M2 Pro vs M2 Max | Price, Battery Life, CPU, and GPU

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What Is M2 Pro/Max
M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Price, Battery Life, CPU, and GPU
M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Which One Do You Need

What Is M2 Pro/Max

Apple introduced the M2 chips in June 2022, the next generation of Apple silicon Mac chips, followed by the Apple M1 chips. And in January 2023, Apple launched 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the new M2 chips: M2 Pro and M2 Max.

what is M2 Pro/Max

M2 Pro

The M2 Pro chip is built on a five-nanometer process, which has 40 billion transistors with up to 32 GB of low-latency unified memory of bandwidth. Regarding numerical values, M2 Pro is 1.2 times that of M1 Pro and twice that of M2. As a result, it allows users to operate more quickly and efficiently. M2 Pro chips support the simultaneous and smooth running of multiple professional applications with double the memory bandwidth of M2 chips.

M2 Max

Compared with M2 Pro chips, M2 Max chips go even further. M2 Max's feature of up to 96 GB of unified memory and 400 GB/s memory bandwidth breaks the limits of graphic memory in MacBook Pros. An M2 Max chip is packed with 67 billion transistors, 10 billion more compared with M1 Max.

Suppose you are confused about the features and differences between M2 Pro and M2 Max and want to know which one best suits your needs. Read on to learn detailed information about these two M2 chips.

We will compare the specifications, price, and performance of M2 Pro and M2 Max. Here's a table you can refer to:

	M2	M2 Pro	M2 Max
Release Date	June 2022	January 2023
MacBook Models	13-inch MacBook Pro MacBook Air 2022	14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro
CPU Cores	up to 8	up to 12
GPU Cores	up to 10	up to 19	up to 38
RAW	up to 24 GB	up to 32 GB	up to 96 GB
Bandwidth	100 GB/s	200 GB/s	400 GB/s

M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Price, Battery Life, CPU, and GPU

Although both M2 Pro and M2 Max are powerful chips, they have numerous differences.

In addition, comparing their work performance, the M2 Max will be louder and hotter than the M2 Pro because it has a "High Power Mode", which maximizes performance during sustained workloads.

M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Price

M2 Pro and M2 Max are high-end Apple silicon chips, and they are expensive for many MacBook Pro users. Here's a table about the price of the two chips:

	14-inch MacBook Pro			16-inch MacBook Pro
Chip	M2 Pro		M2 Max	M2 Pro		M2 Max
CPU	10-Core		12-Core	12-Core
GPU	16-Core	19-Core	30-Core	19-Core		38-Core
Unified Memory	16 GB		32 GB	16 GB		32 GB
SSD Storage	512 GB	1 TB		512 GB	1 TB
Price($)	1,999	2,499	3,099	2,499	2,699	3,599

You can see that a MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip starts at $1,999, while a MacBook Pro with an M2 Max chip starts at $2,499.

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M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Battery Life

If you're ready to buy the latest MacBook Pro, you're probably most worried about its battery life when such powerful chips back it. However, Apple said that the new MacBook Pro 2023 has longer battery life, and the 16-inch model has the most extended battery life in Mac history.

Test data from the Tom's Guide website shows that the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro has over 14 hours of battery life, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max has nearly 13 hours of battery life. That's pretty impressive, as the new 2023 MacBook Pro models all have upwards of 10 hours of battery life.

And if you're browsing video on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip, it can last up to 17 hours, and the M2 Max chip can last over 14 hours. For me personally, this battery life is able to meet my daily work or entertainment requirements; that is, a full charge can be used for about three days.

It is worth noting that if your MacBook Pro has been in use for several years, the battery life may be affected, normally at around nine percent.

M2 Pro vs M2 Max: CPU and GPU

The difference between M2 Pro and M2 Max in CPU depends on which models you select. All the 14-inch MacBook Pros with the M2 Pro chip have a 10-Core CPU, while 16-inch models have a 12-Core CPU. And the MacBook Pro models with an M2 Max chip have a 12-Core CPU.

The main advantage of M2 Max over M2 Pro is the GPU. In Greekbench, which is a utility for testing the CPU and GPU of computers or phones, you can see M2 Max has over 55 percent increase in graphics power, and on some GPU-heavy games, the M2 Max could perform 80 percent better than the M2 Pro.

GPU vs CPU? What's the Difference?

This article compares GPU vs. CPU and outlines their differences. GPU is good for parallel processing, while CPU is perfect for serial processing. Read more >>

M2 Pro vs M2 Max: Which One Do You Need

You should consider your needs with a new MacBook Pro. For example, if you are familiar with CPU-demanding tasks, such as coding, I'd recommend you buy the MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip.

However, suppose you are going to perform GPU-demanding tasks, including video editing and 3D graphics rendering or modeling. In that case, the M2 Max MacBook Pro seems to be a better choice for you, for it is noticeably faster in video work.

If you are still hesitant about which one to buy, I suggest you buy the M2 Pro chip first, then decide if it's right for you during the trial period, or replace it with the M2 Max within the time frame of Apple's return policy.

Conclusion

Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max chips are two Apple silicon chips introduced in January 2023 with 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Both two chips are Apple's high-end chips with up to 12-Cores CPU and up to 38-Cores GPU.

The M2 Max has an even better performance than the M2 Pro and an extremely good performance on video editing and 3D graphics rendering or modeling. But the high intensity and power operation also cause shorter battery life.

M2 Pro vs M2 Max FAQs

Here are some questions people also ask when they search for what's the difference between M2 Pro and M2 Max. You can read the questions below to learn more about M2 Pro/Max chips.

1. Is it worth getting the M2 Max?

The answer is yes if you're coming from an Intel-based Mac. But, if you don't have enough budget, M1 Max is a better choice. The difference is notable but not worth an additional $1,000.

2. Which is faster M2 Max or M2 Pro?

M2 Max is better and faster than M2 Pro, especially when you are working on video editing and 3D graphics rendering or modeling.

3. What is the difference between M2 Pro and M2 Max?

The more significant difference between these two chips lies in GPU power. You can think of the M2 Max as the M2 Pro with some extra graphic chops, and M2 Max buyers can choose 30 or 38 cores, while all 16-inch M2 Pro units have 19 GPU cores.

4. Is the M2 Max overkill?

I believe expectations for people working on 3D graphics, even the M2 Pro and M2 Max are overkill for most customers.