Which MacBook is the best?Options increased in M1 Pro / M1 MAX (Masaichi Honda)

Apple announced last June that the processor mounted on the Mac was switched from Intel design to its own design.A new MacBook Pro appeared on October 19, 2021, the middle point of the plan to migrate over two years, and the new SOC M1 Pro and M1 MAX were announced at the same time.

From the standpoint of interviewing a personal computer for many years, I am surprised that it is a SOC that has been very high -performance, but on the other hand, I think that it has expanded the very rational and popular M1.。

Gaming PCs, including high -end products, and notebooks are comparable to huge mobile workstations, which are just named, and realize common sense and long battery driving.

However, there are so many amazing specifications, and if you look closely, there are differences in the number of core and GPU cores.Furthermore, although it is difficult to understand from the information on the web page, the M1 Pro and the M1 MAX have different GPU cores and the number of memory connection channels.PRORES and HEVC/H.The media engine, which is a video processing circuit that handles 264, is equipped with two sets in M1 MAX for one set in M1 Pro (M1 does not have media engines).

As a result, there are many options, and some people may say, "I don't know which product to choose."

So, the product review is still a little ahead, but from the SOC perspective, I would like to summarize the hints on the question, "Which MacBook should I choose?"

What is the difference between M1 and M1 Pro / M1 MAX?

The difference between M1 and M1 PRO / M1 MAX is, of course, the number of CPUs and GPUs, but the performance of the SoC is not determined by the number of core.

These SoCs have different processing circuits in their special genres, such as Neural Engine and ISP, but they need to work smoothly without waiting for those processing circuits as possible.

For example, the M1 CPU consists of 4 high -performance cores and 4 high -efficiency core.On the other hand, M1 PRO / M1 MAX each has eight and two.Naturally, the capacity that can be processed as a whole increases, but in order for the high -performance core to move more simultaneously, it is necessary to read and write the memory referenced at the time of processing without delay.

Moreover, Apple's SoC has a high performance by sharing ultra -high -speed memory with a variety of processors and processing the target data one after another without moving.Therefore, if the processing cores with high processing capacity increase, there is no point in expanding if the bandwidth of the memory access does not expand.

This is why M1 adopts LPDDR4X-4266 in memory, while M1 Pro and M1 MAX use LPDDR5-6400 (perhaps).The memory bandwidth of M1 is 68 per second.Although it is 2GB, the M1 PRO has a 100GBx2 channel per second, and the M1 MAX has an interface of 4 channels, so the memory bandwidth is expanded to 400GB per second.

In other words, the upper limit of the processing that can be performed simultaneously for many processing cores (including CPUs, Neural Engine, ISP, and media engines) is raised.

If the dedicated processing circuit such as GPU is attached to the external, overhead such as memory transfer will appear, but if it is on the same memory, if the bandwidth is expanded, the processing upper limit will be increased straight.

The reason why I was surprised was that all of them except DRAM were put in one chip, which gained a monster -class performance in return.

Correspondence to high -definition and high -quality videos

In the case of a Mac, there is no game that requires high performance, so even if it is a 3D graphics, it is rather than a real -time 3D game, 3D modeling for games, CG production for video works such as movies.It will be the main application.

These are also important applications, but the main purpose of M1 Pro / M1 MAX is the processing of high -definition and high -quality video data.

As mentioned above, the M1 Pro / M1 MAX, which has an unusable media engine in the M1, can be seen on the right side of the CPU core around the upper center in the M1 PRO die photo.The same circuit pattern is also located at the bottom of the M1 MAX, and you can see that it is a large circuit.

Thanks to this processing circuit, the M1 MAX allows you to play 8K Prores Raw seven streams.

You may not be able to imagine how amazing this is, but even if you attach an accelerator board called AFTERBURNER to the top model of the Mac Pro, you can only play 6 streams.Speaking of which is a data looper that exceeds that, will it be conveyed?

In any case, this is because it is possible to draw out such high performance because it is because the necessary circuits for one chip and a memory of the wide bandwidth width are connected, but on the other hand, Prores, a professional format in the media accelerator, is a professional format.The users who handle will be limited.

Although it is easy to see the CPU and GPU, M1 Pro and M1 MAX all require high processing throughput, considering that they are allocating resources into circuits specialized in such professional video processing.You can affirm it for media creators.

In particular, if you want to maximize the GPU performance and video processing performance, you will probably conclude that M1 MAX and 4K videos are probably enough.

The height of the M1 cospa that you recognize again

By the way, I'm sorry to make a big draw back here, but M1 Pro, M1 MAX, which brought out dreamy high performance, has been added when building a larger system in the past.It can be said that the chips are combined in one.

The current Mac is the SOC, not an individual CPU or GPU.The elements that used to be expanded on a board -by -one are summarized in one slate (small substrate), including DRAM.

If you think about M1 as the basics of SOC units, it is easier to think of M1 PRO if you want a powerful GPU, and if you want more performance, M1 Max is easier to choose like an option board.think.

In other words, M1 is enough if it has nothing to do with such a high -quality media creation.

In fact, even if it is a CPU configuration, the M1 CPU is the highest class as a notebook PC.Regarding the GPU, I would be glad if it could be a little faster when exporting videos, but it is still high performance as a mobile computer.

Still, the price is about 100,000 yen for the 14 -inch model, so we have to recognize the M1 cost performance again.By the way, if you do not handle Prores, the M1 has a HEVC accelerator.

All of the Neural Engine is equipped with the same.In M1 Pro / M1 MAX, the throughput of machine learning processing through CoreML has been improved compared to M1, which has improved CPU and GPU performance, and there is no change in Neural Engine itself.

The MacBook Pro's 14 -inch model has long been rumored to have appeared, and I think some people have not been able to reach the MacBook Air for this rumor, but if the directivity of the product is so different, "To myself.Is MacBook Air more suitable. "

Rather, a pattern that makes you think it is difficult to reach out

By the way, from here, with a little evil.

On the other hand, if you are attracted to the new MacBook Pro's new display, you may find it difficult to reach out.

The LIQUID RETINA XDR display is an iPad Pro 12 in addition to the brightness of 1000nits in full white..Peak brightness of up to 1600 nits that exceeds 9 inch models, and local dumping control.It is definitely clear from the iPad Pro example, and some people want a new MacBook Pro for this display.

The fact that the processor with the M1 is the starting point here is also a sign that the original SoC for Mac enters the "second lap".In other words, the first lap where the A14 Bionic generation and the basic building blocks are common, and it is not strange to enter a new cycle.

In addition, many people have the desire to have Liquid Retina XDR displays and Facetime HD (1080p) cameras in the M1 MacBook Air with the same hardware design as the previous generation.

Whether it is Air or the lower model of Pro (the conventional 2 Thunderbolt model) is a place where it is divided, but the "MacBook for ordinary people" with the latest display and camera is out in the distance.I feel like that.

It is honest that I am addicted to this pattern personally.However, if you choose at the moment, I think MacBook Air with M1 is the best MacBook.

By the way, at the end, it's a bar, but one about the attached AC adapter.I saw a tweet that the new MacBook Pro comes with a large AC adapter for power saving.

For example, a 16 -inch model has a 140W AC adapter.This is because the new MacBook Pro has a quick charging function, and it can be charged to 50 % in 30 minutes from the zero battery level.It requires a large current to increase the charging speed, and does not always consume a lot of power.It is only a quick charge for quick charging.

Apple (Amazon store page)