MacBook Pro M2 Max, but maybe I’ll wait for the M3 Max
The new MacBook Pro M2 Max is here, but is it worth upgrading to? I am trying to convince myself why I shouldn’t upgrade to the M2 Max just yet and consider whether I should wait another 1.5 years before upgrading.
The design for the M2 Max and Pro machines hasn’t changed, it’s virtually identical to the later versions of the M1 series. Which means that the MacBook Pro M2 Max and Pro also still feature the controversial “notch” at the top of the screen, which may be a deal breaker for some. The new chip does provide significant improvements in performance however, including faster processing and longer battery life.
Another factor to consider is budget. The M2 Max comes with a hefty price tag of course, as all Apple products do. My current intel based MacBook Pro 16″, which Apple kept comparing the M2 Max against, hasn’t reached its limits yet and I have invested over 4.1k € into a gaming PC less than four months ago. Spending another 5,000 € might just not be the smartest expense right now. Again, if your current machine is meeting your needs and is running smoothly, like mine still is, there may not be a pressing need to upgrade at this time.
Apple’s MacBook Pro M2 Max Benchmarks
It’s also worth noting that while Apple’s benchmarks are impressive, real-world data is not yet available for the M2 Max. Additionally, compatibility issues and bugs may still need to be ironed out. Before making a decision, it may be wise to wait for reviews from users who have had a chance to use the M2 Max for an extended period of time.
In conclusion, the new MacBook Pro M2 Max is a powerful and impressive machine, but it’s important to weigh your own needs and budget before making a decision. While the M2 Max may be the right choice for some, it may be worth waiting for more real-world data and reviews before upgrading. See you next time.
David Dzidzikashvili
The new gen 3nm M3 chip with a 40-core CPU will definitely deliver more visible power vs M2 generation. I think with the M3 chips Apple will enter the gaming space, and the newer generation Macs will have much better gaming benchmark scores and the overall FPS rates and performance vs prior gen M2 and M1 chips. M3 Macs will close gaming performance gaps vs Windows OS based platforms and RTX series gaming graphics cards. The current M2 has already made substantial progress in this regard, so M3 with 3nm chip infrastructure will again raise the bar very high.
There will be other performance improvements too that the M3 will offer if you are going to perform GPU-demanding tasks such as 3D graphic rendering or modeling, video and audio production, etc. Here too the next-gen M3 3nm process will offer up to 15% higher performance and 30% lower power draw versus N5. By comparison, N5P is a 7% improvement with 15% less power draw vs prior gen.