Apple recently debuted its all-new M2-powered Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.
And now, it turns out that the SSD speeds of these new devices are significantly lower than their predecessors.
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TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 26: MacBook laptops are on display for sale at Best Buy on November 26, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. More shoppers are expected to shop in stores than last year, after Covid caused the quietest Black Friday in 20 years.
Apple M2 Mac Mini SSD Speeds
A news story by Mac Rumors reports the new Mac Mini powered by an M2 chip sells for a lower $599 price tag. However, it looks like its entry-level model, which only sports 256 GB internal storage, has a slower SSD performance than the M1-powered Mini.
It turns out that the read and write speeds of the 256 GB SSD of the all-new Mini perform slower than the previous generation.
A recent teardown by the Brandon Geekabit YouTube channel reveals that the SSD performance of the new Mac Mini lags behind its older sibling.
It is unusual to see slower performance on newer devices. In most cases, next-generation offerings typically offer upgrades and other refinements, while some retain what their predecessors offer.
But this time, it looks like the latest offering of Apple is getting a sort of downgrade.
Mac Rumors reports that the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test showed that the SSD read and write performance of the new M2 Mac Mini 256 GB variant is only at 1,500 MB per second.
(Photo : Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: Tim Cook, CEO of Apple unveils a new Mac Mini during a launch event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on October 30, 2018 in New York City. Apple also debuted a new MacBook Air.
Given that, the performance of the new Mini is roughly between 30 percent to 50 percent slower than the 2020 Mac Mini. So the difference between the two devices is quite consequential.
However, it is worth noting that benchmark results might differ from real-life performance. So, it remains to be seen if the SSD performance of the new Mac Mini is actually at least 30 percent slower for users. It would likely still vary.
2023 MacBook Pro SSD Performance
On top of that, the M2 Pro-powered 14-inch MacBook Pro with 512 internal storage is reportedly slower.
Tom's Hardware reports that the 512 GB variant of the 2023 MacBook Pro also has a slower SSD performance than the 2021-released MacBook Pro, which sports the older M1 Pro chip.
The M2 Pro offering only comes with roughly 2900 MB per second write speed and 2703 MB per second read speed.
On the other hand, the M1 Pro-powered machine goes as high as 4,000 MB per second for its read speed and 3450 MB per second write speed.
Read Also: Apple MacBook Pro M2 Models Revealing Soon? Analysts Claim 14-inch, 16-inch Set for Launch
Why is the SSD Performance Slower?
Mac Rumors highlights that the new Mac Mini with 256 GB of storage comes with a single 256 GB chip. In turn, it performs slower than the two 128 GB chips the previous generation flaunts.
The new Apple MacBook Pro also features a single NAND chip, making its writing and reading speeds slower.
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