The first M2 Ultra Mac Pro benchmarks blow away the best Intel models

Following the appearance of Geekbench 6 speed tests for the M2 Ultra Mac Studio on June 9, MacRumors has spotted the first benchmarks for the similar equipped Mac Pro. And as expected, it’s seriously quick.

The “Mac14,8” (with the M2 Ultra processor and 64GB of RAM, a standard Mac Pro configuration that starts at $6,999) appeared in Geekbench’s database on June 13. It scored 2,794 in the single-core test, and a phenomenal 21,453 in multi-core. For comparison, the Mac Studio with the lower-spec M2 Max, which we just reviewed, scored 15,081 in multi-core, itself a blockbuster performance. The brand-new M2 MacBook Air, meanwhile, scored 10,030.

Foundry

Since the Mac Pro exists in its own little niche, however, it may be more pertinent to compare the new Pro’s numbers with those of its immediate predecessor, the last Intel-based Mac Pro. We never ran benchmarks on that machine, but MacRumors helpfully notes that its top configuration (one with a 28-core Xeon W processor, starting at $12,999) scored 10,390 in Geekbench’s multi-core test. It’s been four years, admittedly, but more than twice the performance for 54 percent of the price is decent progress in anyone’s book.

Geekbench scores don’t list machines by their consumer branding, by the way, but it’s an open secret that “Mac14,8” means the 2023 Mac Pro, much as “Mac14,4” means the new Mac Studio. (Apple hasn’t acknowledged this publicly, however; at the time of writing the newest model on its identification page is the 2019 Mac Pro, also known as “MacPro7,1.”) Both machines appear in Geekbench’s database with the M2 Ultra, and only the Pro and Studio can get this chip… at least for now.

The new Mac Pro, as discussed, starts at $6,999 and comes with the M2 Ultra as standard. It’s available to buy now from Apple’s online store.

Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)

Price When Reviewed:

From £7,199

Best Prices Today:


£7199 at Apple

Mac Pro