Is MacBook Pro M2 overkill?
Since the company switched over to ARM architecture, its chips are so good that improvements are pointless. Even the M2 Pro and M2 Max are overkill for most customers.
The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is a fantastic thin and light laptop for running Photoshop on, and comes with a range of improvements over the previous model, including a new 1080p webcam and a larger, brighter screen.
The single-core score of the M2 Pro is broadly similar to the 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900KF, but that Intel chip offers a much better 17121 multi-core score, thanks in part to its 16-core build.
It's perfect, unless you really know you're going to work with a lot of virtual machines and heavy-weight containerisation, in which case the more RAM, the better. Having said that, you could do a clever move here, get an Apple refurbished M1 Pro with 32 GB or 64 GB RAM, and save yourself some money.
Conclusion. Apple offers its own guidance on choosing the right memory for your M2 Mac mini. “Your Mac mini comes as standard with 8GB of memory,” they tell buyers on the configuration page, before explaining that 8GB is “more than enough for the things you do every day and for running multiple applications at once.”
On average, your MacBook Pro is expected to last 7.2 years and a MacBook Air for 5-7 years. However, the lifespan of your MacBook depends on what tasks you use your MacBook for, how frequently it is used, and how well you care for your battery and its components.
Specifications. There are a number of reasons why the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M2 stands out as the best laptop for photographers and photo editors. It's a beautiful laptop that works great even with resource-intensive creative programs.
It's a powerful machine that can handle workload-intensive tasks such as coding, compiling, and running various software applications. In fact, its performance is so impressive that many developers use it as their primary development device, rather than just as a portable device.
As with all of the M chip models, the M2 Macbook Pro 13" supports up to 20 hours of battery life which is great for professional graphic designers. Like: Increased performance with the M2 chip.
CPU and GPU can both use the 24 MB SLC (System Level Cache). The unified memory (16 or 32 GB LPDDR5-6400) next to the chip is connected by a 256 Bit memory controller (200 GB/s bandwidth) and can be used by the GPU and CPU. Apple states that the M2 Pro has a 25% higher performance than the M1 Pro in Xcode compiling.
Is Apple M2 faster than Intel i9?
With its powerful CPU, M2 Pro can compile code up to 25 percent faster than M1 Pro, and up to 2.5x faster than MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor.
The RAM is unified memory, meaning it's shared between the CPU and GPU, so keep that in mind as you make your choice. If you're simply a productivity user, you can likely get by with 16GB. But creators should choose 32GB or more, with the most demanding users benefitting from the maximum of 96GB.
MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 (2022)
While the design hasn't changed, it's a solid laptop with epic battery life. And based on our tests, the M2 chip delivers, offering performance that destroys many competing Windows laptops. The M2 also beats the M1 chip by a significant margin in various benchmarks.
M2 Pro is faster and more efficient
The new M2 Pro chip offers decent performance gains on the already very fast M1 Pro chips, with up to 14% improvement in CPU speed and up to 22% faster graphics in tests. That puts it alongside some of the best Intel and AMD laptop chips, but at considerably lower power consumption.
The M1 Pro and M1 Max go a mile further than the M2, including a 10-core CPU and up to 16 and 32 GPU cores, respectively. The M1 Ultra, the biggest Apple silicon chip of all, boasts a 20-core CPU with up to 64 GPU cores. However, the M1 range has lower maximum CPU clock speeds relative to the M2.
So, to summarize: you can definitely get by with 8GB but, if you plan on using this device for many years in the future, going with a 16GB model should definitely be a top priority.
Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators.
One of the most common questions we get asked is “how do I know if my computer needs more memory?” The answer is actually pretty simple. If you're using a PC that was released in the last five years or so, chances are it comes with 8GB of RAM – which is more than enough for most people.
BREAKING: We've just discovered that the base 14” M2 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB) is considerably slower than the previous 14” M1 Pro model.
Apple supports Macs with operating system updates for approximately eight to ten years, after which time Apple will not support the software and it's probably a good time to replace your Mac.
How often should you replace your MacBook Pro?
- Performance and resale value: Many companies and large organizations swap out their Macs every 3 to 5 years. ...
- Hardware limitations: At some point, you might feel your Mac is too slow—you're seeing the spinning beachball frequently, or tasks are taking too long to complete.
Both the M2 Pro and M2 Max are more than sufficient for 4K (and smaller frame size) editing. Both are more than sufficient for multicam editing of up to 12 cameras (provided your storage is fast enough).
As you can see from the graph above, the M2 Pro is worlds faster than the M1 Pro when it comes to video transcoding, but it also beats out its predecessor in video editing, image upscaling and photo editing, to name a few.
The latest M2 MacBooks are a real force to be reckoned with, but we think the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models with their M2 Pro and M2 Max hardware are still the best MacBooks for photo editing. They can be specced with a whopping 96GB RAM, while their ultra-bright Liquid Retina XDR displays are truly stunning.
MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023) and MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2023) models with the M2 Pro chip support up to two external displays simultaneously, based on the resolution (up to 8K) and refresh rate (up to 240Hz) of each external display.
The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) is a great MacBook for programmers who need more power than the MacBook Air, but don't need the power (or can't afford) the MacBook Pro 14-inch.
Should you choose a MacBook Pro over the air for programming and if so, why? Keep in mind, while a MacBook Air is adequate enough for most programming tasks, the Macbook pro is of course preferred if you're looking to program as a professional or just want an extremely quick machine without problems for years to come.
The M2 GPU is rated at just 3.6 teraflops. That's less than half as fast as the RX 6600 and RTX 3050, and also lands below AMD's much maligned RX 6500 XT (5.8 teraflops and 144 GB/s of bandwidth).
My Pick: 2021 MacBook Pro 16
The best Apple laptop made, the MacBook Pro has an absolutely top-notch screen – so good, in fact, with so much depth, resolution, and energy and such beautiful and accurate colors that it can make any artist better (and any prospective client more appreciative).
The MacBook Air M2 is the better laptop, but the MacBook Air M1 is close behind. If you can afford to spend $200 to $350 more, the MacBook Air M2 is the better pick. It has a separate charging port, a brighter screen, a better webcam and keyboard, significantly more battery life, and slightly more performance power.
Is it worth upgrading to M2 Pro from M1 Pro?
The new models Apple just released have M2 Pro and M2 Max processors that are obviously faster than their predecessors. But the real gains are on the graphics side, where the 19-core GPU in the M2 Pro boats about a 30-percent boost over the M1 Pro and a full 100-plus frames per second in the games we tested.
Of course, the chips in the M2 line provide better graphics hardware than their M1 counterparts, increasing core counts dramatically—up to 19 GPU cores on the M2 Pro and a whopping 38 on the M2 Max. Apple claims that the hardware changes will translate into 30% faster graphics performance over the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
An 18% faster CPU, a 35% faster GPU and a 40% faster neural engine than previous generations, as well as 50% more memory bandwidth. This is a no-brainer. Unless money is a real constraint, everyone should just forget about the M1 and just get the M2. Everything about it is just better.
M2 Max: GPU. The more significant difference between these two chips lies in GPU power. You can basically think of the M2 Max as the M2 Pro with some extra graphic chops. All 16-inch M2 Pro units have 19 GPU cores, while M2 Max buyers have a choice of 30 or 38 cores.
M2 Max builds on the capabilities of M2 Pro, including an up to 38-core GPU, double the unified memory bandwidth, and up to 96GB of unified memory. Its industry-leading performance per watt makes it the world's most powerful and power-efficient chip for a pro laptop.
If you frequently do graphically-intensive tasks such as video editing, graphics rendering, and so on, the performance boost and the extra hour of battery life might be worth the cost, as they will help your workflow. However, for most other users, the upgrade isn't worth it since it's just a spec bump.
Is 64/128 GB of RAM Overkill? For the majority of users, it is. If you plan on building a PC purely for gaming and some general, basic, everyday activity, 64 GB of RAM is just too much. The amount of RAM you need will ultimately depend on your workload.
That extra processing power will help reduce the risk of stuttering, and other performance related issues. On the whole, 32GB of RAM isn't overkill for gaming if you want to play in higher resolutions, or if you can afford to future-proof your gaming set-up.
Unfortunately, macOS does not have built-in functionality to let you know when the device is overheating. Instead, the device will throttle its performance to keep the temperature low. So, you would know that your M2 MacBook Pro or Air is overheating only when you see a loss of performance/speed.
Storage from 256GB
Make sure you choose sufficient storage capacity. You'll be good with at least 256GB. This provides enough space for all your school files and photos. Would you rather have more space to store your vacation videos?
Which MacBook is best for students M1 or M2?
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022)
Plus, there's an added bonus: it's significantly cheaper. Apple treats its 13in MacBook Pros as a lower-end model of the device (this packs an M2 chip, which is more powerful than the M1 but not as fast as the M1 Pro or M1 Max that come with the MacBook Pros above).
Tom's Hardware Verdict
The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with M2 Pro and M2 Max offer incredible power and long-lasting battery life. Add best-in-class speakers and gorgeous Mini-LED screens and you have some of the best laptops on the market, if you're willing to pay for their high price tags.
16Gb of Ram will be sufficient for medium use like yours.
The most obvious reason to wait for the new MacBook Pro laptops is for the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Pro chip features a 10- or 12-core CPU with up to eight high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, which Apple claims delivers 20 percent greater performance over M1 Pro.
MacBook Pro with M2 Pro offers up to 20% greater performance than M1 Pro, thanks to its 10- or 12-core CPU. It also offers exceptional battery life and connectivity even when disconnected from the power cord. This makes it an ideal choice for those seeking better productivity from their laptop.
The high-level Blackmagic Disk Speed Test shows the 512GB version of the M1 Pro MacBook Pro with a 4,900 MB/s read speed and 3,951 MB/s write speed, while the M2 Pro version shows a 2,973 MB/s read speed and 3,154.5 MB/s write speed. That's a drop of 40 percent for read speeds and 20 percent for write speeds.
The clue is in the M2. Whether you go for the MacBook Pro 14-inch or 16-inch, there's a significant processor upgrade here. While the M1 Pro offers up to 10 cores on the CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores, along with up to 16-core GPU, the M2 Pro surpasses that.
Instead, the device will throttle its performance to keep the temperature low. So, you would know that your M2 MacBook Pro or Air is overheating only when you see a loss of performance/speed. But, there is a solution you can count on CleanMyMac X.
MacBook Pro with M2 Pro is able to process images in Adobe Photoshop up to 40 percent faster than with M1 Pro, and as much as 80 percent faster than MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor.
The most obvious reason to wait for the new MacBook Pro laptops is for the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Pro chip features a 10- or 12-core CPU with up to eight high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, which Apple claims delivers 20 percent greater performance over M1 Pro.
What is the problem with the m2 MacBook Pro?
SSD problems
By using just a single NAND chip on the 256GB models of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, storage speeds were significantly slower than on the larger-capacity models. In fact, in some real-life tests like large file transfers, these M2 MacBooks were slower than M1 MacBooks.
Like any laptop, your MacBook is susceptible to overheating. A hot MacBook is not just uncomfortable to work with, but it can reduce your battery's lifespan and possibly even damage other internal components.
Conclusion. The Apple MacBook Air M2 is a laptop worth considering in 2023. With its improved performance, graphics, and design, the MacBook Air M2 is a great choice for those needing a laptop that can handle pressing tasks while still looking great.
Despite this, it still beats the competition in most areas—and the newer, more efficient M2 Pro chip achieves unparalleled battery life.
The RAM is unified memory, meaning it's shared between the CPU and GPU, so keep that in mind as you make your choice. If you're simply a productivity user, you can likely get by with 16GB. But creators should choose 32GB or more, with the most demanding users benefitting from the maximum of 96GB.
In our own battery tests the battery lasted 17.5 hours, which was very close enough to Apple's 18-hour claim. In our tests the M2 MacBook Air battery beat the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half. Read our roundup of the best chargers for MacBook Air.
