M2 MacBook Air vs M1 Max MacBook Pro 16

Umar

The M2 MacBook Air and the M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 are both powerful laptops from Apple but they have some key differences.

The M2 MacBook Air has a lighter design and longer battery life than the M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 making it easier to pick up and use for general tasks.

The M2 also has a faster CPU than the M1 Max in popular 3D games as well as better performance in Geekbench 5 (Single-Core) and Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core) tests.

However the M1 Max has a higher screen refresh rate of 120 Hz compared to 60 Hz on the M2 as well as more cutting-edge USB Type-C ports (3 versus 2).

Additionally the M1 Max supports two external 6K displays while the M2 only supports one.

A Reddit user who tried both laptops preferred the Air for general tasks due to its lighter design and longer battery life.

Ultimately which laptop is best for you depends on your individual needs and preferences.

Which MacBook Is Better For Gaming?

The M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 offers better gaming performance than the M2 MacBook Air with a higher screen refresh rate of 120 Hz compared to 60 Hz a bigger battery more USB Type-C ports and higher multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 test.

However it is more expensive than the M2 MacBook Air with a starting price of $2899/£2799.

The M2 MacBook Pro also has similar gaming performance to its M1 predecessor while the M1 Max has increased memory capacity options up to 64GB and 400GB storage.

Which MacBook Is Better For Video Editing?

The M2 MacBook Pro 16 is better for video editing than the M1 MacBook Air due to its higher screen refresh rate (120Hz vs 60Hz) larger battery (100Wh vs 52.6Wh) more USB Type-C ports (3 vs 2) and higher single core performance.

Additionally the M2 MacBook Pro 16 has a starting price of $2899/£2799 compared to the M1 MacBook Air’s starting price of $1299/£1349.

The M2 also features an 8-core GPU compared to the M1’s 7-core GPU.

Which MacBook Is Better For Students?

The M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 offers a higher screen refresh rate (120 Hz vs 60 Hz) and more USB Type-C ports (3 vs 2).

It also has a larger battery (100 watt-hours vs 52.6 watt-hours) and better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 test.

The M2 MacBook Air is cheaper with a starting price of $1299/£1349 but it has less memory capacity than the M1 Max (32GB and 64GB options with 400GB storage).

In terms of performance the M2 MacBook Air achieved 46 fps on Civilization VI while the 16-inch M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro got 47 fps.

Therefore for students looking for better performance the M1 Max MacBook Pro 16 is the better option.

And for students that want a better portability option of course the M2 MacBook Air is the way to go.

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Hi, Umar here! I love touching laptops, unboxing them, and even smelling them! Maybe if I had enough money I would have bought every laptop in existence! ;)