Google Tensor vs Apple M2. Specifications, performance, tests

Background information about the processors being compared, series, generation and market segment.

• Family
  Google Tensor Apple M series
• CPU group
  Google Tensor Apple M2
• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Generation
  1 2

Basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base and turbo frequency, and cache size. These parameters indirectly tell about the speed of the processor, the higher they are the better.

• Core architecture
  hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE) hybrid (big.LITTLE)
• Frequency
  2.80 GHz 3.50 GHz
• Turbo (1 Core)
  No turbo No turbo
• Turbo (8 Cores)
  No turbo No turbo
• Hyperthreading
  No No
• Overclocking
  No No

Internal Graphics does not affect the performance of the CPU, performs the work of the graphics card in its absence or on mobile devices.

• GPU name
  ARM Mali-G78 MP20 Apple M2 (8 Core)
• GPU frequency
  0.76 GHz 3.50 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo
• Execution units
  20 128
• Shader
  320 0
• Max. GPU Memory
  -- 16 GB
• Max. displays
  1 3
• Generation
  Vallhall 2 2
• Technology
  5 nm 5 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2021 Q1/2022

Built-in codecs used to encode and decode content. Significantly speeds up the required operations.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• h264
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• VP8
  Decode / Encode Decode
• VP9
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• AV1
  Decode Decode
• AVC
  Decode / Encode Decode
• VC-1
  Decode / Encode Decode
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

Types, channel quantity of RAM supported by Apple M2 and Google Tensor. Depending on the motherboards, higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported.

• Memory type
  LPDDR5-5500 LPDDR5-5500
• Max. Memory
  12 GB 16 GB
• Memory channels
  2 2
• ECC
  No No

Compare the TDP requirements of TDP Google Tensor and Apple M2 to select a cooling system. Note, the TDP value refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  10 W 15 W
• TDP up
  -- 20 W
• TDP down
  -- 10 W

Architecture, interfaces, additional instructions supported by Google Tensor and Google Tensor, virtual machine technologies and process technology.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
• ISA extensions
  Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
• L2-Cache
  8.00 MB 16.00 MB
• Architecture
  M2
• Technology
  5 nm 5 nm
• Virtualization
  None None
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• Release date
  Q4/2021 Q1/2022