Looking to buy a 13-inch MacBook Pro? Well, with Apple, we’re all used to the idea that the latest model is the best. So, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 (2022), which launches on June 17, is certainly a crash?
After all, it has the latest M2 processor, which Apple says is a 40% increase in performance over the M1 chip in its predecessor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020). In addition to the promised increase in speed, this means better battery life, up to 20 hours. And best of all, the new version launches at the same price as the earlier model, so you don’t even pay extra (if it’s still too much for you, follow our Apple Prime Day Deal Centers for any bargains) .
Of course, no one got too excited about this new MacBook Pro, because in the end it hasn’t changed much: it still has the same overall design, the same Touch Bar, the same 720p webcam. But at the same time, the consensus was that this was a significant improvement over the old model. While, that is, several YouTubers have noticed something that Apple keeps to itself.
Slower SSD
In the end not so fast (Image credit: Apple)
The problem is that while the M2 processor is really faster than the older M1 chip, there is something else inside the laptop that slows things down: a solid state drive (SSD) that stores persistent data in hard flash memory.
Well, it turns out that in the base (256GB) model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2, the SSD has only one NAND flash chip for storage, while the older model had two. This was not announced by Apple and no one noticed until recently, because reviewers do not have the habit of removing the backs of laptops (PR companies that borrow them tend to want them back in one piece!)
However, the problem with the SSD came to light after YouTuber Max Yuriev tested the basic version (256GB) using the Disk Speed Test application of Blackmagic (opens in a new section). He found that SSD read speeds were about 50% slower and write speeds were about 30% slower than the previous model. (See the video below).
Yuriev’s results were as follows:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1 / 256GB) Read speed: 2900
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 / 256GB) Read speed: 1446
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1 / 256GB) Recording speed: 2215
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 / 256GB) Recording speed: 1463
Another YouTube channel, Created Tech, came to similar conclusions:
The slower SSD is obviously a problem for anyone who regularly transfers large files, such as graphic designers, motion designers, animators, VFX artists and other creative professionals. As 4K is now the norm and is increasingly giving way to 8K and even higher resolutions, the time it takes to move a file will really affect your performance.
But that’s not all. SSDs are not only used to store files, but also double as virtual RAM when your existing RAM is fully depleted. And this usually happens when you use resource-intensive software, which is something that many creative professionals do on a regular basis.
Do you have to buy it?
So what does all this mean for consumers? Well, to put it simply, if you buy the base model of a 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 (2022) and use it to run Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, 3DS Max, Maya or similar tools, you can find that performance in fact, it is slower than the M1 2020 model.
The same problem doesn’t seem to occur with the 512 GB model, but it’s much more expensive. So in general, if you’re dealing with very large files and using resource-intensive creative software, we’d recommend screwing the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 and sticking to one of the existing models. (Our guides to the best MacBook in general and the best MacBook video editing can help you make that choice.)
Either that, or wait for the new MacBook Air 2022, which sounds like it’s going to be a lot more interesting.
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