Apple unveils M2 Pro and M2 Max chips

Two new chips were introduced by Apple today — the Apple M2 Pro and Apple M2 Max — both of which offer more cores and better performance than the Apple M2 introduced just 6 months ago.

The Apple M2 Pro scales up the architecture of M2 to deliver an up to 12-core CPU and up to 19-core GPU (compared to the 8-core CPU and 10-core GOU of the M2), together with up to 32GB of fast unified memory.

Based on the 2nd-gen 5nm process technology, the Apple M2 Pro consists of 40 billion transistors — nearly 20 percent more than M1 Pro, and double the amount in M2. It features 200GB/s of unified memory bandwidth — twice that of M2 — and up to 32GB of low-latency unified memory. The next-generation 10- or 12-core CPU consists of up to eight high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, resulting in multithreaded CPU performance that is up to 20 percent faster than the 10-core CPU in M1 Pro.

The GPU in M2 Pro can be configured with up to 19 cores — three more than the GPU in M1 Pro — and includes a larger L2 cache. Graphics speeds are up to 30 percent faster than that of M1 Pro. Apple promised up to 40% faster performance in Adobe Photoshop compared to the M1 Pro and 80% better than an Intel Core i9.

The Apple M2 Max builds on the capabilities of M2 Pro, including an up to 38-core GPU, double the unified memory bandwidth, and up to 96GB of unified memory.

The M2 Max has 67 billion transistors — 10 billion more than M1 Max and more than 3x that of M2. Its 400GB/s of unified memory bandwidth is twice that of M2 Pro, 4x that of M2, and supports up to 96GB of fast unified memory.

M2 Max features the same next-generation 12-core CPU as M2 Pro. The GPU is even more powerful with up to 38 cores, and is paired with a larger L2 cache. Graphics speeds climb up to 30 percent faster than M1 Max.

The new Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max will be featured in the newly announced MacBook Pro 14 and 16 as well as the new Mac Mini 2023.