As with other MacBook models from Apple, the new MacBook Pro (2023) with M2 chip is also a step backwards in terms of SSD performance compared to its predecessor. The website 9to5mac found that the performance of the 512 GB SSD, both reading and writing, is lower than that of the MacBook Pro with the M1 chip.
Screenshots with the Disk Speed Test benchmark software show that around 3,150 MB/s for reading and 2,970 MB/s for writing are possible in the new MacBook Pro with M2. In the older MacBook Pro with M1, on the other hand, it is 3,950 MB/s reading and much higher 4,900 MB/s writing.
Even if this only reflects the theoretical maximum of the installed 512 GB SSD and the differences can be smaller in practice, the step backwards in SSD performance cannot be dismissed out of hand.
Fewer memory chips for the same capacity
A possible and obvious explanation for the lower performance is also provided in the report: In the new version, the SSD has only half as many NAND chips. Accordingly, these have twice the data density, but as is well known, SSDs benefit from the distribution of access to many chips so that the memory channels of the controller are utilized as best as possible. It is often the case that a model with more memory chips also delivers more throughput despite otherwise identical components.
The same with the MacBooks of 2022
However, when you look at the recent past, this discovery is no longer a surprise. Because even with the MacBook Pro 13 (2022) with M2, the 256 GB SSD of the basic version was a big step backwards compared to the predecessor. The same was noticed with the new MacBook Air and confirmed by Apple. A company spokeswoman said last summer that the new MacBooks with M2 will still be available in “real world activities“, i.e. practical applications, should be faster than their predecessors with faster SSD.
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