M4 Chip vs. M2 Chip: What’s the difference between these two Apple Chipsets?

M4 Chip vs. M2 Chip: What’s the Differences

Apple M4 chipset

Currently, the M4 chip is found in the iPad Pro, as well as in the Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac. Meanwhile, the M2 chip is available in the MacBook Air and the previous generation Mac mini.

Focusing purely on technical specifications, there are notable differences due to the time elapsed between the release of the M2 chip and the M4 chip. The M2 chip has 20 billion transistors, whereas the M4 chip increases that count to 28 billion.

This means that the M4 chip can deliver up to 40% better performance in productivity tasks, like handling complex Excel spreadsheets. Here’s a breakdown of the rest of the specifications in a comparison table:

Another highlight of the M4 chip is that it starts with 16GB of RAM, doubling the 8GB found in previous generations. In practice, this upgrade allows you to keep more applications open simultaneously.

M4 Chip vs M2 Chip : Technical Specification Comparison

Characteristics M4 Chip M2 Chip
Total CPU Cores Up to 10 cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency) Up to 8 cores (4 performance + 2 efficiency)
GPU Cores Up to 10 cores Up to 10 cores
Neural Engine Cores 16 cores 16 cores
Minimum RAM 16GB 8GB
Maximum RAM 32GB 24GB
RAM Speed 120GB/s 100GB/s

M4 Pro Chip vs. M2 Pro Chip: What’s the Differences

Apple M4 Pro chipset

The M4 Pro Chip, available in the Mac mini, offers a power boost for users who need extra performance for professional tasks or simply want a Mac that will last for many years. RAM capacity goes up to 64GB, setting a new standard perfect for users of professional creative editing software.

M4 Pro Chip vs M2 Pro Chip : Technical Specification Comparison

Characteristics M4 Pro Chip M2 Pro Chip
Total CPU Cores Up to 14 cores (10 performance + 4 efficiency) Up to 12 cores (8 performance + 4 efficiency)
GPU Cores Up to 20 cores Up to 19 cores
Neural Engine Cores 16 cores 16 cores
Minimum RAM 16GB 16GB
Maximum RAM 64GB 32GB
RAM Speed Up to 273GB/s 200GB/s

M4 Max Chip vs M2 Max Chip : What’s the Differences?

Apple M4 Max chipset

The M4 Max Chip, found in the high-end MacBook Pro, represents the pinnacle of power in this chip generation, designed for the most demanding professionals who want maximum performance in any task. With a maximum of 128GB of RAM, it breaks barriers, enabling it to move over half a terabyte of data every second!

M4 Max Chip vs M2 Max Chip : Technical Specification Comparison

Characteristics M4 Max Chip M2 Max Chip
Total CPU Cores Up to 16 cores (12 performance + 4 efficiency) Up to 12 cores (8 performance + 4 efficiency)
GPU Cores Up to 40 cores Up to 38 cores
Neural Engine Cores 16 cores 16 cores
Minimum RAM 26GB 32GB
Maximum RAM 128GB 64GB
RAM Speed Up to 560GB/s 400GB/s

If you're looking to use Apple Intelligence, don't worry: both M2 and M4 chips can fully support it. This artificial intelligence feature will be available starting in April 2025 in all EU countries, including Spain.

Don't forget that you can already reserve the new Macs with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips on our website at the iSTYLE UAE store ! You're also welcome to visit our physical stores across the UAE to see the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models in person and choose the model that best suits you. Our staff will be happy to assist you!