First Geekbench Scores for New Mac Mini With M2 Pro Surface, Beats M1 Max

Geekbench scores for the newly announced Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro chips have revealed a significant increase in performance compared to the previous-generation Mac mini and previous M1 Pro and M1 Max devices.

m2 mac mini screen feature
The scores reveal that the Mac mini with M2 Pro achieved a single-core score of 1,952 and a multi-core score of 15,013 for a configuration with 16GB of unified memory. For comparison, the previous M1 Mac mini achieved a single-core score of 1,715 and a multi-core score of 7,442.

The Geekbench scores are the first we've seen for the new M2 Pro, which is also available on updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. While we've yet to see Geekbench scores for the updated MacBook Pros, M2 Pro's performance with the Mac mini is unlikely to differ greatly from its performance with the new Mac notebooks.

m2 pro geekbench
The M1 Pro in the previous-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro scored a single-core score of 1,734 and a multi-core score of 10,076 compared to a single-core of 1,952 and a multi-core score of 15,013 for the M2 Pro. The M2 Pro, according to these results, also beats the M1 Max, which achieves 1,727 single-core and 12,643 multi-core scores.

Geekbench scores for the Mac mini with the M2 chip have also surfaced, revealing similar performance to the M2 MacBook Air announced in June 2022.

Users can configure the Mac mini with M2 with up to 24GB of unified memory, compared to 16GB with the previous M1 model. With the M2 Pro, Mac mini models can be configured with 32GB of unified memory. 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered with the high-end variant of M2 Max can have up to 96GB of RAM.

Both the updated Mac mini and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are available for pre-order on Apple's website and will begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, January 24.

Related Roundup: Mac mini
Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: Mac mini

Top Rated Comments

nikusak Avatar
12 months ago

Better than expected but still behind Intel 13th gen. Apple needs to bring their A Game for M3 chips.
How is the battery life, fan noise and heat on those 13th gen Intel laptops?

And what about the performance when unplugged?
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
12 months ago

Better than expected but still behind Intel 13th gen. Apple needs to bring their A Game for M3 chips.
The thermals are likely somewhere between Raptor Lake-P and Raptor Lake-U. The top Raptor Lake-P part scores roughly the same as the M1 Pro. ('https://browser.geekbench.com/search?q=1370p') The top Raptor Lake-H part performs very similarly to the M2 Pro ('https://browser.geekbench.com/search?utf8=✓&q=13900hk'), but burns more energy.

Now, Raptor Lake-HX does handily beat the M2 Pro. ('https://browser.geekbench.com/search?utf8=✓&q=13980hx') But then we're talking 55-157W, which is way more.

So, in terms of performance per watt, Apple is still well ahead.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
12 months ago

Better than expected but still behind Intel 13th gen. Apple needs to bring their A Game for M3 chips.
Nah it's fine. Energy is a major cost and constraint these days, even in our office!

We don't need faster chips, we need more grunt-per-watt and that's what Apple are doing.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
12 months ago
Comparing against the 16-inch 10-core M1 Pro: 1742, 12141

So, single-core is up 12.1% (meh), and multi-core is up 23.7%. But the clock is also up 9.4%, so at the same clock, single-core is only up 2.5% and multi-core 13.1% (in part explained because there's 8+4 cores instead of 8+2).

Not terrible for 14 months, but not fantastic either.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nicolas_s Avatar
12 months ago

Nah it's fine. Energy is a major cost and constraint these days, even in our office!

We don't need faster chips, we need more grunt-per-watt and that's what Apple are doing.
Exactly. Many still say that we shouldn't care about energy consumption on a desktop device, but here in Europe it's starting to become more and more of a deciding factor.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andrewxgx Avatar
12 months ago

Better than expected but still behind Intel 13th gen. Apple needs to bring their A Game for M3 chips.
sure
except one is quite cool and power efficient while the other is hotter than the sun
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 General Feature Black

New iOS Features Coming in 2024 for Messages, Apple Music, and More

Thursday December 28, 2023 7:30 am PST by
2024 is just a few days away, and there are many iOS 17 and iOS 18 features that are expected to launch throughout the year. Below, we have recapped new iOS features expected in 2024, including Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, AirPlay on hotel room TVs, app sideloading in the EU, next-generation CarPlay, roadside assistance via satellite outside of the U.S., RCS ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.3 Will Add These Two Useful Features to Your iPhone

Sunday December 24, 2023 8:59 am PST by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 17.3 earlier this month, and the upcoming software update includes two new features so far. iOS 17.3 will likely be released in January like iOS 16.3 and iOS 15.3 were, but February is also a possibility if testing is prolonged. Below, we provide additional details about the new features in iOS 17.3 so far. Stolen Device Protection Earlier this...
iPhone 17 Five Features Header

iPhone 17: Five Features Apple Plans to Save for 2025

Thursday December 28, 2023 2:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models concurrently, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Mac Gaming

Apple Discusses Push Towards High-End Mac Gaming in New Interview

Thursday December 28, 2023 6:19 am PST by
Inverse's Raymond Wong today published an in-depth overview of Apple's increasing push towards high-end gaming on the Mac. The story includes commentary from Apple marketing managers Gordon Keppel and Leland Martin. One of the biggest reasons that gaming has improved on the Mac in recent years is the switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon, resulting in MacBooks providing...
Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Available in Apple Stores Starting Today, Online Sales to Resume Tomorrow

Wednesday December 27, 2023 2:28 pm PST by
Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are back in some of Apple's retail stores in the United States today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Select stores will have availability today, while all stores will have the Apple Watch models back in stock by December 30. Online sales of the devices are set to resume tomorrow by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple is able to begin selling ...
iPhone 15 Blue Three Quarters Perspective Camera Closeup Feature

6 Essential iPhone Camera Tips for Taking Great Photos

Tuesday December 26, 2023 3:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques. Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a...
Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Sales Ban Paused by US Appeals Court

Wednesday December 27, 2023 8:49 am PST by
The ban on imports of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models has today been temporarily paused, meaning that the devices can now go back on sale for a short while longer in the United States. Apple filed an emergency request to the United States Court of Appeals following President Biden's decision to decline a veto on the sales ban, allowing it to take effect earlier this week. ...