http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371199,00.asp
Direct link to performance numbers http://www.pcmag.com/image_popup/0,1871,iid=273094,00.asp
Seems its pretty good at 3d games, go figure, not so good with 2gb at memory intensive processes. In other words, never buy it with just 2gb of RAM (duh)
It performed very well in video play back as well because of the 320m chip.
The tests mentioned here are performed in Mac OS 10.6.4 (Handbrake, Cinebench R11.5, and Adobe Photoshop CS5 have Mac versions). Keep in mind, running performance benchmark tests doesn't dictate whether a particular task can be done; it's how fast it can be done compared with other laptops in its class. In this case, the MacBook Air is not the zippiest laptop. It took almost four times (23 minutes 23 seconds) as long to encode a video than the Toshiba T235-S1350 (6:24). Because the Photoshop CS5 test is memory intensive, the MacBook Air (14:03) trailed against the Asus UL20FT-A1 (9:31) and Toshiba T235-S1350 (11:28).
The reason why Apple chose to stay with a Core 2 Duo was so that it can benefit from a better graphics environment, specifically Nvidia's integrated one. The Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics chip is the MacBook Air's one redeeming feature in terms of performance. Though it's not the kind of laptop you'd bring to a LAN party, it's a better gaming solution than Intel's integrated graphics—the kind found in the Asus Ul20FT-A1, Acer AS1830T-3721, and Toshiba T235-S1350. Its 3DMark 06 scores (4,569 and 3,984) were at least three-times better than the rest of the field. It was the only laptop that could handle our 3D intensive gaming demos, Crysis and Lost Planet 2. PCMark Vantage scores also favored the 11-inch Air (4,226), since a good chunk of this test is 3D intensive. A better graphics solution also benefits HD playback: I tried several 1080p and 720p high-definition video clips, at high bit rates, and the 11-inch MacBook Air played them beautifully. For those who are worried about heat, the base of the system measured 83-87 degree Fahrenheit (measured with a Fluke Thermometer) while playing back an HD video clip and rendering a photo with Photoshop CS5. Excessive heat is not an issue from what I'm seeing so far.
Direct link to performance numbers http://www.pcmag.com/image_popup/0,1871,iid=273094,00.asp
Seems its pretty good at 3d games, go figure, not so good with 2gb at memory intensive processes. In other words, never buy it with just 2gb of RAM (duh)
It performed very well in video play back as well because of the 320m chip.
The tests mentioned here are performed in Mac OS 10.6.4 (Handbrake, Cinebench R11.5, and Adobe Photoshop CS5 have Mac versions). Keep in mind, running performance benchmark tests doesn't dictate whether a particular task can be done; it's how fast it can be done compared with other laptops in its class. In this case, the MacBook Air is not the zippiest laptop. It took almost four times (23 minutes 23 seconds) as long to encode a video than the Toshiba T235-S1350 (6:24). Because the Photoshop CS5 test is memory intensive, the MacBook Air (14:03) trailed against the Asus UL20FT-A1 (9:31) and Toshiba T235-S1350 (11:28).
The reason why Apple chose to stay with a Core 2 Duo was so that it can benefit from a better graphics environment, specifically Nvidia's integrated one. The Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics chip is the MacBook Air's one redeeming feature in terms of performance. Though it's not the kind of laptop you'd bring to a LAN party, it's a better gaming solution than Intel's integrated graphics—the kind found in the Asus Ul20FT-A1, Acer AS1830T-3721, and Toshiba T235-S1350. Its 3DMark 06 scores (4,569 and 3,984) were at least three-times better than the rest of the field. It was the only laptop that could handle our 3D intensive gaming demos, Crysis and Lost Planet 2. PCMark Vantage scores also favored the 11-inch Air (4,226), since a good chunk of this test is 3D intensive. A better graphics solution also benefits HD playback: I tried several 1080p and 720p high-definition video clips, at high bit rates, and the 11-inch MacBook Air played them beautifully. For those who are worried about heat, the base of the system measured 83-87 degree Fahrenheit (measured with a Fluke Thermometer) while playing back an HD video clip and rendering a photo with Photoshop CS5. Excessive heat is not an issue from what I'm seeing so far.
