Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip Has Significantly Slower SSD Speeds

Following the launch of Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, it has been discovered that the $1,299 base model with 256GB of storage has significantly slower SSD read/write speeds compared to the equivalent previous-generation model.

13 inch macbook pro m2 mock feature 2
YouTube channels such as Max Tech and Created Tech tested the 256GB model with Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test app and found that the SSD's read and write speeds are both around 1,450 MB/s, which is around 50% slower reading and around 30% slower writing compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 chip and 256GB of storage.

Disk Speed Test app numbers shared by Max Yuryev of Max Tech:

  • 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1/256GB) Read Speed: 2,900
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2/256GB) Read Speed: 1,446
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1/256GB) Write Speed: 2,215
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2/256GB) Write Speed: 1,463

Yuryev disassembled the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and discovered that the 256GB model is equipped with only a single NAND flash storage chip, whereas the previous model has two NAND chips that are likely 128GB each. This difference likely explains why the new model has a slower SSD, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster speeds in parallel.



It appears that only the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip has a slower SSD. As noted in the MacRumors forums, Aaron Zollo ran the Disk Speed Test app on the 512GB model and the SSD's read/write speeds were similar to all M1 models, but getting these speeds will require spending at least $1,499. This likely means that the 512GB model remains equipped with two 256GB flash storage chips.


It's unclear why the new base model 13-inch MacBook Pro is only equipped with a single NAND chip, but costs and/or supply constraints are two possible factors. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

Slower SSD speeds can impact common tasks such as transferring files to an external drive, and overall performance can also take a slight hit since Macs temporarily use SSD space as virtual memory when physical RAM is fully used. If you are considering the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and faster SSD speeds are important to you, we recommend ordering a model with at least 512GB of storage (or better yet, wait for the new MacBook Air in July).

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro launched on Friday. The base model's slower SSD speeds were not mentioned in many (any?) embargoed reviews of the notebook, as it appears that Apple provided many reviewers with a 1TB configuration for testing.

It remains to be seen if the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip will also have slower SSD speeds when configured with 256GB of storage.

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...
top stories 2025 04 26

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Air Rumors, Apple Watch Turns 10, and More

Saturday April 26, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be. Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...

Top Rated Comments

nfl_brah Avatar
37 months ago
Saving additional costs on the most popular model, after increasing the overall price? Good job Timmy. I’m sure you’ll spin it to show how environmentally wise this decision was.
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
37 months ago
This is not acceptable for a Pro model, even the base one. Write and read speed should always improve or at the very least stay the same from the previous generation.
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
37 months ago

Yesterdays news is its own thread today. Now we have to worry about buying 256GB model of M2 13" MBP.



In fairness, I chose to enjoy my sunny Saturday with family! MacRumors writers deserve some time off too. I still voluntarily chipped in this front page story on a Sunday despite not getting paid overtime, and I believe we are the first major blog to cover the story. So give us a little bit of credit :D
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
asdfjkl; Avatar
37 months ago

This is not acceptable for a Pro model, even the base one.
I have to agree. This is bad. If this were the M2 MacBook Air, I'd not be so disappointed. But if the "Pro" moniker means anything, it should mean performance.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iObama Avatar
37 months ago
Dang. This model is just not great lol. Very confusing part of the lineup.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
falkon-engine Avatar
37 months ago

I’m starting to think we should stop putting so much faith in benchmarks. The benchmarks in my mini i7 with two displays was misleading from YouTubers without using an eGPU when I was shopping a few years ago.

Also, MaxTech is such a clown after the whole Mac Studio, “upgradable SSD” nonsense him and Luke Miani were running with on YouTube. They have zero grasp on engineering and rarely rate things for real world users, the use cases are their own.

My recommendations, just wait for Rene Ritcher, LinusTech and Kevin Ross. Especially the last one, he’s incredibly honest in the tests he runs and tries to fit most use case scenarios for consumers. Could be a possibility they might be a bad patch of chips too.
There really isn’t anything else to grasp other than the simple truth that the ssd is slower than its predecessor. This isn’t rocket science, so there’s nothing that Ritchie or Linus or anyone else needs to tell us.

The only entity that has any explaining to do here is Apple. Especially in this day and age where pcie4.0 nvme storage is readily available in the market at affordable prices, and we’re on the cusp of pcie5.0 nvme storage, which will launch later in 2022. 12,000 MB/sec is coming soon. Alder Lake/Raptor Lake and Zen 4 systems will be able to take advantage.

I mean it is still much faster than sata storage, but at 1400 MB/sec, it’s not even utilizing 50% of the available bandwidth of last-gen pcie3.0 m.2 storage, and even less of the pcie4.0 bandwidth that’s available in current gen laptops and even MacBook Pros.

A Samsung 980 pro or Western Digital SN850 will net you close to 7000 MB/sec read and 5000+ MB/sec write. Apple really has no excuse to be offering slower SSD speeds than the predecessor, without offering a commensurate decrease in price. This is unacceptable.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)