Early this year, Apple released an improved Intel MacBook Air with up to two times faster speed compared to its predecessor, but the new Apple Silicon M1-powered MacBook Air promises to be more.
Earlier in 2020, Apple announced the release of an improved Intel-powered MacBook Air with a speed of up to two times faster compared to previous models. However, with the arrival of the new Apple Silicon M1-powered MacBook Air, it appears that the claim of the Intel-powered MacBook Air is on the brink of crumbling. So between the two Airs, which one is faster?
During Apple's "One More Thing" event on November 10, the MacBook Air took center stage and introduced as among the first to have the remarkable Apple Silicon M1 chip. With its arrival, the question of whether it is faster or has roughly the same speed as that of the recently-launched Intel-powered MacBook Air came to the mind of industry observers.
According to the Cupertino-based tech giant, its M1 chip is the currently fastest low-power system on a chip (SoC) known to man. Previous MacBook Air SoC generation is in charge of performing the work of several other dedicated components, which include the Neural Engine, the CPU, and the GPU. By developing this on the same chip and utilizing a 5-nanometer manufacturing progression, the M1 works faster while consuming less power compared to other processors found on most laptops and desktop computers. So is it really faster than the Intel-powered MacBook Air or the speed difference is so slight that you would not notice it at all?
Apple announced the entry of the Intel-powered MacBook Air roughly eight months ago. At the time, the Cupertino company said the new Mac offered an improved speed of up to two times, compared to past models. It also featured better graphics and an improved keyboard. Many say, however, that the improvements that came with the new Apple Silicon M1-powered MacBook Air can easily outpace and outperform the Intel-powered MacBook Air.
The thin and light design of the Intel-powered MacBook Air is meant to please owners who like handy devices, its aesthetics also means that its internal fan needs to run often, which results in the Mac having more noise than expected. On the other hand, the Cupertino company said that its new Apple Silicon M1-powered MacBook Air does not cause its fan to run more often than necessary. It owes this feature to the low-power SoC, which does not generate that much heat when compared to the Intel-powered MacBook Air running similar applications within the same time frame.
Apple also said that the new Apple Silicon M1 chip on its new MacBook Air easily surpasses previous MacBook models, including the Intel-powered MacBook Air. The new model offers a huge performance boost in both central and graphics processing. With the claimed 3.5-times better speed compared to the Intel CPU and an integrated GPU that offer five times the performance of Intel's Iris Plus graphics, it is easy to see which one is the winner in the war of the Airs.
