Apple WWDC 2022: M2 Chip Redefines Power-Efficient Performance, Almost 2x Better Than Its Closest Competitor

WWDC 2022 has begun with a bang, and in midst of all the software updates came the launch of Apple’s M2-series chipset. The second-generation of M-series chipset promises to be the most power-efficient processor out there.

While the saga of Apple’s ARM-based chip began with the incredible M1 two years ago, this year at WWDC we got a glimpse of the powerful M2 Apple silicon. 

In a style unique to Apple, the company has managed to boost the performance in the newly launched M2 series significantly while minimising power consumption. It delivers 18 per cent higher CPU performance in comparison to M1 series and does 1.9x better in comparison to 10-core PC laptop chips – at one-fourth the power. 

This amazing feat is achieved due to the chipset’s combined unified memory architecture and custom technologies, which keep the focus on power efficiency.

Next-Gen Technology

M2 uses 5-nanometre technology that packs in a mind boggling 20 billion transistors (25 per cent more than M1) with a revamped memory controller that delivers 100 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth – 50 per cent more than M1. 

The M2 has an 8-core CPU (4-performance cores, 4-efficiency cores). This time around, performance cores are faster and feature larger cache, while the efficiency cores have been enhanced for greater performance gains.  

What’s phenomenal about M2 is that it can also match up in performance with the latest 12-core PC laptop chipset (they tend to consume a lot more power, are thicker, and impinge on battery life). M2 can deliver up to 87% of what a 12-core PC laptop chip can conjure up at one-fourth the power consumption – which reaffirms Apple’s sheer commitment to power-efficiency.

CPU Performance Comparison between M2 and 12-core PC Laptop Chip

Better GPU

M2 GPU performance receives a major leg up as it has two more GPU cores as compared to the M1. This allows the second-generation Apple silicon to deliver 35 per cent higher graphics performance at max power than the M1. 

When compared to the latest integrated graphics in 10-core PC laptop, the GPU in M2 delivers 2.3x faster performance at the same power level at an astounding one-fifth of the power!

The M2 also features an enhanced Neural Engine which can now compute 15.8 trillion operations/ second (40 per cent more than M1) and the media engine includes a higher-bandwidth video decoder, supporting 8K H.264 and HEVC video. Also, ProRes video engine enables playback of multiple streams of both 4K and 8K video (users can playback multiple streams of 4K and 8K videos).

To summarise M2’s performance during the keynote, Johny Srouji, SVP of Hardware Technologies at Apple said, “It starts our next generation of M-series chips with 18 per cent faster CPU, 35 per cent faster GPU, 40 per cent faster neural engine, and 50 per cent more memory bandwidth”.

M2 Feature Improvements

It was revealed during the keynote that the M2 chips are going to mark their debut with the redesigned MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, which will be out in the market later this year.