M2 Pro and M2 Max graphics performance benchmarks leak — M2 is 30% faster than last gen

MacBook Pro M2
(Image credit: Apple)

Our first look at Apple's M2 Pro and M2 Max graphical performance has arrived, offering an indicator of what we can expect from the hardware. These numbers have been revealed to us through Geekbench, a website that measures and scores performance for processors.

We're seeing around a 30% increase in performance scores when comparing the M1 Pro (39,758) to the M2 Pro (52,691) and the M1 Max (64,708) to the M2 Max (86,805). Unsurprisingly, the M1 Ultra (94,583) still outperforms them all when it comes to graphics scores. (via MacRumors).

2023 MacBook Pro 14 and 16 upgrades and availability

Apple announced the 2023 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros this week, offering the M2 Pro and M2 Max with up to 96GB of RAM. In the announcement post, the company promised graphics speed would be up to 30% faster compared to their M1 counterparts, which seems pretty close to what these Geekbench performance markers are suggesting.

If you are wondering what else has changed, we took an in-depth look at the MacBook Pro 14 2023 vs. 2021 to see whether it is worth the upgrade or if prospective buyers should consider saving some money by opting for the M1 Pro or M1 Max models that are starting to see significant discounts. The short answer is that the hardware is largely unchanged with the exception of the new chips, so that's the biggest factor to consider and we can now put that roughly 30% boost figure on it to help you make your decision.

Preorders for the 2023 MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max are open now and will begin shipping on January 24.

Momo Tabari
Contributing Writer

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Momo finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Momo is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.