M1 vs M2

As a new Apple user, you should consider more than just the difference between the MacBook Air and Pro when purchasing a computer. This is especially true if you’re a gamer or a creative professional who needs to understand the differences between the various chips Apple offers in its devices. For instance, the M2 chip is more powerful and faster than the first-generation M1 chip.

Before we start:

 

For your laptop to last for years, you need two things: mind its tech characteristics during the purchase and maintain it properly after it. Also, an extra way to improve its performance over time is by using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool, which is designed to free up disk space and remove files that may slow it down.

 

To use MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup on your Mac, follow the steps below:

1. Launch the MacKeeper app on your Apple device.
2. Find the Safe Cleanup tab under the Cleaning section and click on it.
3. Then, click Start Scan.
4. Check all the folders you want to scan for junk files.
5. To start scanning your Mac, click on Clean Junk Files.
6. Wait until the cleaning is complete.

Next, our team of experts will compare M1 and M2 chips to help you determine which one best meets your power needs.

The first generation of Apple Silicon

Let’s start the Apple M1 vs M2 chips comparison by focusing on the first generation of Apple Silicon. In November 2020, Apple began its Mac transition with the introduction of the M1 chip, the company’s first ARM-based System on a Chip (SoC).

A year later, the M1 Pro and M1 Max versions were released, and in 2022, the M1 Ultra was introduced.

In addition to the differences with the second-generation chip, each SoC in the series has its own unique features. The M1 is the least powerful, while the M1 Ultra is the most powerful. While the number of CPU cores is similar for the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max, the M1 Ultra has double the number as it utilizes two M1 Max chips. Additionally, all models show significant differences in GPU cores, doubling the number of the previous model.

Apple devices with M1

The M1 chip is available in the following Apple devices:

M1 chip

• MacBook Air (2020)
• Mac mini (2020)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)
• iMac (24-inch, 2021)
• iPad Pro (11-inch, 2021)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2021)
• iPad Air (2022)

M1 Pro chip

• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)

M1 Max chip

• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)
• Mac Studio (2022)

M1 Ultra chip

• Mac Studio (2022)

The second generation of Apple Silicon

At WWDC 2022, Apple unveiled the second generation of the Apple Silicon, the M2 chip. True to expectations, the new SoC promised enhanced processing power and speed. Specifically, Apple claimed that the M1 had an 18% more powerful CPU and a 35% more powerful GPU.

Following a similar launch strategy to the first generation in January 2023, the company introduced the M2 Pro and M2 Max versions. In June of that year, it unveiled the M2 Ultra, which also featured two M2 Max units.

Need more detail? Find the differences in technical specifications in the table below.

A quick note from us: In short, the M2 Ultra is significantly more powerful than the base model. For instance, it offers 570% more transistors.

Apple devices with M2

The M2 chip is available in the following Apple devices:

M2 chip

• MacBook Air (13-inch, 2022)
• MacBook Air (15-inch, 2022)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2022)
• iPad Pro (11-inch, 2022)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2022)
• Mac mini (2023)
• Vision Pro (2024)
• iPad Air (2024)

M2 Pro chip

• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2023)
• Mac mini (2023)

M2 Max chip

• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2023)
• Mac Studio (2023)

M2 Ultra chip

• Mac Studio (2023)
• Mac Pro (2023)

M1 versus M2 chip comparison

Although there are some similarities, the M1 and M2 chips differ in almost every crucial aspect. Computers with M1 chips are suitable for most tasks and users, while devices with M2 chips are preferred by gamers and content creators seeking more power, efficiency, memory, and graphics processing capabilities, including:

• CPU
• GPU
• Media engine
• Unified memory
• Secure Enclave
• Neural Engine

Hint from our team: 

 

Both the M1 and M2 chip require a cleaning app to keep your Mac optimized. We suggest using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup to boost your computer’s performance and quickly remove unnecessary documents that take up storage space. As a bonus, the app has a very user-friendly interface to make everything go smoothly, like so:

1. Open MacKeeper.
2. From the left sidebar, select Safe Cleanup under Cleaning.
3. Click the Start Scan button at the bottom.
4. When the scan is over, select the folders you want to remove files from (Logs, Caches, Trash, Languages, and Mail Attachments).
5. Click the Clean Junk Files button at the bottom.
6. Select Empty Trash to confirm.

CPU

If your MacBook is running slow, it may be due to having a slower CPU. In this regard, there are differences between the Apple Silicon chips: the M2 CPU is 18% faster than the M1.

Apple’s CPU chips include performance and efficiency cores. Both the M1 and M2 base models have four of each, while this varies in the Pro, Max, and Ultra variants. So, the main difference between the first- and second-generation CPUs is the number of efficiency cores. The M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra have double the efficiency cores compared to the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra.

GPU

If you use your Mac for music production and other creative tasks, the GPU is very important. As expected, the M2 generation chip has GPUs with more cores. According to Apple, the M2 improves graphics performance by 25%, while Geekbench Metal benchmarks also confirm a moderate boost.

Media engine

The M2 chip has improved Mac specs for video editing. Both chips have dedicated video encode and decode engines for H.264 and HEVC video formats. One key distinction is that the M2 chip allows for multiple streams up to 8K, whereas the M1 chip is limited to 4K. Additionally, the M2 chip also supports ProRes and ProRes RAW formats.

Unified memory

Both the M1 and M2 series support the same entry-level unified memory, but the M2 series adds an extra supported configuration. For instance, while the M1 supports 8 GB and 16 GB RAM, the M2 series also supports 24 GB RAM. When comparing the most powerful chips in each series, the M2 Ultra stands out with support for up to 192 GB of RAM.

Secure Enclave

Apple hasn’t specified the improvements that the Secure Enclave version of the M2 has over the M1. However, we understand that there have been some changes. In this sense, it’s likely that the M2 has improved some security holes that had been found in the M1 series and that the software couldn’t solve.

Neural Engine

In terms of the number of Neural Engine cores, the M1 and M2 generations remain unchanged. However, Apple has made better use of resources. Apple claimed that the improved version of the Neural Engine in the M2 is 40% faster, processing up to 15.8 trillion operations per second.

Is M1 or M2 chip better?

When a new version of Apple’s operating system arrives, you might wonder whether Ventura is better than Sonoma, or if Sequoia will outperform Sonoma when it’s released at the end of 2024. Similarly, when choosing a Mac, you should consider which tech specs are best suited for your needs and choose between the M1 vs M2 chip, or any other Apple SoC.

The main difference between M1 and M2 chips is that the upgraded M2 is faster and more efficient than M1. As mentioned earlier, the M1 will suffice for most users who require the computer for basic tasks such as web browsing, listening to music, or occasional online streaming. On the other hand, we recommend a Mac with the M2 or its variants for those who need more power, especially gamers, and those who frequently edit videos and photos.

Regardless, over time, usage can impact any device, whether it’s equipped with M1 or M2, and the accumulation of junk files can slow it down. A good solution is to install MacKeeper and use the Safe Cleanup tool, which will optimize your computer in seconds.