Let’s test the performance of the new MacBook Air M1 (Buy on Amazon) from Apple.
Let’s test a MacBook Air M1 head to head with a MacBook Pro Intel Core i5. This is M1 Versus Intel.
With an Apple designed “System on a Chip” the M1 custom silicon brings great performance, minimal heat, and great battery life.
To test this out, we’ll compare against a MacBook Pro 13″ from last year (Intel Core i5) and a Dell XPS 15 (Core i7) from 20202.
Apple MacBook Air M1 Gold Review (54)-crop
Here are some of the styles we are going to look at:
MacBook Air M1 – Video Review on our YouTube Channel
Why read when you can watch? Check out this video from our YouTube channel:
Here’s a Handbrake race between the two machines.
We’re converting a 16 GB 4K 60 FPS mp4 file to HD (high quality):
As you can see, the M1 handily beat the Intel-based MacBook Pro – it also did it without the benefit of a fan (to cool things down) – and it generated less heat!
And that’s why we think the new Apple Silicon is a performance revolution for the future.
But, check this out – here’s the M1 beating a very high-end Dell XPS 15 9500, with a Intel Core i-7 10875H processor:
You can access the full GeekBench results here: https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/5650244
Find out more about this amazing notebook computer in our MacBook Air M1 Gold Review.
MacBook Air M1 – Overview
Side by side testing.
- All-Day Battery Life – Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life.
- Powerful Performance – Take on everything from professional-quality editing to action-packed gaming with ease. The Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation while using way less power.
- Superfast Memory – 8GB of unified memory makes your entire system speedy and responsive. That way it can support tasks like memory-hogging multitab browsing and opening a huge graphic file quickly and easily.
- Stunning Display – With a 13.3 inch Retina display, images come alive with new levels of realism. Text is sharp and clear, and colors are more vibrant.
- Why Mac – Easy to learn. Easy to set up. Astoundingly powerful. Intuitive. Packed with apps to use right out of the box. Mac is designed to let you work, play, and create like never before.
MacBook Air M1 Versus MacBook Pro 13″
Here’s a few shots comparing the MacBook Air 13″ to last year’s MacBook Pro 13″.
The MacBook Pro is not the latest model with the M1 – it has an Intel processor.
As you can see – the dimensions are roughly the same.
The real difference between the two is the thickness, the MacBook Air tapers down to a very thin edge, as shown here.
The MacBook Air tapers down to a very thin edge – and it’s quite lightweight as a consequence.
There’s no fan in the MacBook Air – that means you get silence at all times. (Although this means you may be thermally limited when performing processor-intensive work.)
Apple MacBook Air M1 Gold Versus Apple MacBook Pro 13″
Apple MacBook Air M1 Performance Test Review
MacBook Air M1 Performance Review – In Summary
That’s our performance review of the new MacBook Air M1 (Buy on Amazon) from Apple.
Apple is setting the stage for the next great leap in laptop performance. The Apple Silicon based M1 delivers exceptional performance, with minimal heat, and great battery life.
The M1 did very well, including against the Dell XPS 15.
Photo Credits
Some product photos on this page are property of Apple.
Hard at work testing.
Affiliate Disclaimer
We are an affiliate of various sellers of this product. If you buy items after clicking the links in this article, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us to bring you in-depth information and content on these great products.
Here’s another thing we like about this slim, streamlined computer – the 30W charger (included) does not take up a lot of space when you travel.
Last update on 2025-01-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
