Engadget Logo Engadget Japanese version "M2" chip for the next Mac, single core performance is expected to exceed M1 Max

With the rumor that the next 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon "M2" will appear soon, a report predicting how much performance the "M2" will be has been released.

The "M2" chip here is a processor rumored to be an improved version of the M1 chip installed in the current MacBook Air and so on. Previously, Bloomberg reported that the number of CPU cores of M2 was increased from 7 to 8 and the number of GPU cores was increased from 7 to 10 like M1, and it was expected to operate at higher speed.

This report is by Macworld writer Jason Cross. In this article, we'll estimate the performance of the M2 based on the evolution of the iPhone from the A14 Bionic to the A15 Bionic, rather than "M1 to M1 Pro / Max" (with the same 5nm process manufacturing but more CPU and GPU cores). Is proposing. Such "predicting outside the range of data based on known numerical data" is generally called extrapolation.

According to Mr. Cross, "M2 is for M1 and A15 is for A14", we should think about a technological leap. It is thought that "M1 is based on the basic architecture of A14, and the number of high-performance cores of the CPU is doubled (from 2 cores to 4 cores) and the GPU core is doubled (from 4 cores to 8 cores)". Because. In other words, it seems that the M2 will also be designed based on the A15 installed in the iPhone 13, and the performance can be expected from there.

Also, for "M2 Max", that is, the top processor with enhanced M2, it is expected that "similar to scaling up from M1 to M1 Max, replace the CPU core and double the GPU core". thing. Therefore, it is assumed that "the CPU will be 2 high-efficiency cores + 8 high-performance cores, and the GPU core will be 4 times the base M1 chip (40 in total), similar to the scale-up from M1 to M1 Max". ..

It is rumored that TSMC's 4nm process technology will be used for the M2 series chips. 5nm technology is used in the A15 and M1 series chips, and generally, as the circuit line width becomes finer, the chip performance tends to improve, but Mr. Cross said that it is to improve power efficiency (priority is given to performance improvement). It is said that the effect is excluded because it may be directed.

So, how much advantage do you expect the M2 series chips to have over the M1 series when extrapolated from the "evolution from A14 to A15"? The Geekbench score shown below is only an approximation by Mr. Cross that "it will be like this", and it is not actually measured by obtaining a Mac with M2.

First of all, regarding the single core score, M2 outperforms M1 Max.

Interesting is the result of the multi-core score. Although the M2 is close to 9000, it is not as good as the M1 Max, which exceeds the number of high-performance cores. Still, it seems to be great enough for a lightweight laptop like the MacBook Air.

On the other hand, M2 Max's multi-core score will exceed 14,000. Cross said, "It will surpass Intel's fastest Alder Lake Core i9 with 14 CPU cores (6 high-performance cores and 8 high-efficiency cores)." It is likely to be achieved by increasing the number of people. "

These aren't exactly what you'd expect, but they're a boost to the upcoming M2-powered MacBook Pro. The theory that "the design is the same as the previous model" is predominant, but if the performance improvement is remarkable, it seems to be very intriguing.

Source: Macworld

via: 9to5Mac