Intel's Skylake Processor Lineup for MacBook Air Unveiled

[MacRumors]

Details on Intel's upcoming 15-watt 6200U - 6600U Skylake processor lineup were shared today by Fanless Tech, giving us a look at what we can expect from the processors that will likely be used in Apple's next MacBook Air update.

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The 2.3GHz i5-6200U and the 2.4GHz i5-6300U chips are appropriate for the lower-end MacBook Air models, while the 2.5GHz i7-6500U and the 2.6GHz i7-6600U would be used in the higher-end MacBook Air models. All four chips include Intel HD 520 graphics. With Skylake, Intel has opted to simplify its graphics naming scheme, adopting 3-digit numbers instead of 4-digit numbers.

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It is not clear when Intel plans to release the Skylake chips appropriate for the MacBook Air, but with full specs now available, it seems launch is imminent, perhaps planned for next week's Intel Developer Forum.

According to the information available, 28-watt chips appropriate for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will not be launching until 2016. Launch dates are equally unclear for the rest of the Skylake lineup, as today's leak only covers chips that would be used in the MacBook Air.

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Intel's Skylake processors are expected to offer a 10 to 20 percent boost in CPU performance over Broadwell, plus lower power consumption and improved Intel HD integrated graphics performance. Better energy efficiency will also lead to up to 30 percent longer battery life.

Article Link: Intel's Skylake Processor Lineup for MacBook Air Unveiled

 

[Chris5488]

We can expect a whole new line-up from Apple this october. All Skylake

 

[JonneyGee]

This is the processor upgrade people have been waiting for. Hopefully they'll be out in time for a fall Mac refresh.

 

[jamesryanbell]

Can any of these be put into the 12" Macbook?

 

[nepalisherpa]

Give me 11" Air with Skylake and retina display, please!

 

[AngerDanger]

Can any of these be put into the 12" Macbook?

Not without the addition of a fan, which would take up space dedicated to battery, which would need to be augmented to accommodate for the processor and fan.

The new MacBook is the first Mac notebook ever without a fan. Since the Intel Core M chip draws only 5 watts of power and therefore generates less heat, no fan or heat pipe is required.

 

[cosmos]

Improved CPU, graphics and battery performance. Check, check and check. Now release them and take my money!

 

[jamescharley22]

Holy cow! Phew!!! I almost flipped. I read Pro instead of Air and was almost super disappointed by the HD Graphics. Debating between CPUs with Iris Pro and dedicated graphics for two external 5k displays over Thunderbolt 3 or Xeon CPUs and only one external 5k display.

 

[OneZweiThree]

Is this the Same hd 5200 Graphics, that is currently in the 15" pro?

 

[nutmac]

2.3 to 2.6GHz (2.8 to 3.4GHz Turbo Boost) is quite a boost from current 1.6 to 2.2GHz (2.7 to 3.2GHz Turbo Boost).

It's too bad that Skylake for 13" rMBP is due in 2016, however. I suspect Skylake suitable for 15" rMBP will come even later.

 

[GreyOS]

A refresh would also present Apple with the opportunity to swap the names of the MacBook and MacBook Air given that the current MBA weighs more.

They could have done that when they launched the MB as the MBAs were refreshed when the MB was announced. Not sure how a refresh really enables a rename - I think a redesign could, though.

 

[iKrivetko]

It's 520, not 5200

 

[mjs402]

The slide reads Intel HD Graphics 520, not 5200. Are you sure these are the same Iris Pro chips? Seems odd that Intel would release a typo like that.

 

[Marx55]

Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 type-C (reversible)?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

One correction, it's not "Intel HD 5200" graphics, it's "Intel HD 520" graphics. They cut the numbers down by a digit this time around, and of course went with completely-different numbering in the first two digits.

 

[cmChimera]

Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 type-C (reversible)?

Believe you need an external controller for thunderbolt 3. Could be wrong though.

 

[tann]

So will the 520 graphics be better than the 6000 currently inside the MacBook Air?

The naming is confusing

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 type-C (reversible)?

(Warning: I have no inside knowledge.) While I would like it if the Air got Thunderbolt 3, I wouldn't count on it. The Alpine Ridge controller isn't a small chip, although the single-port Alpine Ridge-LP may be small enough to replace the single-port chip in the current Airs...

What I'm really hoping for (in all of Apple's notebook updates,) is to see one charge-capable port on each side of the system. For the pro systems, A Thunderbolt 3 on each side would be excellent, along with a USB 3.1 on each side. (Of course, four full Thunderbolt 3 would be perfect, since all four could double as USB 3.1 as well.)

For the Air, a Thunderbolt 3 on one side, and a USB 3.1 on the other would be fine. Yes, two Thunderbolt 3 (one on each side) would be better...

I just want the day when I can plug any peripheral in to any port, and have it "just work." When I can plug my external hard drive in to one port, my monitor in to another, and my scanner in to a third, and not care which port is which. That's what I'm hoping the Type-C connector becomes. Especially since Thunderbolt has in its spec the "fallback" to USB, so I really hope that every future Thunderbolt device *ALSO* works fine on "just plain" USB. Yeah, you may get a slower connection, but it would be great it it worked. Then the retina MacBook first gen customers wouldn't be left out in the cold.

 

[one more]

The current situation with MBs 2015 & MBAs seems like a transit between advancing the former and out-phasing the latter. If Apple moves towards retina screens across the whole Mac range, what's the point of updating the chips of the current Airs? If they do update the Airs and add the retina screens on them as well, it will bring the price up closer to that of MB 2015. It is going to be an interesting autumn...

 

[kgtenacious]

I doubt that Apple is going to allow vt-d on anything except mac pros.

 

[Rogifan]

The current situation with MBs 2015 & MBAs seems like a transit between advancing the former and out-phasing the latter. If Apple moves towards retina screens across the whole Mac range, what's the point of updating the chips of the current Airs? If they do update the Airs and add the retina screens on them as well, it will bring the price up closer to that of MB 2015. It is going to be an interesting autumn...

No way are MBAs getting retain screens. What would be the point?

 

[jmh600cbr]

LOLOL we will never see a new mbp

 

[Serban]

any differences between HD 520 vs something else ?

 

[dannys1]

We can expect a whole new line-up from Apple this october. All Skylake

No chance.

 

[JustThinkin']

It's too bad that Skylake for 13" rMBP is due in 2016, however. I suspect Skylake suitable for 15" rMBP will come even later.

That's what I was thinking. Then I remembered Intel just released new mobile Xeon chips (shipping ~soon in a couple of Mobile Lenovo workstations):http://anandtech.com/show/9507/intel-quietly-launches-mobile-xeons-skylake-e3-1500m-v5

They're Skylake chips too. If I were Apple, I'd use those in the Pros (assuming they have the necessary features/specs/price) rather than wait for another ~6 mos. for the "consumer" Skylake parts.