Apple M2 Pro vs Apple M1 Max

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 Pro vs Apple M1 Max and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as PassMark, Prime95, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, RealBench, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Blender, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

Valheim
Valorant
Overwatch
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
Fortnite
Watch Dogs Legion
Rainbow Six Siege
Apex Legends
Halo Infinite
DOOM: Eternal
Fallout 76
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Red Dead Redemption 2
Cyberpunk 2077
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Grand Theft Auto V
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Last Man Standing

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 Max or Apple M2 Pro.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

M2 Pro

61%

M1 Max

60%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 1% better than M1 Max. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Pro

59%

M1 Max

57%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	101.3
Valorant	119.1	115.1
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	64.5
Apex Legends	111.9	108.2
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	86.3
Overwatch	96.5	93.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	79.4
DOOM Eternal	59.5	57.6
Warzone	92.9	89.8
Assassin's Creed	100.0	96.7
Valheim	98.8	95.5

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Pro

496%

M1 Max

332%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M2 Pro is more energy efficient than the M1 Max as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 18W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Max
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	313
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	1811
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	617
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	3106
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	2360
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	12204

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Max
Single-Core	6111	5344
Multi-Core	39485	34572

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Max
Single-Core	2085	1793
Multi-Core	16467	13028

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Max
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	October 07, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	M2	M1
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	2	1
Turbo Frequency
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	12	10
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	57000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	18 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	409 GByte/s
L1 cache	4MB	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	24MB
L3 cache	36MB	48MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		APL1105

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Pro is 8% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 2 more core than M1 Max. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Apple M2 Pro is better: 27
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Max is better: 5
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Apple M1 Max before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Apple M2 Pro - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M2 Pro specs and review.

Apple M1 Max - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M1 Max specs and review.