Choosing an SSD with more capacity is very often accompanied by a slightly higher data throughput. Last summer, when testing the MacBook Air M2, it was noticed that this wisdom was even more true when comparing the base model with 256 GB and the next configuration with 512 GB. Here, there were not only differences in the single-digit percentage range, but instead the write/read rates with the smaller SSD were almost 50% worse. The reason: Apple had changed the internal placement of memory chips. Now it turns out that something very similar happens with the MacBook Pro 2023 if you choose the basic version.MacBook Pro 512GB (2021) vs MacBook Pro 512GB (2023)
A MacBook Pro with 512 GB storage capacity from the model year 2023 was able to write at 3,154 Mbit/s and read at 2,973 Mbit/s in the test. However, if you compare it to the 2021 MacBook Pro, which also uses 512 GB, the values are 3,950 MBit/s and 4900 MBit/s – a dramatic difference in SSD performance!
Left: 2023 model, right: 2021 model, both 512 GB
Chips with more memory, but those with less
The reason for this significant drop is quickly found, because Apple chose a similar path as with the 2022 MacBook Air M2. The individual NAND chips have more capacity, but fewer memory modules are used as a result. The MacBook Pro 2021 distributed the 512 GB storage capacity to four chips with 128 GB each, but the MacBook Pro 2023 has two chips with 256 GB. Although this should reduce the power consumption a little, you also accept a significant reduction in performance, because fewer chips can be controlled in parallel.
Mac mini M2: Basic version also significantly slower
The same can be observed with the Mac mini M2. If you opt for the smallest SSD, like the 2020 you get 256 GB, you have to accept compromises. The recently updated model performs 30 to 50 percent worse than the variant launched in 2020 in the SSD benchmark. As with the MacBook Air M2, Apple only touches it down one instead of two NAND chips. This results in 1,500 Mbit/s of throughput – compared to 2500 to 3000 Mbit/s before.
Conclusion
Hardly anyone is likely to switch from the base model of a 2021 MacBook Pro to the base model of a 2023 MacBook Pro. However, those who plan to do so should seriously consider opting for more memory. This recommendation also applies to the Mac mini, because it would actually be expected that a new generation would perform better than its predecessor in every respect. Memory cannot be upgraded later, so Apple creates another argument for opting for more expensive configurations.
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