The Apple M2 chip was the second chip in the series, which was released in 2022. Now, the Apple M4 chip has been released on the market. How much improvement did M4 have over the M2 chip in two years? Here, we have compared both chips in-depth with benchmarks and performance to determine which gives you better value for money.
Main Differences
- M2 has 8 CPU Cores and Threads compared to M4, which has 10 CPU Cores and Threads.
- M4 has a 4.41 GHz CPU Clock speed, while M2 has a 3.5 GHz CPU Clock speed.
- M2 is 1 year and 11 months older
- M4 has an 1800 MHz GPU clock speed, while M2 has a 1398 MHz GPU clock speed.
- M2 is built on a 5nm fabrication process, while M4 is built on a 3nm fabrication process.
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both the CPUs.
| Apple M4(10-core) | Apple M2(8-Core) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 8 |
| Performance Cores | 4 | 4 |
| Efficiency Cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 10 | 8 |
| Performance Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Efficiency Threads | 6 | 4 |
| Base Clock Speed (Performance Core) | 4.41 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock Speed (Efficiency Core) | 2.59 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Instruction Set | ARMv9 | ARMv8 |
| Socket | Apple M-Socket | Apple M-Socket |
| L1 Cache | 192K/core | 192K/core |
| L2 Cache | 16MB(shared) | 16MB(shared) |
| Multiplier | 44x | – |
| Fabrication Process | 3nm | 5nm |
| Transistors | 28 billion | 20 billion |
| TDP | 22 W | 18 W |
| Max Temperature | 100°C | 100°C |
| Integrated Graphics | Apple M4 GPU | Apple M2 GPU |
| GPU Core | 10 | 10 |
| GPU Base Clock Speed | 500 MHz | 500MHz |
| GPU Boost Clock Speed | 1800 MHz | 1398 MHz |
| Memory | LPDDR5X-7500 | LPDDR4X-6400 |
| Memory Size | 32 GB | 24 GB |
| Memory Channels | 4 | 2 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| Release date | 07, May 2024 | 06, June 2022 |
Benchmarks
Now that we have compared basic specs, let’s compare some popular benchmark standards between these two CPUs to find out which one comes out on top in performance.
Passmark Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 4601(+18%)
- M2 – 3900
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 24386(+56%)
- M2 – 15587
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 3869(+49%)
- M2 – 2597
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 13460(38%)
- M2 – 9729
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 174(+44%)
- M2 – 121
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 976(+76%)
- M2 – 555
Productivity benchmark tests
If you are wondering how these chips compare to each other for productivity and content creation, such as 3D design and video editing. Here, we are also sharing some productivity benchmarks with you.
Adobe After Effects (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 943(+15%)
- M2 – 817
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 10975(+41%)
- M2 – 7798
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 4843(62%)
- M2 – 2976
Price
The brand new Apple MacBook Pro(2024) with M4(10-Core) costs $1400, and the Lowest Price For Apple MacBook Air(2022) with M2 (8-Core) is available at resale for $749. So, the New Apple MacBook Pro 2024 is about 87% more expensive right now.
Note: Prices are at the time of creation of this comparison. It may not have been updated to the latest price when you are looking at this comparison.
Conclusion – Which one should you buy?
Now, it’s time to look at all the data and figure out which one is the best option for you. First up, the Apple MacBook Air(2022) with M2 (8-Core) is 87% cheaper. When it comes to the traditional benchmarks, there is a huge difference between the two chips in single-core performance. Same thing when you look at multicore benchmarks. The M4(10-Core) is far better than the M2 (10-Core)
Now speaking about productivity and content creation benchmarks, the same noticeable difference becomes even huge for Premier Pro, where the M4(10-Core) performs 62% better than the M2(8-Core).
Apple chips aren’t particularly great at gaming, so we have skipped that comparison. If you are looking for a Gaming CPU, you are better off with Intel or AMD. They provide far better value compared to Apple.
In conclusion, Apple M4(10-Core) is the clear winner when it comes to performance. However, the M2 (8-Core) is significantly cheaper and provides much better value for money.
So, if you are looking for better value for money, then MacBook Air(2022) with M2(8-Core) is a great choice. However, if you do have the budget, then you can also choose the MacBook Pro(2024) with M4(10-core). It’s significantly faster and has new features and other upgrades over the original one.
