Supply: Apple
At this 12 months’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC), Apple unveiled the second technology of its Apple silicon processor for the Mac: the M2 chip. Together with the announcement, the corporate revealed that the redesigned MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Professional can be the primary Macs to characteristic the brand new processor.
With efficiency and energy effectivity enhancements throughout the board, the M2 checks the entire containers as a worthy successor to the M1 chip that began all of it. This is every part you must find out about Apple’s M2 processor.
What’s the M2 chip?
M2 is Apple’s second technology of Apple silicon SoC (system on a chip) for the Mac. A successor to the M1, the M2 improves efficiency per watt with an eighteen p.c quicker CPU, a thirty-five p.c extra highly effective GPU, and a forty p.c quicker Neural Engine.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vp of {Hardware} Applied sciences, says that the next-generation processor “goes past the exceptional options of M1.”
“M2 begins the second technology of M-series chips and goes past the exceptional options of M1. With our relentless give attention to power-efficient efficiency, M2 delivers a quicker CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. And together with larger reminiscence bandwidth and new capabilities like ProRes acceleration, M2 continues the great tempo of innovation in Apple silicon for the Mac.”
M2 introduces second-generation 5-nanometer know-how
Supply: Apple
The M2 processor, whereas nonetheless being a 5-nanometer chip just like the M1, has been enhanced utilizing second-generation 5-nanometer know-how. That improved know-how has elevated the variety of transistors within the M2 to twenty billion — a twenty-five p.c enhance over the M1 chip.
Apple says that the extra transistors enhance options throughout your complete processor. For instance, the reminiscence controller can now ship 100 GBs of unified reminiscence bandwidth — a whopping fifty p.c enhance over the M1.
The M2 provides much more unified reminiscence
Supply: Apple
Whereas the M1 processor solely allowed prospects to configure as much as 16GB of unified reminiscence on their MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Professional, iMac, or Mac mini, the M2 provides much more reminiscence.
With the M2, prospects can now improve the unified reminiscence of their laptop from a base of 8GB to not solely 16GB however 24 GB as nicely. With the extra reminiscence, Apple says that prospects will be capable to deal with “bigger and extra advanced workloads” with their Mac.
Energy effectivity will get even higher with the M2
One of many key objectives with the M1 chip was to ship excellent efficiency whereas sustaining distinctive battery life, and issues haven’t modified with the M2 chip. The brand new CPU options quicker efficiency and enhanced effectivity cores, leading to an eighteen-performance enhance on the similar energy consumption degree.
Supply: Apple
The efficiency enhancements get even higher when looking on the GPU. The M2 contains a second-generation GPU with as much as ten cores. That is two greater than at the moment supplied with the M1 chip.
Apple says that the brand new design and additional cores allow efficiency positive factors of twenty-five p.c over the M1 on the similar energy consumption degree. It may possibly go even larger, reaching a max efficiency enchancment of thirty-five p.c over its predecessor at barely larger energy consumption.
Supply: Apple
Apple has additionally improved the Neural Engine with M2. The brand new engine can now course of as much as 15.8 trillion operations per second, a whopping forty p.c enhance over the M1 processor.
What else can the M2 chip do?
Supply: Apple
The M2 options a number of different upgrades that customers will recognize, together with help for 8K video and a ProRes video engine constructed instantly into the chip:
- The media engine features a higher-bandwidth video decoder, supporting 8K H.264 and HEVC video.
- Apple’s highly effective ProRes video engine allows playback of a number of streams of each 4K and 8K video.
- Apple’s newest Safe Enclave supplies best-in-class safety.
- A brand new picture sign processor (ISP) delivers higher picture noise discount.
What Macs will get the M2 chip?
Supply: Gerald Lynch / iMore
The redesigned MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Professional are the primary Macs to get the brand new M2 processor. Not surprisingly, these fashions shortly made our listing of the finest Macs in the marketplace.
Apple has not confirmed if the M2 might be coming to different Macs, however it’s protected to imagine that the iMac and Mac mini are prone to be up to date with the brand new processor as each additionally featured the M1 chip.
The M2 is unlikely to come back to the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Professional fashions, the Mac Studio, or Apple’s upcoming redesign to the Mac Professional. The corporate is extra prone to unveil an M2 Professional and M2 Max chip for its professional-focused Macs down the street.
Rather a lot to see
Apple’s M2 chip is one other vital step for the corporate’s signature silicon product. It is going to be fascinating to see the place it goes from right here. Keep tuned.
