apple’s-base-m2-macbook-pro-laptop-seemingly-got-a-big-ssd-downgrade
Earlier this month, Apple unveiled its second era M2 processor with some notable upgrades over the earlier era M1. It’s a bodily larger SoC that packs 20 billion transistors, and helps as much as 24GB of quick unified reminiscence with 100GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth, which is 50 % larger than the M1. That’s all properly and good, however for no matter cause, Apple seems to have gimped the SSD storage on the baseline MacBook Pro with an M2 chip (in comparison with the M1 mannequin).
This has been noticed in at the very least two in style YouTube channels—Created Tech and Max Tech. Both took a take a look at the M2-powered MacBook Pro with 256GB of SSD storage, and each noticed a sizeable drop in disk efficiency in comparison with the M1 mannequin with the identical capability SSD.
Starting with the latter, Max Tech recorded drive efficiency with the Blackmagic SSD benchmark and noticed sequential learn speeds go from 2,900MB/s on the M1 MacBook Pro to 1,446MB/s on the M2 MacBook Pro. That’s a better than 50 % decline in efficiency. Similarly, the sequential write check show a virtually 40 % drop in efficiency, going from 2,215MB/s (M1 MacBook Pro) to 1,463MB/s (M2 MacBook Pro).
Likewise, Created Tech additionally noticed disturbing storage efficiency disparities between the 2 fashions. In AKA, the M1 MacBook Pro benched round 98 % sooner in learn speeds and 45 % sooner in writes in comparison with the M2 MacBook Pro mannequin, each with a 256GB SSD. Interestingly, write speeds have been roughly the identical when working AJA, however for reads, it confirmed the M1 MacBook Pro working 156 % sooner. So what provides?
Source: Created Tech (through YouTube)
Teardowns of the MacBook Pro fashions revealed a key distinction within the storage association. On the newer M2 MacBook Pro, there is a single NAND flash reminiscence chip, whereas the M1 mannequin splits the storage throughout two chips. Same goes for bigger capacities on the M2 mannequin—if choosing 512GB of SSD storage or extra, there are two NAND flash chips as an alternative of 1.
Turns out this will have a big effect on storage efficiency. In twin chip configurations, every one can join individually to the M2 processor (or M1) and fill two storage buses in parallel. It’s not fairly RAID 0, however considerably related in idea.
This is unlucky, however there are a few silver linings. One is that you could be by no means even discover a pace distinction, as a result of the storage scheme continues to be sooner whether or not there’s one NAND chip or two. And those that are prone to actually hammer the storage subsystem, they’re going to in all probability go for extra capability than the 256GB base mannequin anyway.
Still, it is disappointing when you think about that this was not a limitation of the earlier era mannequin. The M2 is a giant improve over the M1, and you do not (or should not) count on that Apple will scale issues again in different areas from one era of MacBook to the subsequent.
Anyway, try the Created Tech and Max Tech movies for a broader comparability.

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