Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max silicon detailed

Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max silicon detailed, will power new MacBook Pro and Mini models

Apple’s new silicon promises lightning speeds and better power efficiency.

Apple

Apple has unveiled two new chipsets in its M2 silicon series.

The M2 Pro and M2 Max will first be utilised in new MacBook Pro and Mac Mini models, also announced today. They each build on the power of the standard M2 SoC (system on chip) to deliver greater performance and power efficiency.

The M2 Pro combines up to a 12-core CPU with up to 19-core graphics. It also has 32GB of fast unified memory. The M2 Max expands that even further, with up to 38-core graphics capabilities, and 96GB of unified memory.

There are custom technologies included too, with a 16-core neural engine on both, plus Apple’s media engine.

According to Apple, the M2 Pro is capable of running heavy process features in apps like Adobe Photoshop up to 80 per cent faster than the Intel Core i9 used in former MacBook Pro models, 40 per cent faster than the M1 Pro MacBook Pro.

It can be configured with either a 10- or 12-core CPU which each consist of four high-efficiency cores and the rest being high-performance.

The 19-core GPU (in the highest spec variant) has three more cores than the M1 Pro SoC. Graphics run 30 per cent faster in comparison, claims the company.

The M2 Max chipset is on another level. It has 10 billion more transistors than its predecessor (now at 67 billion) and has double the memory bandwidth of the M2 Pro (at 400GB/s). Its CPU is the same as its new stablemate, but the GPU is capable of even greater speeds – up to 30 per cent faster than the M1 Max. It is, Apple claims, the “world’s most powerful and efficient chip for a pro laptop”.

The first products to feature the M2 Pro and Max chips are the new Mac Mini and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro devices.

The Mac Mini can be configured up to M2 Pro, while customers interested in the new MacBooks can choose options including either SoC.

All the new Mac models are available to order now for a shipping date from 24 January 2023.