M2 MacBook Pro has an SSD problem
SSD performance reportedly slower than the M1 MacBook Pro
hen Apple unveiled the M2 MacBook Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2022, it was clear the device was a ‘point five’ update rather than a revolutionary upgrade. Now, however, it seems the performance of its M2 chip is even more restrained – and in some cases disappointing – than we expected.
The revelation comes from YouTube channels Max Tech and Created Tech, who each put the M2 MacBook Pro to the test. Both discovered that the M2 MacBook Pro’s SSD performance was as much as half that of the previous-generation M1 MacBook Pro.
WHow could this be? It seems that in lowercapacity models such as the 256GB M2 MacBook Pro, Apple has used only a single SSD NAND chip, rather than the two used in the M1 model. Using two chips allows for much faster performance, almost like a RAID array, so when only one is present, performance suffers.
That poor output translates to other areas besides raw SSD speed. A follow-up video from Max Tech showed that multi-tasking in apps like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro also fell behind, likely because the SSD is being used for virtual memory swaps. So, if you’re looking at buying a MacBook Pro, choose wisely.