The Apple M2 Pro was a more advanced version of the M2 with 4 more cores Which was introduced in 2023. Now, the Apple M4 chip has been released on the market and it has 10 cores. Is the 10-core M4 more powerful compared to the older 12-core M2 Pro? Here, we have compared both chips in-depth with benchmarks and performance to determine which gives you better value for money.
Main Differences
- M2 Pro has 12 CPU Cores and Threads compared to M4, which has 10 CPU Cores and Threads.
- M4 has a 4.41 CPU Clock speed, while M2 Pro has a 3.5 GHz CPU Clock speed.
- M2 Pro is 1 year and 4 months older
- M4 has an 1800 MHz GPU clock speed, while M2 Pro has a 1398 MHz GPU clock speed.
- M2 Pro is built on a 5nm fabrication process, while M4 is built on a 3nm fabrication process.
- M4 has 10 GPU Cores compared to M2 Pro, which has 19 GPU Cores.
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both the CPUs.
| Apple M4(10-core) | Apple M2 Pro(12-Core) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 12 |
| Performance Cores | 4 | 8 |
| Efficiency Cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 10 | 12 |
| Performance Threads | 4 | 8 |
| 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) | 32MB(shared) |
| Multiplier | 44x | – |
| Fabrication Process | 3nm | 5nm |
| Transistors | 28 billion | 40 billion |
| TDP | 22 W | 30 W |
| Max Temperature | 100°C | 100°C |
| Integrated Graphics | Apple M4 GPU | Apple M2 Pro GPU |
| GPU Core | 10 | 19 |
| GPU Base Clock Speed | 500 MHz | 450 MHz |
| GPU Boost Clock Speed | 1800 MHz | 1398 MHz |
| Memory | LPDDR5X-7500 | LPDDR4X-6400 |
| Memory Size | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory Channels | 4 | 4 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| Release date | 07, May 2024 | 17, January 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(+12%)
- M2 Pro – 4107
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 24386
- M2 Pro – 26649(+9%)
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 3869(+46%)
- M2 Pro – 2637
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 13460
- M2 Pro – 14269(+6%)
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 174(+41%)
- M2 Pro – 123
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 976
- M2 Pro – 1027(+5%)
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
- M2 Pro – 982(+4%)
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 10975(+27%)
- M2 Pro – 8607
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- M4 – 4843(+2%)
- M2 Pro – 4712
Price
The brand new Apple MacBook Pro(2024) with M4(10-Core) costs $1400, and the Lowest Price For Apple MacBook Pro(2023) with M2 Pro (2-Core) is available for resale at $1400. So, both are available at the same price.
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 Pro(2023) with M2 Pro (12-Core) and Apple MacBook M4(10-Core) are available at the same price.
When it comes to the traditional benchmarks, the M4(10-Core) performs much better than the M2 Pro (12-Core). However, when it comes to multicore benchmarks, roles are reversed, though performance gains are very minimal for M2 Pro(12-core) over the M4(10-Core)
Now speaking about productivity and content creation benchmarks, both chips perform almost identically, except for Photoshop, where M4(10-Core) performs 27% better compared to M2 Pro (12-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, especially for single-core. The M2 Pro(12-Core) does have some advantages in multicore tasks; the difference between the two isn’t very noticeable.
So, if you are looking for better value for money, then the MacBook Pro(2024) with M4(10-core) is significantly faster and has new features and other upgrades over the older M2 Pro Apple MacBook Pro.
