Apple MacBook Pro M2: slower SSD than entry-level M1?

The 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 shows disappointing SSD performance. Blame it on the internal configuration change.

Apple recently formalized its new generation of MacBook Pros, machines equipped with Apple’s first homemade Silicon M2 chips. The presentation was, as usual, promising, with very interesting developments. Currently, the M2 chip is only offered on entry-level machines. And what exactly?

13-inch MacBook Pro M2 shows disappointing SSD performance

It turns out that the 256GB 13-inch MacBook Pro M2, the entry level of this new generation, may have lower SSD performance than its M1 counterpart. This is what follows from tests conducted by YouTube channels Max Tech and Created Tech. The base model, priced at $1599, has about 50% slower read speeds (1446MB/s vs 2900MB/s) and 30% slower write speeds.

Max Tech opened up the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 and found it only had one 256GB NAND flash chip, compared to two 128GB chips in the M1 model. This would mean that the disk could only handle two lanes in parallel. In fact, performance is limited by the speed of a single line.

Blame it on an internal configuration change

The pricier 512GB and 1TB models don’t appear to be affected by this issue, and many of Apple’s test machines come with a 1TB configuration. The slower speed on the 256 GB model may affect app downloads, file transfers, and data recovery. Overall performance should also be affected as virtual memory (used when RAM fills up) will be slower and the base model only has 8GB of RAM.

It’s hard to understand why Apple changed the configuration of this model. A worldwide shortage of chips may be part of the answer. Either way, it’s worth considering if you’re considering buying a 13-inch MacBook Pro M2.