Apple M2

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Short description|System-on-a-chip designed by Apple}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox CPU | image = Apple M2.jpg | alt = The icon for the Apple M2 ARM-based system on a chip used by Apple in its software, advertising et cetera. | created = {{Start date and age|2022|06|24}} | code = | microarch = "Avalanche" and "Blizzard" | size-from = [[5 nm process|5 nm]] (N5P) | designfirm = [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] | manuf1 = [[TSMC]] | arch = [[AArch64#ARMv8.6-A|ARMv8.6-A]]<ref name="m2microarch">{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/blob/main/llvm/unittests/TargetParser/TargetParserTest.cpp|title=llvm-project/llvm/unittests/TargetParser/TargetParserTest.cpp at main · llvm/llvm-project · GitHub|website=[[GitHub]]|date=10 September 2024|access-date=10 September 2024}}</ref> | gpu = Apple-designed integrated graphics (8–76 core) | co-processor= NPU: 16 TOPS | transistors = 20–134 billion | numcores = 8–24 (4–16 high-performance + 4–8 high-efficiency) | memory = 6400 MT/s LPDDR5 memory (up to 192 GB) | application = Notebook ([[MacBook]] family), tablet ([[iPad Pro]] and [[iPad Air]]), desktop ([[Mac Mini]], [[Mac Studio]], [[Mac Pro]]), mixed reality headset ([[Vision Pro]])<ref name="vpro">{{Cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/5/23738968/apple-vision-pro-ar-headset-features-specs-price-release-date-wwdc-2023 |title=Apple Vision Pro is Apple's new $3,499 AR headset |publisher=The Verge |date=June 5, 2023|access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> | clock = 3.49 GHz<ref>{{cite web |title=Clock Rate Secrets: Shaping the Future of Computing |url=https://www.99encrypt.com/advise/clock-rate-secrets-shaping-the-future-of-computing/ |date=November 12, 2024 |publisher=99Encrypt |access-date=November 25, 2024}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2025}} | l1cache = Performance cores: 192+128 KB per core Efficiency cores: 128+64 KB per core | l2cache = Performance cores: 16–64 MB Efficiency cores: 4–8 MB | llcache = '''M2''': 8 MB '''M2 Pro:''' 24 MB '''M2 Max:''' 48 MB '''M2 Ultra:''' 96 MB | predecessor = [[Apple M1]] | successor = [[Apple M3]] | variant = {{ubl |M2 |M2 Pro |M2 Max |M2 Ultra |[[Apple A15]]}} |produced-end={{End date and age|2026|03|26}}}} {{AppleARM}}

The '''Apple M2''' is a series of [[ARM architecture family|ARM]]-based [[system on a chip]] (SoC) designed by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], launched in 2022. It is part of the [[Apple silicon]] series, as a [[central processing unit]] (CPU) and [[graphics processing unit]] (GPU) for its [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] [[desktop computer|desktops]] and [[laptop|notebooks]], the [[iPad Pro]] and [[iPad Air]] [[tablet computer|tablets]], and the [[Apple Vision Pro|Vision Pro]] [[mixed-reality|mixed reality]] headset. It is the second generation of ARM architecture intended for Apple's Mac computers after [[Mac transition to Apple silicon|switching from Intel Core to Apple silicon]], succeeding the [[Apple M1|M1]]. Apple announced the M2 on June 6, 2022, at [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] (WWDC), along with models of the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro using the M2. The M2 is made with [[TSMC]]'s "Enhanced [[5 nm process|5-nanometer]] technology" N5P process and contains 20 billion transistors, a 25% increase from the M1. Apple claims CPU improvements up to 18% and GPU improvements up to 35% compared to the M1.<ref name=orig-press-release group="‡">{{Cite press release |title=Apple unveils M2, taking the breakthrough performance and capabilities of M1 even further |date=June 6, 2022 |publisher=Apple |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/06/apple-unveils-m2-with-breakthrough-performance-and-capabilities/ |access-date=June 11, 2022 |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610082352/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/06/apple-unveils-m2-with-breakthrough-performance-and-capabilities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The M2 was followed by the professional-focused '''M2 Pro''' and '''M2 Max''' chips in January 2023. The M2 Max is a higher-powered version of the M2 Pro, with more [[GPU]] cores and [[memory bandwidth]], and a larger [[Die (integrated circuit)|die size]].<ref group="‡">{{Cite press release |title=Apple unveils MacBook Pro featuring M2 Pro and M2 Max |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/01/apple-unveils-macbook-pro-featuring-m2-pro-and-m2-max/ |access-date=January 17, 2023 |website=Apple Newsroom |language=en-US |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117141028/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/01/apple-unveils-macbook-pro-featuring-m2-pro-and-m2-max/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2023, Apple introduced the '''M2 Ultra''', a desktop [[workstation]] chip containing two M2 Max units.<ref name="ultra" group="‡">{{Cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-introduces-m2-ultra/|title=Apple introduces M2 Ultra |website=Apple|date=June 5, 2023|access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> Its successor, [[Apple M3]], was announced on October 30, 2023.

== Design ==

=== CPU === The M2 has four high-performance @3.49 GHz "Avalanche" and four energy-efficient @2.42 GHz "Blizzard" [[Multi-core processor|cores]], first seen in the [[Apple A15|A15 Bionic]], providing a [[Heterogeneous computing#Heterogeneous CPU topology|hybrid]] configuration similar to [[ARM DynamIQ]], as well as Intel's [[Alder Lake]] and [[Raptor Lake]] processors. The high-performance cores have 192 KB of L1 [[CPU Cache|instruction cache]] and 128 KB of L1 data cache and share a 16 MB L2 cache;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/17431/apple-announces-m2-soc-apple-silicon-updated-for-2022|title=Apple Announces M2 SoC: Apple Silicon for Macs Updated for 2022|website=AnandTech|date=June 6, 2022|access-date=November 9, 2022|archive-date=November 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110031910/https://www.anandtech.com/show/17431/apple-announces-m2-soc-apple-silicon-updated-for-2022|url-status=dead}}</ref> the energy-efficient cores have a 128 KB L1 instruction cache, 64 KB L1 data cache, and a shared 4 MB L2 cache. It also has an 8 MB system level cache shared by the GPU.

The M2 Pro has 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores in the unbinned model, or 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores in the binned model. The M2 Max has 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores in both the binned and unbinned SKUs, and operates at a slightly higher 3.7GHz clock speed in some models.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hinum |first=Klaus |title=Apple M2 Max Processor – Benchmarks and Specs |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-M2-Max-Processor-Benchmarks-and-Specs.682771.0.html |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=Notebookcheck |language=en}}</ref>

=== GPU === The M2 integrates an Apple designed ten-core (eight in some base models, nine in the M2 iPad Air) [[graphics processing unit]] (GPU). Each GPU core is split into 16 [[execution unit]]s, which each contain eight [[arithmetic logic unit]]s (ALUs). In total, the M2 GPU contains up to 160 execution units or 1280 ALUs, which have a maximum floating point (FP32) performance of 3.6 [[TFLOPS|TFLOPs]].

The M2 Pro integrates a 19-core (16 in some base models) GPU, while the M2 Max integrates a 38-core (30 in some base models) GPU. In total, the M2 Max GPU contains up to 608 execution units or 4864 ALUs, which have a maximum floating point (FP32) performance of 13.6 TFLOPS.

The M2 Ultra features a 60- or 76-core GPU with up to 9728 ALUs and 27.2 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

=== Memory === The M2 uses 6,400 [[Transfers per second|MT/s]] [[LPDDR#LPDDR5|LPDDR5 SDRAM]] in a [[Glossary of computer graphics#unified memory|unified memory]] configuration shared by all the components of the processor. The SoC and RAM chips are mounted together in a [[System in a package|system-in-a-package]] design. 8 GB, 16 GB and 24 GB configurations are available. It has a 128-bit memory bus with {{val|100|u=GB/s}} bandwidth, and the M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra have approximately {{val|200|u=GB/s}}, {{val|400|u=GB/s}}, and {{val|800|u=GB/s}} respectively.<ref name="mac-pro" group="‡"/>

=== Other features === The M2 contains dedicated [[AI accelerator|neural network hardware]] in a 16-core Neural Engine capable of executing 15.8 trillion operations per second. Other components include an [[Image processor|image signal processor]], a [[NVM Express]] storage controller, a [[iOS#Secure Enclave|Secure Enclave]], and a [[USB4]] controller that includes [[Thunderbolt 3]] ([[Thunderbolt 4]] on Mac mini) support. The M2 Pro, Max and Ultra support Thunderbolt 4.

Supported [[codec]]s on the M2 include 8K [[Advanced Video Coding|H.264]], 8K [[High Efficiency Video Coding|H.265]] (8/10bit, up to 4:4:4), 8K [[Apple ProRes]], [[VP9]], and [[JPEG]].

== Products that use the Apple M2 series == === M2 === * [[MacBook Air (Apple silicon)#M2 (2022)|MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)]] (8 or 10 core GPU) * [[MacBook Air (Apple silicon)#M2 (2022)|MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023)]] (10 core GPU) * [[MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#13-inch with Touch Bar (2020–present)|MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)]] (10 core GPU) * [[iPad Pro (6th generation)|iPad Pro (11-inch, 6th generation)]] (2022) (10 core GPU) * [[iPad Pro (6th generation)|iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 6th generation)]] (2022) (10 core GPU) * [[Mac Mini#Fifth generation (Apple silicon)|Mac Mini]] (2023) (10 core GPU) * [[Apple Vision Pro|Vision Pro]] (2024)<ref name="vpro" /> (10 core GPU) * [[iPad Air (6th generation)]] (2024) (9 core GPU)

=== M2 Pro ===

* [[MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#14-inch and 16-inch (2021–present)|MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2023)]] * [[Mac Mini#Fifth generation (Apple silicon)|Mac Mini]] (2023)

=== M2 Max ===

* [[MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#14-inch and 16-inch (2021–present)|MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2023)]] * [[Mac Studio]] (2023)<ref name="mac-pro" group="‡">{{Cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-unveils-new-mac-studio-and-brings-apple-silicon-to-mac-pro/|title=Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro|website=Apple|date=June 5, 2023|access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref>

=== M2 Ultra ===

* [[Mac Studio]] (2023)<ref name="mac-pro" group="‡"/> * [[Mac Pro#Apple silicon (2023)|Mac Pro]] (2023)<ref name="mac-pro" group="‡"/>

== Variants == The table below shows the various SoCs based on the "Avalanche" and "Blizzard" microarchitectures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apple M2 Chip: Everything You Need to Know |url=https://www.macrumors.com/guide/m2/ |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=MacRumors |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Ars">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/everything-to-know-about-apples-new-m3-m3-pro-and-m3-max-processors/|title=Apple introduces new M3 chip lineup, starting with the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max|author=Andrew Cunningham|date=October 31, 2023|publisher=Ars Technica}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" ! rowspan="2" |Variant ! colspan="2" |CPU cores ! colspan="3" |GPU ! colspan="2" |Neural Engine (NPU) ! colspan="2" |LPDDR5-6400 memory ! rowspan="2" |Transistor count ! rowspan="2" |Used in |- ! P{{Efn|Performance Cores|group=Variants}} !E{{Efn|Efficiency cores|group=Variants}} ! Cores{{Efn|Each GPU core has 16 [[execution unit]]s (EUs) and 128 [[arithmetic logic unit]]s (ALUs)|group=Variants}} ![[Execution unit|EU]] ! [[arithmetic logic unit|ALU]] ! Cores ! Performance ! Size (GB){{Efn|Each [[LPDDR5|LPDDR5-6400]] memory controller contains a 16-bit memory channel and can access up to 4GiB of memory.<ref name="Ars"/>|group=Variants}} ! Bandwidth |- | rowspan="3" | [[Apple A15|A15 Bionic]] || rowspan="3" | 2 || 3 || 5 || 80 || 640 ||rowspan="11" | 16 ||rowspan="11" | 15.8 TOPS || rowspan="2" | 4 || rowspan="3" | 34.1 GB/s || rowspan="3" |15 billion |Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) |- | rowspan="10" | 4 || 4 || 64 || 512 |iPhone SE (3rd generation) / iPhone 13 mini / iPhone 13 |- | 5 || 80 || 640 || 6 |iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max / 14 / 14 Plus iPad mini (6th generation) |- | rowspan="3" | M2 || rowspan="3" | 4 || 8 || 128 || 1024 || rowspan="3" | 8–24 || rowspan="3" | 102.4 GB/s || rowspan="3" | 20 billion |MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022) |- | 9 || 144 || 1152 |iPad Air (M2) |- | 10 || 160 || 1280 |MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022 / 15-inch, M2, 2023) MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) Mac Mini (2023) iPad Pro (11-inch, 4th gen) / (12.9-inch, 6th gen) Vision Pro (2024) |- | rowspan="3" | M2 Pro || 6 || rowspan="2" | 16 || rowspan="2" | 256 || rowspan="2" | 2048 || rowspan="3" | 16–32 || rowspan="3" | 204.8 GB/s || rowspan="3" | 40 billion | rowspan="3" |Mac Mini (2023) MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2023) |- | rowspan="4" | 8 |- | 19 || 304 || 2432 |- | rowspan="2" | M2 Max|| 30 || 480 || 3840 || rowspan="2" | 32–96 || rowspan="2" | 409.6 GB/s || rowspan="2" | 67 billion | rowspan="2" |MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2023) Mac Studio (2023) |- | 38 || 608 || 4864 |- | rowspan="2" | M2 Ultra || rowspan="2" | 16 || rowspan="2" | 8 || 60 || 960 || 7680 |rowspan="2" |32|| rowspan="2" | 31.6 TOPS || rowspan="2" | 64–192 || rowspan="2" | 819.2 GB/s || rowspan="2" | 134 billion | rowspan="2" |Mac Studio (2023) Mac Pro (2023) |- | 76 || 1216 || 9728 |} {{Notelist|group=Variants}}

== See also == * [[Apple silicon]] * [[Apple A15]] * [[GoFetch]] – security vulnerability within the Apple M2 first disclosed in 2024 * [[Rosetta 2]] * [[Universal 2 binary]] * [[List of Mac models grouped by CPU type]] * [[List_of_Qualcomm_Snapdragon_systems_on_chips#Snapdragon_XR_series|Snapdragon XR]]

== References == {{reflist}} {{Primary reflist}}

[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2022]] [[Category:Apple silicon|M2]]