Apple M2 vs Apple A16 Bionic (5-CPU 4-GPU)

Apple M2 was designed as a system-on-a-chip for portable computers and compact desktop systems. The manufacturing takes place using a 5-nm process.

With a memory bandwidth of 102 GB/s and 20 MB Level-2 cache without a Level-3 cache, the architecture is designed for demanding computing processes. In multi-core performance benchmarks, Apple M2 significantly outperforms the comparable mobile processor, while the single-core performance is at a similar level.

The integrated Apple M2 (10 Core) graphics unit provides a solid basis for gaming scenarios and media processing. Since the thermal design is intended for larger cases with PCIe 4.0 support, the performance remains stable even under continuous load. Apple M2 offers a balanced price-performance ratio for users who need a powerful system for productive tasks.

Apple A16 Bionic is a processor developed for smartphones that focuses on high energy efficiency. It is manufactured using a 4-nm process and features a Level-3 cache of 24 MB as well as 20 MB Level-2 cache. Despite the lower memory bandwidth of 51 GB/s, Apple A16 Bionic achieves a single-core performance that is nearly identical to Apple M2.

In multi-core applications, however, performance falls more than ten percent behind the desktop chip. The Apple A16 (4 GPU Cores) graphics are optimized for mobile applications, but offer fewer reserves for demanding games on a monitor. Due to the design for fanless mobile devices, the thermal power dissipation is very low.

This chip is ideal for users seeking maximum efficiency in a compact mobile device.