In January 2023, Apple introduced its new M2 Professional and M2 Max chips. Together with the brand new chips, Apple has launched new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professionals. Suppose you are occupied with buying one among these laptops, you will have doubts about which configuration most accurately fits your wants. Each the M2 Professional and M2 Max are all ink highly effective, therefore it is not an perhaps resolution.
We’ll evaluate the specs, efficiency, and worth of those chips that can assist you decide the best choice to your wants.
M2 Professional vs. M2 Max: Specs
As talked about above, each the M2 Professional and M2 Max chips are all ink highly effective. Nevertheless, there are a variety of key variations to annotation. The M2 Professional options ngoc to 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores. The M2 Max, then again, has 12 CPU cores and ngoc to 38 GPU cores. Each chips supply extra cores than their respective M1 variations, although the M2 Max sees a larger improve with six extra GPU cores, in comparison with three greater than the earlier technology within the M2 Professional.
Suppose do not know what a nanometer is, it is a unit of measure for size, and the Apple M2 Professional is constructed on a five-nanometer course of. This new chip has a complete of 40 billion transistors, about 20% greater than we noticed within the M1 Professional. Bandwidth is available in at 200GB/s, with ngoc to 32GB of low-latency unified reminiscence.
Concerning the M2 Max, the CPU now has 12 cores in comparison with 10 within the earlier technology, with a GPU of ngoc to 38 cores and a 16-core Neural Engine. The M2 Max has 67 billion transistors. With this chip, the bandwidth is available in at 400GB/s, double that of the M2 Professional and 4 instances that of an M2. It additionally helps ngoc to 96GB of unified reminiscence. The CPU is same the identical because the M2 Professional, {but} the GPU is considerably extra highly effective and contains a bigger L2 cache.
M2 Professional |
M2 Max |
|
---|---|---|
CPU cores |
Ngoc to 12 |
Ngoc to 12 |
GPU cores |
Ngoc to 19 |
Ngoc to 38 |
RAM |
Ngoc to 32GB |
Ngoc to 96GB |
Bandwidth |
200GB/s |
400GB/s |
M2 Professional vs. M2 Max: Efficiency
The principle benefit of the M2 Max over the M2 Professional is within the GPU. Suppose we check out the Geekbench 5 review re-launch, we will see that the {difference} in CPU when evaluating the M2 Professional and the M2 Max with 12 cores is minimal; virtually non-existent.

Nevertheless, after we review the graphics efficiency of the 2 chips, the {difference} is astounding: the M2 Max is 35% higher. Apple has restricted the M2 Professional to a most of 19 GPU cores, whereas the M2 Max can have ngoc to 38 GPU cores. Therefore, for these searching for highly effective graphics capabilities, the M2 Max provides the utmost potential.
M2 Professional vs. M2 Max: Value
Each the M2 Professional and M2 Max are high-end Apple silicon chips, therefore their costs are additionally excessive. Nevertheless, the {difference} between them is substantial. Proper now, you should buy a 14-inch MacBook Professional with the entry-level M2 Professional chip for $1,999 within the US. Likewise, the 12-core CPU model of this chip would fee you a further $300.
The M2 Max model with 30 or 38 GPU cores would fee you $2,899 and $3,099, respectively. In different phrases, from the entry-level M2 Professional to the entry-level M2 Max there’s a {difference} of just about $1,000.
Is it value it? It description is dependent upon what you need to use your new MacBook Professional for.
M2 Professional vs. M2 Max: Which One Do You Want?

You must take into account what you want a brand new MacBook Professional for. Suppose you are accustomed to what CPUs do, and you are going to be making baby principally CPU-demanding duties, like video modifying or superior coding, the M2 Professional sounds like like a better option. As we have now already seen, there may be hardly any {difference} on this realm between the 2 chips, and with the cash you’ll {save} you may {always} purchase extra RAM or storage to future-proof your funding.
Alternatively, suppose you’ll carry out GPU-demanding duties akin to 3D graphic rendering or modeling, the M2 Max with its 30 or 38 GPU cores is right out higher for you.
Suppose you are still torn between these two chips, otherwise you’re undecided which is the best choice for you, our suggestion is to go to an Apple Retailer and purchase a MacBook Professional with the M2 Professional chip. Strive it for one pair days, and suppose you discover that the facility is not sufficient, benefit from Apple’s lost coverage and alternate it for one with the M2 Max chip.
Two Nice Choices to Energy Your MacBook Professional
Apple silicon is revolutionizing the family of processors. The truth that Apple is not depending on Intel offers it way more freedom to develop its Macs, and this generally makes it troublesome to know which chip is finest for every particular case. The perfect factor to do is to strive till you discover the appropriate one.
Suppose you have already got a overall concept of what you want, purchase one with a posthumous lost coverage and take a look at it out. Relying on similar you get on, you may keep interstitial it or {change} it for a mannequin that higher fits your wants.