We just got more evidence that it’s time for Apple to release a new version of the Mac Pro. Why? Because it’s just been smoked in benchmarks — and by a device that costs a tenth of its price.
The M2 Mac mini was tested in single-core and multi-core operation and then compared to the Intel-based Mac Pro. Unsurprisingly, the news is all bad news for expensive 2019 workstations.
Gregs Gadgets on Twitter Two sets of very convincing benchmark results were published: one for the M2 Mac mini and one for the Intel-based Mac Pro. The Mac mini outperformed the workstation in both single-core and multi-core tests.
Unfortunately, we only know the results for one example, so it’s possible the Mac mini could still lose to the Mac Pro in a different test. However, on the Geekbench 5 test, the Mac mini scored 1,944 in single-core and 8,790 in multi-core, while the Intel Mac Pro only managed 1,019 and 8,037, respectively. This is a huge blow to the 2019 Mac Pro.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the M2 chip completely destroy the Mac Pro. Similar benchmark results were seen for the 13-inch MacBook Pro last summer. Despite being about $5,000 less, this laptop still outperforms the Mac Pro. The price difference is even more striking when you compare the Mac mini to the Mac Pro, since the base configuration of the Mac mini costs just $600—one-tenth the price of the Mac Pro.
Apple’s 2019 Beast Workstation runs on Intel hardware and still costs $6,000. It was a horrible price, but at the time, it definitely made sense for professionals—it was a powerful computer, all set up to support resource-intensive tasks like video editing and rendering. Now, more than three years later, it’s safe to say that buying a Mac Pro no longer makes sense.
What can you do if you want a new workstation PC? Buy a Mac mini or wait for Apple to release the long-awaited Mac Pro, which will run on its own M2 chip. Assuming it comes with the M2 Ultra chip, it will once again be the king of Apple’s lineup, and rightfully so.
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