Apple announced its next-gen M2 processor at its event WWDC 2022indicating that the new silicon chip can achieve 18% better performance than the M1 chip found in current Macs.
Like the M1, the M2 is based on a 5 nanometer manufacturing process. It packs over 20 trillion transistors (25% more than the M1), an 8-core CPU, and up to a 10-core GPU.
What do all these technical figures correspond to in real life? Well, Apple claims that the CPU performs 18% better than the M1, while on the GPU side, the M2 is 35% faster when it comes to handling graphics.
The new silicon also features a 40% faster 16-core neural engine capable of performing nearly 16 trillion operations per second. It can also support 100 GB/s memory bandwidth.
What performance improvements does the M2 offer over the M1?
If we transfer this data to real use, we must say that the performance improves considerably in multitasking situations, which will allow us to work more optimally with the new version of the macOS Venture operating system.
The big beneficiaries of these hardware improvements will be professionals in photo editing or video editing. Also those based on music production, 3D modeling and advanced application management.
Of course, Apple said the performance exceeded that of Windows desktops, delivering twice the performance of a typical laptop with an Intel or AMD processor inside with 10 CPU cores and the same speed. ‘clock.
Similarly, Apple said the M2’s GPU can run 2.3 times faster than “the latest Windows laptop chip” and “matches its peak performance at the same power level.”
Until we can perform our official tests, we cannot confirm these claims. Keep in mind that these kinds of subliminal or mocking messages have been common in the past when showcasing other product lines.
Who are the main beneficiaries?
Recall that the launch of the previous generation of Apple M1 chips took place in November 2020. Since then, Apple has added the M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra to the range.
With the M2 now announced, Apple will be able to support up to 24 GB of LPDDR5 memory, which leaves the door open to possible new high-performance configurations, thinking of renewing the long-awaited Mac Pro in the more professional field.
The M2 will make its debut in the new Macbook Air which takes design cues from the latest MacBook Pro, losing the wedge shape but gaining a dark blue color option and a larger 13.5-inch screen.
Apple mentioned that it’s adding a higher-bandwidth video decoder that can support 8K H.264 and HVEC video, and will run Apple’s ProRes video engine better.
Al Macbook Air M2 it will be accompanied by the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Pro still on sale with an older design than the 14-inch and 16-inch Pros released in 2021. It’s an interesting decision to push the 13-inch model while keeping the other screen sizes with the previous generation.
