Apple has been keen to show how its own in-house silicon copes with running games, but a recent benchmark in which the recently released M2 chip outperforms an AMD Ryzen iGPU really puts its determination to enter the gaming market into perspective. .
The M2 chip was compared to a variety of processors from AMD and Intel by popular tech YouTuber HardwareUnboxed (opens in a new tab), who found that the newest addition to Apple's lineup of SoCs (system on a chip) outperformed the RDNA 2 iGPU featured on the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor by around 10%.
It's worth noting that this specific test involves running Shadow of The Tomb Raider (released in 2018) at a modest 1200p resolution with SMAA (Enhanced Morphological Subpixel Anti-Aliasing) enabled.
It also outperformed the same processor and the Intel Core i7-1260P in battery life when run in a 4K Youtube video playback test, delivering 48% more power than AMD's offerings and a whopping 2.2 times more power. times about Intel, while the gaming test itself is not. particularly demanding, it's still amazing what the M2 can do on a much lower power budget.
Many other tests have been done by HardwareUnboxed on a wide range of other processors, including those in the 12th Gen, 11th Gen, Ryzen 6000, and Ryzen 5000 lines, with varying results, so we recommend watching the full video below if you're particularly excited. Find out how the M2 performed. As WCCFTech reports (opens in a new tab), the M2 was found to be slower than the Intel Core i7-1260P and Ryzen 7 6800U in Cinebench R23, while the M2 outperforms the same Ryzen processor but loses out to the Intel chip in In Cinebench R23 single threaded tests.
The summary of all the benchmarks is that while some people are disappointed with the performance of the M2 compared to its predecessor, the M1, we see impressive results from Apple, even compared to the broader market. AMD and Intel will have to be careful or the fruit tech giant could start encroaching on markets previously considered safe.
Analysis: What does this mean for MacBook Gaming?
As exciting as these results are, Apple won't be a good fit for high-resolution AAA games. At least not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a market that is determined to recover. After all, some early PC games weren't just playable on Apple computers, they were created and designed on them.
The PC gaming industry has changed a lot since the '90s, so it won't be an easy task, but since the M1 has proven its capabilities, more and more games are coming out on the platform. We've got a full list of the best video games compatible with the M1, and if you're a regular around when Apple's announcements are made, you'll be surprised to learn that great titles like EVE Online, Borderlands 3, and even Fortnite don't just work on the M1 - they work just fine. .
I'd still like to see Apple try to make a dedicated graphics card if they want to get serious about Mac gaming, no matter how awesome the M1 and M2 chips are. Of course, iGPUs are used for gaming, but most PC gamers will switch to a discreet option at some point, whether it's a new gaming laptop or building a gaming PC from scratch.
The M2 isn't going to put an end to years of hard work on the PC platform, but it's a very good sign of things to come, at least if you're a fan of the Apple ecosystem. For those who are critical, hopefully this is the kick that AMD and Intel needed to create something innovative to compete with.