Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) vs Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)

The Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) is based on the M1 architecture, manufactured using the 5 nm process.

It is designed for professional users and creatives who benefit from its powerful integrated graphics unit with 32 cores and a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s. This combination enables good performance in demanding applications, including AI workloads. Its L2 cache is 28 MB. Benchmarks show solid overall performance.

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) represents the evolution of the M2 architecture, also manufactured using the 5 nm process.

It targets the same audience but offers architectural improvements that result in generally higher CPU performance, often with over 10 percent performance increase compared to the M1 Max. The integrated graphics unit has 30 cores and shares a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s. The L2 cache has been expanded to 36 MB.

Its improved efficiency enables high performance per watt. In a direct comparison, the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) significantly outperforms the Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) in multi-core performance by over 10 to 20 percent, and also offers an advantage of more than 10 percent in single-core performance in many scenarios.

In gaming, architectural optimizations of the M2 Max (30-GPU) can achieve comparable or slightly better gaming performance despite fewer GPU cores. Both are characterized by high energy efficiency. Systems with the Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) tend to be more affordably priced on the market than those with the newer Apple M2 Max (30-GPU).

For users with a more limited budget who still require very high performance, especially in graphics, the Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) is an excellent choice. Those who desire the latest generation with maximum CPU performance and the finest architectural improvements, and are willing to pay a premium for it, should consider the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU).