Apple today unveiled the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips alongside refreshed MacBook Pro and Mac mini models.
The M2 Pro chip is built using a second-generation five-nanometer process and offers 20 percent more transistors than the M1 Pro and double the amount in the M2 chip. Multithreaded CPU performance is up to 20 percent faster than that of the M1 Pro, and Apple says some apps like Photoshop and Xcode can run heavy workloads substantially faster. It also offers 200GB/s of unified memory bandwidth and up to 32GB of memory like its predecessor.
The M2 Pro's GPU can be configured with up to 19 graphics cores – three more than in the M1 Pro – and it includes a larger L2 cache. As a result, graphics are up to 30 percent faster than with M1 Pro.
The M2 Max chip features the same 12-core CPU as the M2 Pro, but offers a more powerful GPU with up to 38 cores and a larger L2 cache. The chip offers graphics speeds up to 30 percent faster than the M1 Max. M2 Max also contains 10 billion more transistors than the M1 Max and can be configured with up to 96GB of unified memory. Apple says that the M2 Max is the world's most powerful and efficient chip for a pro laptop.
The chips are also more power efficient and enable better battery life on the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Both chips include Apple's next-generation 16-core Neural Engine, dedicated media engines, next-generation image signal processor for improved noise reduction and better camera quality, and next-generation Secure Enclave.
