB | $2,499 | $2,499 | $2,699 | $2,699 |
| 1TB / 32GB | $3,099 | $2,899 | $3,499 | $3,499 |
| Customized builds | As much as $6,299 | As much as $5,899 | As much as $6,499 | As much as $6,099 |
M2 MacBook Professional comparability wrap-up
The M2 Professional and M2 Max MacBook Professional laptops definitely supply some notable upgrades, however naturally, they aren’t as spectacular because the bounce from Apple’s Intel MacBook Professional to M1 Professional/Max fashions had been.
If you happen to’re a inventive professional or different skilled who wants the most recent and biggest from Apple, the improve could also be price it. The brand new MacBook Professionals will even 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 new releases might take advantage of sense.
For these on the fence about which M2 MacBook Professional specs to go together with, keep in mind that you could 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.
In relation 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 possible be well worth the $400+ improve.
Preorders are open now for the M2 MacBook Professional laptops direct from Apple.
Thanks for testing our MacBook Professional comparability!
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