Until late 2020 Apple computers used Intel processors – the same type that you'll find in most PCs. Since then the company has been introducing its M range of chips, so far the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, and the new M2 Pro and M2 Max (currently available in the new Mac Mini and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which we'll be reviewing soon). These combine both CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphical processing unit) on one chip, with each indicated by a number of cores - and the more of these, the better in terms of power.
The base M1 processor has seven or eight cores of each and is found in the original Air, 13" MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini. The M1 Pro processor ups the number of cores to 10 CPU and 16 GPU and is found in the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros. These can also be configured with the M1 Max processor which handles up to 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU.
The Mac Studio also features the M1 Max, but can also be configured with the top of the line M1 Ultra chip that goes up to 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU. The Mac Pro, meanwhile, is in a different league, offering Intel Xeon CPU processors and Radeon graphics options that can set you back up to $/£50k, so we'll stick with the M range for now!
Finally the all-new M2 Pro and Max processors boast up to 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU and 12-core CPU and up to 38-core GPU respectively, and while they will outperform the original M1 (by up to 20%), they won't quite beat the M1 Ultra chip.
If all of this talk of M-range processors is baffling, just take away one fact from it. In our tests the M range outperformed the original Intel Mac processors by at least three to one, so whichever M chip you choose, expect a big power boost over your old Intel Mac.