We tested the MacBook Pro with M2 Max: same design but more power and autonomy

The jump to the M series processors gave Apple, at the end of 2021, the perfect excuse to

.

With more ports, a new keyboard and yes, a "notch" on the screen like that of the iPhone (the area that houses the webcam), the new MacBook Pro finally hit the target and left behind a stage full of problems, especially because of the use of the too failure-prone mechanism on the keyboard.

A year and a half later, its successors have arrived, this time equipped with

, which to no one's surprise are called M2 Pro and M2 Max.

I've spent the last five days testing one of them, the 14-inch version with an M2 Max processor, and they're back in power, of course, but the jump isn't as dramatic as the company's computers experienced when they abandoned Intel processors.

From the outset, what you have to keep in mind is that these Macbook Pros are very similar to last year's model.

The layout and ports are the same;

and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz that changes automatically according to the needs of each application;

the same speakers - which sound very, very good - and the same hidden webcam in that tab at the top of the screen that is crying out to integrate FaceID, but so far without success.

There are some relatively major internal changes.

The new MacBook Pros, for example

the latest WiFi standard capable of reaching 5.4 Gbps of transfer using the 6 GHz radio band. You have to have routers that are compatible with the technology, yes, and at the moment there are few so I have not been able to test this new connection.

They also have

, capable of moving an 8K signal for the first time with a refresh rate of up to 60 Hz. Like the models with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, these computers can connect to two external monitors (that is, a total of three screens if we take into account the one integrated into the equipment).

more powerful

But the important thing here is the new processors.

The M2 Pro and M2 Max follow a similar evolution to that shown last year by the M2 that gives life to the MacBook Air.

The processors are made with a slightly different lithographic process, but still based on 5 nanometers, so the gains in efficiency and power are significant but not huge.

In processors, the leap to a smaller manufacturing process means that more transistors can be embedded on the same surface and also that they generate less heat, resulting in much more powerful and capable chips.

Still, the difference with the M1 Pro and M1 Max is noticeable, especially at the highest settings.

Apple started with a fairly powerful chip and ensures that the power increase in this new generation is around 20%.

The MacBook Pro, in an image of Apple

At the moment of truth, it will depend a lot on the type of application that is used, how well optimized it is and the type of work that is requested of it.

The equipment that Apple has provided for testing is a 14-inch MacBook with M2 Max equipped with 12 general computing cores (eight high-power and four high-efficiency) and 38 graphics processing cores with 64 MB of memory.

In M processors the memory is integrated into the chip and given the design of the processor, in M2 Max it has a speed of 400 GB/s.

In Octane X, a program for rendering 3D modeled scenes, my experience is that this MacBook Pro is around 10-15% faster than the M1 Max.

In other jobs, such as video editing or photo retouching, the jump is closer to that 20%.

In the video section, it is perhaps where it shines the most, since video editing is one of the jobs that Apple thinks of when it thinks of a professional audience.

With the new architecture, and thanks to a new video engine,

.

It is outrageous if we take into account that we are talking about a fairly compact and light laptop.

When it comes to playing games, it is also a powerful machine, although hampered by the lack of a typical catalog on Macs. Although it does not try to compete with a laptop for gamers, this MacBook managed to move the Resident Evil Village with ease with the highest graphic quality at a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels with a sustained 100 frames per second.

AUTONOMY

When the maximum is requested, the fans come into operation, which are not particularly noisy but are noticeable.

Autonomy also suffers, although this is perhaps the other notable aspect of these machines.

With a moderate workload, browsing the web, writing and checking email

(11:46 minutes in my tests).

If it is only used to consume video, it is easy to reach 18 hours.

The MacBook Pro, in an image of Apple

Like the 2021 model, this MacBook Pro can be charged via USB-C or through the built-in Magsafe port.

The cable that accompanies the laptop now also has the color of the team.

One curious detail is that the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro includes the 67-watt power charger, while

The 16-inch models all come with a 140-watt power supply.

The new MacBook Pro starts at 2,449 euros

for the M2 Pro model with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16 GB of unified memory and 512 GB of SSD storage.

The model that we have tested, the M2 Max with 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 64 GB of unified memory and 2 TB of SSD storage is priced at 4,899 euros.

Both can be reserved now on the Apple website and will be available tomorrow Tuesday.

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