Apple proudly launched the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips this week. These are in both the new Mac mini and MacBook Pro. Are the chips really such a huge step? Here five things you need to know.
That Apple’s M2 chip is already hugely impressive is no surprise to anyone. So we’ll get to work on the successors soon. Here are some handy facts about these new all-rounders.
Apple goes full steam ahead again with the M2 Pro and M2 Max
So the M2 Pro and Max are quite a leap from the previous generation. Here are a few points that show this.
#1 A lot of bandwidth for memory
The new M2 Pro and Max chips have the same memory bandwidth as their predecessor, which is already one of the highest in the industry anyway. Like the M1 Pro, the M2 Pro chip supports up to 200GB/s of bandwidth, while the M2 Max supports 400GB/s, just like the M1 Max.
#2 Longer battery life with Apple’s M2 Pro and Max
The M1 Pro and M1 Max have two power-efficient cores, while the M2 Max and Pro both have four power-efficient cores. So the new Macs can tackle heavy tasks and consume less power, extending battery life. Very nice for the MacBooks, in other words.
#3 Many more transistors
Thanks to the use of second-generation 5nm process technology, the Pro has 40 billion transistors, which is 20% more than the M1 Pro. With the Max, the jump is even bigger – it has 67 billion transistors, 10 billion more than in the M1 Max.
#4 Extreme working memory
The 14-inch and 16-inch Apple MacBook Pros with the high-end Max processor now support up to 96GB of memory. The 96GB memory option will cost you an extra $800, though. Pricey joke, but well worth it for the pros.
The powerful MacBook Pro. (Image: Apple)
#5 More displays thanks to Apple M2 Pro and Max
The 4-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac mini models that have the M2 Pro, support two external displays. The chip can handle two 6K displays via Thunderbolt, or one 6K display at 60Hz via Thunderbolt along with a 4K display at 144Hz via HDMI.
Apple’s MacBook Pro models with a Max go a step further. These support four displays: three 6K-resolution displays at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and another 4K display at 144Hz via HDMI.
The Max can also handle two 6K displays at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one 8K display at 60Hz, or one more 4K display at 240Hz via HDMI.
The new MacBook Pros and Mac mini are available for pre-order now on Apple’s site and will ship starting Jan. 24.
