Leaked 2023 MacBook Pro benchmarks show it’ll support much more RAM

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What we're expecting from 2022 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max
New evidence points to the Apple M2 Max supporting much more RAM than its predecessor.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Very early benchmark scores for what is apparently the 2023 MacBook Pro show buyers will be able to configure the laptop with much more RAM. And new details on the M2 Max processor were revealed, too.

The performance scores show a modest 14% increase over the 2021 version, but benchmark scores months before the release of any computer are of limited use.

MacBook Pro with M2 Max builds on its predecessor

Apple redesigned the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in late 2021, and this also marked the debut of the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. Upgraded versions of Apple’s Pro laptops — powered, as usual, by even faster chips — reportedly will arrive in early 2023.

Geekbench 5 benchmark details leaked Tuesday for an Apple computer with a Mac14,6 ID. A tipster who calls himself ShrimpApplePro broke the news.

Mac14,6 is an unknown model, but Mac14,2 is the ID for the 2022 MacBook Air, so it’s likely this is another MacBook. That said, this could also be a revamped Mac Studio. Either way, what’s important is the M2 Max details, because that next-gen processor almost certainly will power both models.

2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Max supports at least 96GB of RAM

The 2021 MacBook Pro with the M1 Max tops out at 64GB of RAM, but the mystery model with an M2 Max has 96GB of RAM. That’s a change power users surely will welcome.

The M2 Max machine being benchmarked has 12 processor cores, with the fastest running at 3.54 GHz. For comparison, the top-tier M1 Max comes with 10 cores at 3.2 GHz. Bumping up the number of CPU cores is a standard way of increasing performance.

On the Geekbench 5 multi-core benchmark test, the Mac14,6 hit 13,855. Its predecessor hit 12,196. Don’t read too much into that modest performance gain, though. The macOS notebook is months from its expected release – a more significant performance improvement is likely when the notebook reaches users.

The debut of the revamped 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro is expected to come in the first quarter of 2023. Leaks indicate the faster processors will be the primary improvement, as the design of the notebook supposedly won’t change.

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