Apple M2 vs Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M2 or Apple M2 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple M2 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2022 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) features 10 processor cores and has the capability to manage 10 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2021 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
Apple M2 Group Apple M1
2 Generation 1
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M2 Name Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
Apple M series Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 10 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
8 Threads 10
2.8 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.06 GHz
8 CPU Cores 10
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
4x Avalanche Cores A 8x Firestorm
No Hyperthreading No
3.5 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
No Overclocking No
4x Blizzard Cores B 2x Icestorm
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M2 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 uses the Apple M2 (10 Core), which has 1280 texture shaders
and 160 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) uses the Apple M1 Max (24 Core), which has 3072 texture shaders
and 384 execution units.
1280 Shaders 3072
Q2/2022 Release date Q3/2021
5 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
24.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
160 Execution units 384
1.4 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
2 Generation 1
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple M2 (10 Core) GPU name Apple M1 Max (24 Core)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode VP8 Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode AVC Decode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 24.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
LPDDR5-6400 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
No ECC No
24.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
2 Memory channels 4
102.4 GB/s Bandwidth 409.6 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 22 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 30 W watts.
10 W TDP down None
None TDP up 60 W
22 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 30 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M2 is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q2/2022 Release date Q3/2021
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
5 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
M2 Architecture M1
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems macOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number APL 1104
Socket
20.0 MB L2-Cache 28.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
22255
22255
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
15472
15472

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12693
12693
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
8853
8853

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12439
12439
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
9691
9691

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12402
12402
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
8714
8714

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
2536
2536
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
2397
2397

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
1874
1874
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
1783
1783

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
1695
1695
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
1534
1534

Apple M2 and Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) in leaderboards