MacBook Pro M1 Vs. MacBook Pro M2: Which One Is Better?

MacBook Pro M2 VS MacBook Pro M1: Comparison

Apple made a bold decision to shift from an intel processor to make their own. Hence, in 2020, Apple revealed their first in-class processor, M1, embedded in their 13-inch MacBook Pro 2020 version.

This change in processor raised the roof, and hype was created among the tech community. The MacBook Pro M1 delivered tremendous results, and the benchmark scores turned out to be way better than the intel processor.

Therefore, MacBook Pro M1, released in 2020, got sold out like crazy. But the introduction of the M1 chip raised the bar, and people expected Apple to deliver the same quality and enhanced performance with MacBook Pro M2 released in June 2022.

So, who wins the war between MacBook Pro M1 and MacBook Pro M2? Let's dive in and find out.

MacBook Pro M1 And MacBook Pro M2: Chip

M1 Chip Vs. M2 Chip

The design, build quality, features, appeal, and almost everything, except for the 24-GB support available in the 2022 MacBook Pro, is the same in the MacBook Pros, 2020, and 2022 versions.

The only difference in both laptops is the chipset. The MacBook Pro 2020 version packs the M1 chip, while the MacBook Pro 2022 version has the latest M2 chip.

So why not talk about it and see if it is worth upgrading from an M1 to an M2 chip?

MacBook Pro M1 Vs. MacBook Pro M2: 13-inch MacBook Pro

Both the chipsets, M1 and M2, are based on a chipmaking process of 5nm. But the M2 chip has 4 billion more transistors than the chip M1. The core count in both the chipset is, however, the same, standing at eight cores. Four cores are for performance, and the rest of the 4 is for efficiency.

A significant difference between M2 and M1 is that M1 supports up to 24GB of unified memory, while M1 has the maximum unified memory of 16GB. So the bandwidth difference between both the chips is around 50%. It means that the bandwidth in M2 is now at 100GBPs.

Moreover, CPU performance tests conducted by several tech companies depicted that M2, on average, is 18% faster than M1 due to the improvements done in its architecture. This result falls under the actual performance claim made by Apple.

In the Geekbench 5 testing benchmarks, these were the results of both chipsets:

• The M2, in the single-core benchmark, scored 1928, while the same M2 processor scored 8990 in multi-core
• The M1 released in 2022 scored 1749 in single-core performance, while 7719 scored in multi-core

Now when we talk about the graphical performance, the difference is significant. M1 has a GPU of 8-cores, while on the other hand, you get ten cores of graphical performance with M2.

Due to the two additional GPU cores in M2, the MacBook Pro 2022 M2 is almost 35% faster in processing graphics than M1.

Apple also claims that gamers who play graphically intense games will find MacBook Pro 2022 M2 40%. The same is the case with people who process raw images or work with graphics on their apple laptops.

However, interestingly, video exporting experiments didn't show much difference between M2 and M1 processors. For example, according to Apple Insider, the 20 minutes 4K video on MacBook Pro 2022 M2 took 10 minutes to export. At the same time, the same video took 10 minutes and 14 seconds on second hand MacBook Pro 2020 M1.

Should You Upgrade from MacBook Pro M1 to MacBook Pro M2?

Although the M2 in MacBook Pro 2022 is a little more powerful than the M1 of MacBook Pro 2020, the difference is still insignificant to spend your bucks if you are already a MacBook Pro 2020 M1 user.

The M1's chip performance is excellent in all areas. And if you are an average user, there seems no point in switching from M1 to M2. But if you are a video editor or a graphic designer looking to get that little extra performance from your MacBook, then switching from M1 to MacBook Pro M2 2022 does make sense.

However, if you are still using the intel processor that came up with MacBooks until 2019, upgrading to MacBook Pro M1 should definitely be considered.

Which MacBook Pro Should You Buy in 2022?

If you are on a budget but do not want to compromise on the quality and performance of your laptop, we recommend you go for the refurbished MacBook Pro M1 2020 version.

Buying a brand new MacBook Pro M2 2022 might have a little edge in terms of performance, but it will cost you a lot. So you can buy a refurbished MacBook Pro M1 2020, which performs up to the mark and has the exact same design and build quality as the MacBook Pro M2 2022 version.

PhoneBot offers MacBook Pro 2020 M1 at the lowest prices in the whole of Australia. These devices are available in the best condition.