Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Air in March with claims that its M3 chip outpaces the M2 by 20%. While this may spark the urge to upgrade immediately, it’s worth examining whether the jump is truly necessary. In this guide, we’ll delve into the comparison to potentially save you some money.
Comparing M3, M2, and M1 MacBook Air: Quick Specs Overview
performance
The M3 MacBook Air stands as Apple’s latest iteration, offering significant power. However, upgrading from the M2 or M1 Air presents a different scenario. Having had the chance to utilize the base M2 and M1 Air while crafting the MacBook Air M3 Specs and Benchmarks, my insights derive from direct experience.
Considering an Upgrade from an M2 Air: Is it Worth It?
For those unfamiliar, Apple’s M3 chip is built on the architecture of the A17 Pro Bionic found in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This entails TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm chipset, with access to Dynamic Caching inherent in this new GPU architecture, enhancing performance.
With the M3, tasks like intensive editing and gaming become more manageable, even handling limited AAA titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake and Death Stranding with appreciable frame rates.
Even the Geekbench and Cinebench benchmark results showed negligible differences between the M3 and its predecessors.
Additionally, Apple reverted to utilizing an extra NAND chip in the M3 Mac, resulting in significantly faster read and write speeds compared to its predecessor. During testing, the M2 proved to be almost 50% slower than the M3 in this regard.
Moreover, although both the M3 and M2 boast the same 16-core Neural Engine, the M3’s 3nm fabrication process enables it to leverage this feature more effectively. However, in practical usage, the disparity between the two wasn’t palpable. For everyday tasks and even intensive multitasking, the M2 handled them effortlessly.
In my opinion, sticking with your M2 Air is the prudent choice. However, if you require more storage and RAM, opting for the M3’s higher variant could provide a future-proof upgrade. Otherwise, there’s little reason to make the switch, especially in terms of regular performance.
Is Upgrading from an M1 Air Worth It?
If you’re currently using an M1 MacBook Air, there are a couple of factors to weigh. Firstly, consider your budget; can you afford the $1,099 M3 Mac? If not, don’t worry. Unless you’re engaging in advanced editing or 3D rendering, the M3 might not be necessary. I know colleagues who have been satisfied with their M1 Mac for years.
While the M3 boasts a 60% speed increase over the M1, I didn’t observe a significant difference in day-to-day performance to warrant an upgrade. Notably, when exporting a 4K 30 FPS file on Final Cut Pro with both devices, the M1 completed the task only a fraction of a second slower.
Even in the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, the M1 consistently delivered impressive results among the M-series Macs.
Even when running Geekbench on the M1, it surprisingly wasn’t too far behind in the single and multi-core CPU tests. The only area where it lagged behind was in the OpenCL and Metal GPU tests, displaying around a 36-47% decrease in scores compared to the M2 and M3 Macs.
Absolutely, the M1 Mac set a new standard in performance and continues to impress even four years later. It’s a testament to its revolutionary design and capabilities that it remains competitive. However, for M1 users seeking a substantial performance boost, the M3 Mac is the logical choice. Plus, considering it’s only around $100 more expensive than the M2 Air, it’s a compelling option.
Design and Display
Visually, the M2 and M3 MacBook Airs represent a significant leap forward compared to the M1. The uniform thickness and sleek design, along with rounded corners, give them a more refined appearance. In contrast, the M1’s older tapered design feels somewhat dated. Additionally, the Midnight Black color option adds a touch of elegance to the newer models, a feature absent in the M1.
Another notable difference lies in the bezels and notch. The M2 and M3 sport narrower bezels and a notch, enhancing their modern aesthetic compared to the M1’s somewhat outdated look reminiscent of older Intel-powered MacBooks.
Regarding the display, there’s minimal variance. Both the M2 and M3 feature a Liquid Retina IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1664 pixels, similar to the M1’s 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution. All three generations offer a standard 60Hz refresh rate, so there’s no significant improvement in that aspect.
However, where the M3 shines is in brightness levels, delivering 500 nits compared to the M1’s 400 nits. This provides a productivity advantage, particularly in well-lit environments, making the M3 MacBook Air a compelling choice for those seeking both performance and visual excellence.
An advantage of the M3 MacBook Air is its ability to extend its display to up to two external monitors, even with the lid closed. In contrast, the M1 and M2 are limited to just one external monitor. If you’re planning to create a dual-monitor setup, the M3 offers the best solution.
Additionally, the M3 MacBook Air introduces a 15-inch variant, a feature absent in the M1 lineup. However, with the arrival of the M3, Apple discontinued the 15-inch variant of the M2, narrowing the options available.
Battery Life
Now, let’s examine the battery life of the three silicon Macs. With advancements in fabrication processes, the number of transistors on M-series chipsets has increased over the years, resulting in improved performance and energy efficiency. Consequently, the M3 offers the longest battery life, providing around 13 hours of backup under normal usage.
The M2 isn’t far behind, delivering approximately 12 hours of backup, while the M1 provides around 11.5 to 12 hours. Given the minimal difference in battery life, there’s no compelling reason to upgrade from the M1 or M2 to the M3 solely based on this criterion. If battery life is a primary concern and you’re already using an M1 or M2 MacBook Air, there’s little need to switch to the M3.
Is Upgrading to the M3 MacBook Air Worth It?
Before we draw any conclusions, let’s factor in the pricing of the base models of these MacBooks.
- MacBook Air M3 Base: $1,099
- MacBook Air M2 Base: $999
- MacBook Air M1 Base: $699
If you’ve been using the MacBook Air M1 for a while and are considering an upgrade, you don’t necessarily need to go for the M3 if your budget is strictly set at $1000.
However, if you have some flexibility in your budget, investing in the M3 could offer a bit more future-proofing. Then again, if your primary tasks involve office work and multitasking, sticking with your M1 is advisable. For these tasks, it’s not worth spending an extra $300 for the M2 or $400 for the M3.
If you’re currently using the M2 and considering an upgrade to the M3, I wouldn’t recommend it. Apart from the enhanced GPU capabilities and support for dual external monitors, there aren’t many additional benefits. It’s essentially the same design with slightly improved capabilities.
Regardless of how powerful the M3 is, I still wouldn’t recommend it for gaming or similar tasks. Systems with dedicated GPUs are better suited for those purposes. However, if you’re involved in regular heavy editing or rendering tasks, the M3 MacBook Air excels, making it a worthwhile investment.
However, for normal editing tasks, all three MacBooks perform similarly. The key factor is how well they handle the workload over time, where the M3 shines due to its impressive GPU performance.
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