Benchmark testing has shown that the 256GB version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip offers slower SSD performance than its M1 equivalent, and now real-world stress testing by Max Tech’s YouTuber Max Yuriev suggests that the 256GB SSD in the 13 The MacBook Pro is also weaker in everyday use.
The MacBook Pro M2 with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM was slower than the M1 MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM in a number of usage tests including Photoshop, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro, multitasking and file transfer. In a multi-tasking RAM test, M1 constantly loaded content faster with multiple open applications, and in a test to export 50 images to Lightroom with open applications, M1 was again faster. It managed to export 50 images in 3 minutes and 36 seconds, while M2 took 4 minutes and 12 seconds.
In these tests, the MacBook Pro’s built-in 8GB of unified memory is used by various processes, using the SSD for virtual memory. Exchanging virtual memory leads to slower system performance as a whole.
These results were consistent across all performance stress tests performed by Max Tech, and comparative tests performed by Max Tech on Saturday showed the same discrepancy. M2 MacBook Pro read speeds appear to be about 50 percent slower, while write speeds appear to be about 30 percent slower.
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1 / 256GB) Read speed: 2900
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 / 256GB) Read speed: 1446
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1 / 256GB) Recording speed: 2215
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 / 256GB) Recording speed: 1463
Max Tech attributes this difference in performance to Apple’s choice of NAND flash memory. The MacBook Pro M2 has one 256GB NAND flash storage chip, while the M1 MacBook Pro has two NAND chips, which are probably 128GB each. Many NAND chips allow faster speeds in parallel, which may explain the seemingly disappointing performance of M2.
The slower SSD performance seems to be limited to the 256GB version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, as higher-capacity machines have not demonstrated the same problem. Potential buyers of the MacBook Pro should be aware of this performance issue, as it can affect the choice of purchase.
It’s not clear why Apple chose a different NAND chip setting in the M2 MacBook Pro, and further testing is needed to determine exactly what happens. Apple has not yet responded to our requests for comment, but we will update this article if we receive a response.
Add Comment