New MacBook Pro Features Smaller Heatsink Due to Supply Chain Issues

The M2 Pro and ‌M2‌ Max MacBook Pro models feature a considerably smaller heatsink due to supply chain issues, teardowns suggest.

macbook pro heatsink design changesTop: M1 Pro logic board with larger heatsink. Bottom: ‌M2‌ Pro logic board with smaller heatsink (via iFixit).

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌'s revised thermal architecture appears to be caused by the reduced overall footprint of the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max SoCs inside the device, as noted by iFixit and Max Tech. The ‌M1 Pro‌ and M1 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models contained two, large memory modules, but the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models contain four slimmer memory modules. Even though the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max dies are physically larger than those of the ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌, the SoCs as a whole take up less space.

macbook pro soc design changesLeft: ‌M1 Pro‌ SoC. Right: ‌M2‌ Pro SoC (via iFixit).

This means that the ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models do not require a heatsink as large as the one used for the previous generation. It is not clear if this significantly impacts thermal efficiency.

The reason for the use of four smaller memory modules appears to be supply chain issues. The entire SoC is mounted on a substrate, so four smaller modules allow Apple to use a smaller substrate, making a saving on materials and reducing complexity as a result. Dylan Patel, Chief Analyst at SemiAnalysis, told iFixit:

ABF substrates were in very short supply when Apple made the design choice. By using four smaller modules rather than two larger ones, they can decrease routing complexity within the substrate from the memory to the SoC, leading to fewer layers on the substrate. This allows them to stretch the limited substrate supply further.

The ‌M2‌ Pro and ‌M2‌ Max deliver up to 20 percent better CPU performance and 30 percent better GPU performance than their predecessors, but since the chips continue to be based on TSMC's 5nm process, some users have noted that Apple may have made thermal tradeoffs in order to deliver improved performance.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Tag: iFixit
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
ios 26 call holding

iOS 26 Beta is Hiding a New Ringtone — Here's What It Sounds Like

Thursday June 19, 2025 7:25 pm PDT by
Apple is hiding a new ringtone within iOS 26. The new ringtone is an alternative version of the existing Reflection ringtone, which has been the default ringtone since the iPhone X was released in 2017. It was discovered within the code for the first developer beta of iOS 26, but it remains hidden, so you will not find it in the list of ringtones available in the Settings app for now. It...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
Craig Federighi No

John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Wednesday June 18, 2025 8:10 pm PDT by
Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss...

Top Rated Comments

syklee26 Avatar
31 months ago
Potentially compromised performance at that price? That is unacceptable.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
31 months ago
Guess I'll have to stick to my M1-based MacBook Pro for now. I'm not sure these new, smaller heatsinks can handle my spicy memes and fire mixtapes. ?
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
31 months ago
Interesting how they claim its due to supply chain issues.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
31 months ago

Ah, "supply-chain issues", the all-purpose excuse for everything these days.
It’s what I tell my boss when I’m late to work.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aenean144 Avatar
31 months ago
That's not a heatsink. That's just the interface block that you are describing. The heat is transferred to the two radiator fins. The fans then blow air across the fins. The radiator fins are the heat sink. At least, that's what I classically think of as the heatsink.

This interface block completely covers the chip. It's fine.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThisBougieLife Avatar
31 months ago
Ah, "supply-chain issues", the all-purpose excuse for everything these days.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)