M1 vs. M2 MacBook Pro: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Apple's M2 MacBook Pro comes over a year and a half after its M1-based predecessor. The new device features the exact same design, but there are several important, under-the-hood differences between the two machines that could make it an upgrade worth considering for some users, even though it may not be worthwhile for many customers.

13 inch macbook pro m2 mock feature 2
The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is often chosen by those who require active cooling for better sustained performance, the best compact MacBook battery life, or simply like the Touch Bar, with the device offering more than the MacBook Air but a price well below the high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Apple outlines at least six key differences between the now-discontinued M1 ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the new ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌:


M1 MacBook Pro

  • ‌M1‌ chip with 8-core GPU
  • 8GB and 16GB unified memory configurations
  • 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 61W USB‑C Power Adapter


M2 MacBook Pro

  • ‌M2‌ chip with 10-core GPU and dedicated media engine
  • 8GB, 16GB, and 24GB unified memory configurations
  • 100GB/s memory bandwidth
  • 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • Made with more recycled materials

M1 vs. M2

The main difference between the current and previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pros is their Apple silicon chip. The ‌M1‌ chip, introduced in November 2020, is based on Apple's A14 Bionic chip. On the other hand, the ‌M2‌ is seemingly based on the A15 Bionic chip. While both chips feature an eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, the ‌M2‌'s cores offer moderate performance and efficiency improvements. The ‌M2‌ also adds two additional GPU cores.

m2
According to Apple, the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is nearly 40 percent faster than the previous generation when working with RAW images in apps like Affinity Photo or playing graphics-intense games like "Baldur's Gate 3."

Like the M1 Pro, the ‌M2‌ features a media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW video encode and decode. The ‌M1‌ chip does not contain a dedicated media engine.

Apple says that this dramatically speeds up video workflows on the latest ‌MacBook Pro‌, allowing users to play back up to 11 streams of 4K and up to two streams of 8K ProRes video. Users can convert their video projects to ProRes nearly three times faster than before.

Unified Memory

Both the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ are configurable with 8GB or 16GB of unified memory, but the ‌M2‌ offers an additional 24GB top-tier memory option. Multitasking and memory-hungry workflows, such as working with large assets, benefit from the ‌M2‌ chip as a result. In addition, the ‌M2‌ has a 100GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 68.25GB/s with the ‌M1‌, meaning that the latest ‌MacBook Pro‌ can access more memory faster.

Support for High-Impedance Headphones

The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ continues to offer better speakers and microphones than the ‌MacBook Air‌, featuring high dynamic range and "studio-quality." The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ ups the device's audio credentials further with support for high-impedance headphones like the high-end 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which could be a meaningful upgrade for some audio professionals.

Power Adapter

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ comes with a 67W power adapter for slightly faster charging compared to the previous model's 61W power adapter.

Environmental Improvements

The previous 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was free of numerous harmful substances, met Apple's energy efficiency standards, and used wood fiber in the packaging from recycled sources or responsibly managed forests, but the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ further reduces the device's environmental impact by using 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the enclosure magnets and 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board.

Final Thoughts

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ offers modest upgrades over the previous-generation model, with most aspects of the device remaining the same. Specific video and audio workflows stand to benefit from the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌'s improvements, as will anyone who needs more than 16GB of memory or broader memory bandwidth, but everyday users are unlikely to notice substantial differences.

Given that it has only been 18 months since Apple launched the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the ‌M1‌ chip continues to be offered in the iPad Air, iPad Pro, Mac mini, and iMac, the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ will likely not be worth it coming directly from the previous model and future-proofing is unlikely to be an important factor at this stage. Most 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ customers may wish to wait longer in between upgrades for more meaningful improvements.

The ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ is better suited to buyers who are upgrading from an older machine, rather than 2020's ‌M1‌ model. Spearheaded by the ‌M2‌ chip, the device's series of minor improvements offer a good overall package for these buyers, ensuring that they get a slightly more modern and capable machine.

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iphone air thickness

Apple Said to Cut iPhone Air Production Amid Underwhelming Sales

Friday October 17, 2025 8:29 am PDT by
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec). The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
maxresdefault

Here's Everything Apple Announced Today

Wednesday October 15, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We didn't get a second fall event this year, but Apple did unveil updated products with a series of press releases that went out today. The M5 chip made an appearance in new MacBook Pro, Vision Pro, and iPad Pro models. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up our coverage and highlighted the main feature changes for each device below. MacBook Pro M5...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New 14-Inch MacBook Pro Has Two Key Upgrades Beyond the M5 Chip

Thursday October 16, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M5 chip, and there are two key storage-related upgrades beyond that chip bump. First, Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 2× faster SSD performance than the equivalent previous-generation model, so read and write speeds should get a significant boost. Apple says it is using "the latest storage technology," ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

Apple Debuts New iPad Pro With M5 Chip, Faster Charging, and More

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple today announced the next-generation iPad Pro, featuring the custom-designed M5, C1X, and N1 chips. The M5 chip has up to a 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. It features a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerator in each core, allowing the new iPad Pro to deliver up to 3.5x the AI performance than the previous model, and a third-generation ray-tracing ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, which is also available in updated iPad Pro and Vision Pro models. In addition, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with up to 4TB of storage on Apple's online store, whereas the previous model maxed out at 2TB. However, the maximum amount of unified RAM available for this model remains 32GB. Like...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
m4 macbook air blue

M5 MacBook Air Coming Spring 2026 With M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini in Development

Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year. Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...

Top Rated Comments

gaximus Avatar
44 months ago

You had me at "more recycled materials" ?
The irony of upgrading for that reason alone. ?
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
heystu Avatar
44 months ago
You had me at "more recycled materials" ?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ct2k7 Avatar
44 months ago
I don't think expecting a huge change between yearly generations is something we should be looking for.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheDailyApple Avatar
44 months ago

No way, it's not worth an upgrade. Only 20% faster with the M2. Not worth it at all.

M2 Chip should have been called M1S. Save the money and get yourself a M2 MacBook Air.
I think you’re underestimating how big a 20% boost in performance is. Processors don’t evolve in leaps and bounds the way you might think, so a 20% performance is a big step forward.

Not worth upgrading your computer over, but definitely worth naming M2.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Heckles Avatar
44 months ago
The 24GB of RAM is an annoying number. It should be in 2’s: 8,16, and 32
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
44 months ago
No way, it's not worth an upgrade. Only 20% faster with the M2. Not worth it at all.

M2 Chip should have been called M1S. Save the money and get yourself a M2 MacBook Air.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)