By Brady Betzel
The 2023 Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max is another step up in Apple’s goal to dominate the content creation market. At this point most multimedia applications are compatible with the new M2 processing chips, and if they aren’t, they probably aren’t being used on Macs anyway.
The latest 16.2-inch MacBook Pro is a beautifully constructed, albeit non-upgradable, mobile powerhouse of a computer. Does upgradability matter to most users? Probably not. I harp on it a lot in my reviews, but to be honest, the MacBook Pros of the last couple years are undeniably in the top three of mobile computers for professional power users. Whether you color correct in Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve, edit in Apple’s own FCPX, or roundtrip between Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro, the MacBook Pro M2 Max is one of the fastest mobile multimedia systems you can purchase.
Now that I’ve bloviated to the max, here are the specs of the MacBook Pro M2 Max I was sent for testing:
| CPU | Apple M2 Max – 12 Cores (8 performance, 4 efficiency) |
| Memory | 64 GB – LPDDR5 |
| GPU | Apple M2 Max – 38 cores |
| Neural Engine | 16-core |
| Network | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) |
| Display | 16.2” Liquid Retina XDR 3456×2234
● 1,000,000 x1 contrast ratio ● XDR brightness: 1000 nits sustained full-screen, 1600-nits peak (HDR content only) ● SDR brightness: 500 nits |
| Storage | 2TB SSD |
| I/O | 3-Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port |
| OS | macOS Ventura 13.2 |
| Battery | 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery |
| Charging | 140W USB-C power adapter – fast charging |
At the time of this review, this configuration retails for $4,299 and ships within 10 days. While the specs of the MacBook Pro are workstation-level, technically it is not a workstation, which can be a problem for enterprise purchasers. To be labeled an actual capital-W “Workstation,” manufacturers must test their hardware configurations against professional software apps like Avid Media Composer, Resolve, After Effects and more. Companies like Lenovo and HP certify their hardware and software to work with minimal interruptions when working 24/7/365 through a system called “ISV,” aka independent software vendors.
If you are a die-hard Windows-based PC user, the MacBook Pro is an easy transition, except for the “command” button being in a different position than the “control” key. Once you get past that, you probably will never look back. But let us get to the testing results.
Up first is some real-world export testing inside Resolve 18.1.4 and Premiere Pro 23.2. In both Adobe Premiere Pro and Resolve, I use multiple timelines to test the systems. In Premiere Pro I use two timelines. One is for basic color correction, and the other is for the same basic color correction as the first sequence plus Premiere Pro’s noise reduction, sharpening and grain.
In Resolve I use four timelines: 1) basic color correction; 2) the same basic color correction as the first sequence as well as Resolve’s built-in noise reduction; 3) basic color correction plus Resolve’s built-in noise reduction, sharpening and grain; 4) basic color correction and Neat Video noise reduction. All timelines are one minute long and UHD (3840×2160) resolution.
For comparison, I have done the same tests on workstations, and new GPUs. Here is an example: my Lenovo P620 Ultra review.
The clips include:
- ARRIRAW: 3840×2160 24fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
- ARRIRAW: 4448×1856 24fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
- BMD RAW: 6144×3456 24fps – 15 seconds
- Red RAW: 6144×3072 23.976fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
- Red RAW: 6144×3160 23.976fps – 7 seconds, 12 frames
- Sony a7siii: 3840×2160 23.976fps – 15 seconds
| Resolve 18 Exports | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mxf | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mov | H.264 .mp4 | H.265 .mp4 | IMF |
| Color correction only | 01:02 | 01:02 | 00:44 | 00:41 | 01:49 |
| CC + Resolve noise reduction | 02:46 | 02:47 | 02:46 | 02:45 | 02:52 |
| CC, Resolve noise reduction, sharpening, grain | 03:40 | 03:39 | 03:41 | 03:41 | 03:43 |
| CC + Neat Video noise reduction | 03:50 | 03:47 | 03:48 | 03:49 | 04:05 |
In comparison to the Lenovo P620 Gen 2 Desktop Workstation with Nvidia RTX A6000, the export times are not that far off — which is pretty crazy considering the Lenovo workstation retails for over $16,000. Obviously, improved efficiency in software updates is something to keep in mind when comparing numbers, but still — very similar times.
| Adobe Premiere Pro 2023 (Simultaneous Exports) | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mxf | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mov | H.264 .mp4 | H.265 .mp4 |
| Color Correction Only | 03:51 | 04:23 | 05:30 | 05;15 |
| CC + noise reduction, sharpening, grain | 31:19 | 01:20:34 | 31:32 | 31:32 |
| Adobe Premiere Pro 2023 (individual exports) | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mxf | DNxHR 444 10-bit .mov | H.264 .mp4 | H.265 .mp4 |
| Color correction only | 01:42 | 01:38 | 1:35 | 02:14 |
| CC + noise reduction, sharpening, grain | 26:00 | 1:12:31 | 1:12:32 | 1:18:47 |
Premiere Pro seems to have a much harder time rendering out files with anything but standard color correction. Funnily enough, the Lenovo P620 Gen 2 wouldn’t even finish the exports, so I think Adobe is slowly improving its export process. I wouldn’t really judge the speed of the MacBook Pro by the Premiere Pro testing unless you use Premiere Pro exclusively for exports with lots of plugins. But for some more accurate benchmarks, I ran the MacBook Pro through its paces:
Benchmarks:
PugetBench Premiere Pro 0.95.7, Premiere Pro 23.2.0
- Extended overall score: 1064
- Standard overall score: 1236
- Extended export score: 102.1
- Extended live playback score: 123.3
- Standard export score: 118.2
- Standard live playback score: 158.7
- Effects score: 93.9
- GPU score: 66.8
PugetBench After Effects 0.95.7, After Effects 23.3×53
- Overall score: 1324
- Multi-core score: 125
- GPU score: 117.5
- RAM preview score: 132.4
- Render score: 125.9
- Tracking score: 145.2
Blackmagic’s Disk Speed Test: Write: 6550MB/s – Read: 5301.1 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW Speed Test: 8K CPU 44fps, 8K Metal 223fps
Blender:
- Gooseberry Benchmark: 12:52.03
- Blender Benchmark CPU:
- Monster: 126.285481
- Junkshop: 73.637424
- Classroom: 54.662429
- Blender Benchmark GPU:
- Monster: 954.130445
- Junkshop: 508.410669
- Classroom: 461.035816
Cinebench R23: CPU (multi-core): 14809 pts, CPU (single core): 1646 pts, MP ratio 8.99x
Corona 1.3: Render Time: 0:01:57, Rays/sec: 4,142,990
Neat Video Neat Bench:
- HD (1920×1080) best combination: GPU-only 41.1 frames/sec
- UHD (3840×2160) Best combination: CPU (11 cores) and GPU – 12 frames/sec
V-Ray 5.0.2 Benchmark:
- V-Ray: 9477 vsamples
- V-Ray GPU CUDA: 287 vpaths
For the last test, I ran media through the Blackmagic Proxy Generator:
Sony a7s iiiUHD (3840×2160) .mp4 master files
- Proxies: H.265/10-bit 1080p – 46 files
- 165fps
Red RAW – various resolutions
- Proxies: H.265/10-bit 1080p – two files
- 11fps
Summing Up
In the end, the updated MacBook Pro with M2 Max is a sleek and powerful mobile content creation system. I ran about 80% of my tests on just the battery in High Power Mode with mixed results, but on average I was getting three to four hours of heavy work on a single charge. A full charge took about 1.5 hours, which is really fast.
If you’re looking for an upgrade to your current MacBook Pro or are thinking about switching from a Windows-based laptop, you will quickly realize what a great system this is. The only feature that bugs me every time I look at it — and I know I’m nitpicking here — is the black notch where the cameras are. Other than that, the keyboard is great, the trackpad is accurate and the MacBook itself is easy to carry. Having access to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader and a headphone/microphone jack without an adapter is a big relief if you are coming from previous MacBook Pro models that required dongles.
Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.
