Apple M2
Select processor
Select graphics card
Select graphics card

Apple M2 Review: Explore CPU Specs and Performance

star star star star star
Apple M2
Let's talk about the Apple M2 processor, released in Q1/2022. This review covers all its specs and performance metrics, giving you a comprehensive overview. Feel free to dive into the details and compare it with other models. With its base clock frequency 3.50 GHz, core count 8, and memory support for LPDDR5-5500, this CPU packs a punch. It's compatible with Socket N/A motherboards and has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W.

Apple M2 specs

Complete list of technical specifications

CPU generation and family

Information about the Apple M2 segment (for desktops or laptops) and the CPU family, along with the sales starting date.

Specification Value
Name Apple M2
Segment Mobile
Family Apple M series
Generation 2
CPU group Apple M2
Predecessor --
Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Technical and quantitative specifications of the Apple M2: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

Specification Value
Frequency 3.50 GHz
CPU Cores 8
Turbo (1 Core) No turbo
CPU Threads 8
Turbo (8 Cores) No turbo
Hyperthreading No
Overclocking No
Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
A core 4x Avalanche
B core 4x Blizzard
C core --

Internal Graphics

Common specifications for the integrated graphics card in Apple M2 along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

Specification Value
GPU name Apple M2 (8 Core)
GPU frequency 3.50 GHz
GPU (Turbo) No turbo
Execution units 128
Shader 0
Max. GPU Memory 16 GB
Max. displays 3
Generation 2
DirectX Version
Technology 5 nm
Release date Q1/2022

Hardware codec support

List of video codecs supported by the Apple M2 CPU. Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

Specification Value
h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
h264 Decode / Encode
VP9 Decode / Encode
VP8 Decode
AV1 Decode
AVC Decode
VC-1 Decode
JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version of the Apple M2. The higher these numbers are, the better your CPU will be. Keep in mind that the maximum memory and frequency may also depend on the model of the motherboard.

Specification Value
Memory type LPDDR5-5500
Max. Memory 16 GB
ECC No
Memory channels 2
PCIe version 4.0
PCIe lanes

Encryption

Support for AES-NI encryption on the Apple M2 CPU.

Specification Value
AES-NI Yes

Thermal Management

Let's find out what TDP has the Apple M2? The Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the maximum amount of heat that should be dissipated by the chip cooling system. However, the value of TDP gives only a rough indication of the real power consumption of the CPU.

Specification Value
TDP (PL1) 15 W
TDP up 20 W
TDP (PL2) --
TDP down 10 W
Tjunction max. --

Technical details

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for the Apple M2 CPU along with a list of ISA extensions.

Specification Value
Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
Virtualization None
ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
L2-Cache 16.00 MB
L3-Cache --
Architecture M2
Technology 5 nm
Socket N/A
Release date Q1/2022
Part Number --

Devices using this processor

List of devices based on Apple M2.

Specification Value
Used in Apple MacBook Air 14 (2022)

Apple M2 benchmarks

Real tests

Latest comparisons