Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
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Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

Overall score
star star star star star
Released
Q1/2023
Released
Q1/2023
Overall score
star star star star star

Which one of the central processing units is better: Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) or Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)? On this page we compare the technical data and benchmark results of different CPUs.

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) has cores and threads with maximum working frequency of . The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) was released on Q1/2023.

The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) has cores with threads and of frequency. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) was released on Q1/2023.

Differences
Reasons to consider
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Report a bug
Reasons to consider
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Report a bug
Specifications
Complete list of technical specifications
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
CPU generation and family

Let's find out which one of Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is of a more recent generation, and what segment it belongs to.

  • Name
    Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) left arrow Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
  • Family
    Apple M series left arrow Apple M series
  • CPU group
    Apple M2 left arrow Apple M2
  • Segment
    Mobile left arrow Mobile
  • Generation
    2 left arrow 2
  • Predecessor
    Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) left arrow Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
CPU Cores and Base Frequency

In this block we are going to compare Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) by main technical specifications: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies, process technology and cache size. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

  • CPU Cores / Threads
    12 / 12 left arrow 12 / 12
  • Core architecture
    hybrid (big.LITTLE) left arrow hybrid (big.LITTLE)
  • A-Core
    8x Avalanche left arrow 8x Avalanche
  • B-Core
    4x Blizzard left arrow 4x Blizzard
  • Hyperthreading / SMT
    No left arrow No
  • Overclocking
    No left arrow No
  • A-Core Frequency
    3.50 GHz left arrow 3.50 GHz
  • B-Core Frequency
    2.80 GHz left arrow 2.80 GHz
Internal Graphics

Common specifications for integrated graphics cards in Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

  • GPU name
    Apple M2 Max (30 Core) left arrow Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
  • GPU frequency
    1.40 GHz left arrow 1.40 GHz
  • GPU (Turbo)
    No turbo left arrow No turbo
  • Execution units
    480 left arrow 608
  • Shader
    3840 left arrow 4864
  • Max. GPU Memory
    96 GB left arrow 96 GB
  • Max. displays
    2 left arrow 2
  • Generation
    2 left arrow 2
  • Technology
    5 nm left arrow 5 nm
  • Release date
    Q1/2023 left arrow Q1/2023
Hardware codec support

Let's compare the support of video codecs between Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU). Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

  • h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
    Decode / Encode left arrow Decode / Encode
  • h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
    Decode / Encode left arrow Decode / Encode
  • h264
    Decode / Encode left arrow Decode / Encode
  • VP8
    Decode left arrow Decode
  • VP9
    Decode / Encode left arrow Decode / Encode
  • AV1
    No left arrow No
  • AVC
    Decode left arrow Decode
  • VC-1
    Decode left arrow Decode
  • JPEG
    Decode / Encode left arrow Decode / Encode
Memory & PCIe

To choose the best model between Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) you need to pay special attention to memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version. 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.

  • Memory type
    LPDDR5-6400 left arrow LPDDR5-6400
  • Max. Memory
    96 GB left arrow 96 GB
  • Memory channels
    4 (Quad Channel) left arrow 4 (Quad Channel)
  • Bandwidth
    409.6 GB/s left arrow 409.6 GB/s
  • ECC
    No left arrow No
  • PCIe
    4.0 left arrow 4.0
  • AES-NI
    Yes left arrow Yes
Thermal Management

Let's find out what TDP value would be better for Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) or Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)? 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.

  • TDP (PL1)
    45 W left arrow 45 W
  • Tjunction max.
    100 \xc2\xb0C left arrow 100 \xc2\xb0C
Technical details

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) and Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) CPUs along with a list of ISA extensions.

  • Technology
    5 nm left arrow 5 nm
  • Chip design
    Chiplet left arrow Chiplet
  • Socket
    N/A left arrow N/A
  • L2-Cache
    36.00 MB left arrow 36.00 MB
  • Architecture
    M2 left arrow M2
  • Operating systems
    macOS, iPadOS left arrow macOS, iPadOS
  • Virtualization
    Apple Virtualization Framework left arrow Apple Virtualization Framework
  • Instruction set (ISA)
    ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) left arrow ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
  • ISA extensions
    Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation left arrow Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
  • Release date
    Q1/2023 left arrow Q1/2023
  • Documents
    Technical data sheet left arrow Technical data sheet
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