Review of the MacBook Pro on the M2 Max chip (2023)

In this article, we will look at the MacBook Pro 16″ with the M2 Max chip (12 CPU cores and 38 GPU cores), 32 GB of RAM, and analyze its pros and cons.How much cooler is it than the previous generation of MacBook Pro on the M1 Max chip.And which one is better to choose from?

Globally, the main improvement in the new MacBook Pro line, compared to the previous generation, is increased performance, enhanced model customization, support for up to 96 GB of RAM.

What to choose?

If you want a quick answer, then the new M2 Max models will be better, but they will be more suitable for those who are still suffering on Intel chips and planning to upgrade soon.

At the same time, if you come across a MacBook with the M1 Max at a good price, noticeably cheaper than the M2 Max, then consider buying the 2021 model.It’s still a great computer.

And you already have one, then the difference will not be so obvious, but it is worth considering some points, which will be discussed later.

Important differences

New MacBook Pro Models Get Support Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6e and HDMI 2.1.

And if Bluetooth and Wi-Fi may not be such an incredible innovation, after all, far from everyone still has routers with Wi-Fi 6e support, then HDMI 2.1 allows you to connect an external display 8K 60 Hz, 4K 240 Hz.

And the 2021 models will only have 60Hz anyway, even through Thunderbolt 4. And if you have a monitor that’s over 60Hz, that could be the deciding factor.

SSD speed

The read speed of the SSD is slightly slower than that of the M1 Max, but the write speed is higher, but this only applies to the 1TB version or larger drives.

According to tests, the base 512 GB model shows results 2 times worse.And if in the situation with the MacBook Air, which is designed for ordinary consumers, this difference may not be so fundamental, then the MacBook Pro is still a working machine.

I do not advise you to consider buying a model with a drive less than 1 TB.

Tests and heating

The M2 Max chip has a 12-core processor with 8 manufacturers and 4 efficient cores, which Apple says provide 20% more performance than the M1 Max.

In Geekbench 6, the difference in the single-core and multi-core test is approximately 14%, which is less than what Apple claims.

In Cinebench, the difference in the multi-core test was 16% between M1 Max and M2 Max, but according to my observations, the differences can be from 14-18%, depending on the tests.

In most tests on the M2 Max, the temperature of the chip was 5-7 degrees lower, despite the more modest size of the heatsink due to the fact that the coolers turned on earlier and worked at slightly higher speeds than in the M1 Max.

The M2 Max chip completed the Xcode test in 84 seconds, and the M1 Max in 98 seconds – the same 14% difference.

The graphics in Geekbench 6 turned out to be interesting: 38 GPU cores versus 32 in the M1 Max.According to Apple’s promises, a performance increase of up to 30%, but in the Metal test, the difference was 16%.

In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, the M1 Max laptop achieved an average frame rate of 119, while the M2 Max averaged 150fps, an almost 20% increase.

By temperature.When rendering in Blender, the temperature of the M2 Max’s performance cores reached 102 degrees at the peak, and the effective cores reached about 97 degrees.While the M1 Max has a maximum temperature of 96 degrees for productive cores and about 85 degrees for efficient ones.

But there is also a difference in the test results.The M2 Max chip completed the render in 5 minutes and 10 seconds, while the M1 Max took 6 minutes and 35 seconds.The difference is almost 1.5 minutes and 22%.

But when editing videos in Final Cut, there is no difference at all between chips of different generations!

Perhaps if it’s more difficult to produce content with some incredible effects or amazing color grading, then the difference will certainly be more noticeable.

conclusions

So whether you notice this 20-30% difference or not will solely depend on the software you use, the tasks you perform, and their complexity.Basically, there is an increase, but it is not always obvious.

I don’t see much point in talking about battery life, since there are practically no differences under load, and during normal work, on average, you will be able to survive a maximum of an hour, which Apple promises, but most likely less.Again, depends on your use case.

Either way, it’s a great evolution of Apple’s professional laptop line, but the M1 set the bar too high, and the M2 raises that bar a bit.

But the same breakthrough in performance was not planned, and this is logical.

I would have bought it for myself a new MacBook on the M2 Max chip, having last year’s “firmware” in my hands – definitely not.

If there is a good option, then take the M1 Max.But if you want top-end hardware, you need Wi-Fi 6e, HDMI 2.1, then buy M2 Max.