Apple Silicon Mac Reviews: M1 Chip Delivers Exceptional Performance, Thermals, and Battery Life

[Tesix2]

Couldn't see any real world comparisons, i.e. we did this unit of work on an M1 machine and the same on an Intel machine and this was the outcome, in any of the 'reviews'.
Using GeekBench is like comparing Apples to Elephants because of the architecture differences, so has anyone else seen any real world, unit of work, comparisons?

 

[gnasher729]

All M1 macs support only two monitor outputs including the built in screen that counts as a monitor, so that’s one external monitor for the laptops and two for the mini, which is what everyone is rightfully complaining about.

What happens if the lid is closed (external keyboard mouse and monitor). Can you use two external monitors then, since the internal one isn't used?

 

[theluggage]

Would have been great if the MBP had 4 ports.

...the Intel Air and low-end 13" MBP these machines are replacing only had 2 ports (and also maxed out at 16GB RAM, too). There's probably only a single Thunderbolt controller on the M1 and/or a limited number of PCIe lanes (if it even has external PCIe) - but that is par for the course for an ultraportable mobile chip.

It's only a "downgrade" for the Mac Mini (which previously had desktop-grade processors with higher PCIe bandwidth) but at least there you have a HDMI port and don't need to waste a TB3 port for charging.

The problem is with the whole silly concept - at least on anything bigger than a phone or tablet or maybe the Air - of using USB-C/Thunderbolt connectors that pointlessly aggregate unrelated functions like power and display output . Each full-function port eats a huge chunk of PCIe bandwidth to implement USB3.1g2 and Thunderbolt, plus a video output from the GPU - then you plug a plain old power supply or USB 2 device and that's one of your precious high-speed I/O ports wasted. All because having "one port that does it all" makes a nice soundbite and some people are triggered by having a HDMI or USB 2A port that they don't personally use.

 

[Mr. Dee]

I’m still wondering if I should go through with my purchase Saturday. Knowing the 16 inch might be here by June, I could probably wait and benefit from that larger screen. My Early 2015 13 inch MBP is still working great, only 200 cycles on the battery used. Will go check it out just experience, but I probably should wait. Just that June and July is far away.

 

[gnasher729]

I’m wondering apps on the M1 will relaunch when memory is low like it does on the iOS?
Can anyone check to see if there is a /var/vm folder and swap files?

It runs MacOS, not iOS. Everything the same as on Intel MacOS.

 

[dasjati]

Wow, these are some glowing reviews. Apple did this switch at the perfect time it seems. Their chips are ready to rumble

Now I really wonder if it still makes sense to wait for the higher-end Macs. I could just keep my MBP 15 around and get a Mac mini.

 

[Superhai]

What does the size of a power supply have to do with efficiency? How many of us have PSUs that can provide much more power than the computer uses? Anandtech covers the power draw (the Mac Mini peaks at about 31 W of power draw):



The 2018 Mac Mini draws >65W under full load (based on this post). The M1 Mac Mini maxed at about 31W in the Anandtech test (based on a chart) with lower 20s more typical under full load. The new Mini uses <55% power with much better performance than the previous generation. This is amazing!

After reading the Verge article, I think that Macrumors are making more out of it than Welch intended.

 

[robinp]

No space constraints, they could've if they wanted. It was likely just a cost thing as Apple always does...

No space constraints? Really? It’s not the width or height, but rather the depth (thickness of the screen lid). They are way thinner than phones.

 

[timber]

In my country (perhaps in others also, don't know) we usually say the only thing it doesn't do is toasts.

And in this case that is literally true.

 

[Serban55]

I think he means dual external monitor support. Which both laptops lack.

i think this was already adress...every mac can support 1 external monitors and 1 ipad as an sidecar

 

[iChan]

i think this was already adress...every mac can support 2 external monitors and 1 ipad as an sidecar

oh yeah? addressed by whom?

 

[Serban55]

oh yeah? addressed by whom?

i think dave lee
Edit: yes 2 external screens but 1 of them sidecar
So its official just 1 normal external screen

 

[4jasontv]

It runs MacOS, not iOS. Everything the same as on Intel MacOS.

Not quite the same. That’s why this article is so valuable. It’s no longer running the same OS.

 

[MacRumorUser78]

"you can daisy-chain Thunderbolt devices to your heart's content"

A MacMini would replace my iMac which currently has two SSDs (one is the "main drive" since the Fusion is so slow and another slow SSD that backs up my photos and will be used with my MBP for travel), a 4K monitor. None have pass through capability. And if/when I buy a Mini I'll probably use the iMac as monitor. And I would be tempted to keep the fast SSD and get a 512GB Mini. I think that's 4 ports needed unless the iMac can pass through in that mode.

 

[aajeevlin]

i think dave lee
Edit: yes 2 external screens but 1 of them sidecar
So its official just 1 normal external screen

This wording is extremely confusing. I don't think most people would consider the use of sidercar is a external monitor. It's just one ONE external monitor in this case.

 

[techwhiz]

I don't know why people are confused about the limitations of the new M1.
It has 16GB of RAM and no external memory support.
The memory is shared between system and video memory.
Additional displays means consumption of memory at the tradeoff of system memory.
You also have a bandwidth issue. There is only so much memory bandwidth.
With no external memory and limited peripheral connections the system has better TDP.
When they add 4 channels of LPDDR and 26-40 lanes of PCIe like Intel processors, they you have a real comparison on thermals and power consumption.

Right now the M1 is a really fast iPad processor with a bit more peripheral connectivity.
It is no way a true comparison to an Intel or AMP processor, since it does not have the external memory or multiple lanes of PCIe supported.

 

[Serban55]

This wording is extremely confusing. I don't think most people would consider the use of sidercar is a external monitor. It's just one ONE external monitor in this case.

why not? since it acts like an external display just that can be even better because it can be wireless
Ok, size should not matter as what an external monitor definition is. Or since the ipad has no stand...its not an external monitor/display?...that means the XDR pro display is not a monitor until you buy the stand

 

[0092762]

What happens if the lid is closed (external keyboard mouse and monitor). Can you use two external monitors then, since the internal one isn't used?

I highly doubt that’s possible because Apple did not mention it. It might be a hardware issue of having one of those outputs permanently connected to the internal display or maybe a firmware update might allow rerouting of that output. A tear down and comparison of the mini vs. the laptops would give a better idea.

 

[echodriver]

Couldn't see any real world comparisons, i.e. we did this unit of work on an M1 machine and the same on an Intel machine and this was the outcome, in any of the 'reviews'.
Using GeekBench is like comparing Apples to Elephants because of the architecture differences, so has anyone else seen any real world, unit of work, comparisons?

Anandtech has some Cinebench R23 reviews with the Mac Mini

It matches the Intel Tiger Lake CPUs (28W) in single core and is well ahead of the AMD 4800U (15W) in single core, but falls well behind the AMD 4800U (15W) in multi-core

Most reviews using real world benchmarks (not synthetic like Geekbench) seem to have the M1 and 4800U having similar perf/watt which gives the edge to AMD given that it's on 7NM and is still Zen 2 (Zen 3 APU's should be pretty damn impressive), but it is a great start for Apple

 

[MacRumorUser78]

you can daisy-chain Thunderbolt devices to your heart's content.

2x slower is a really bad way of saying 'half the speed'

As the first Macs containing Apple Silicon processors began arriving to customers today, reviewers have shared their first impressions of the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. In particular, reviewers praised the M1 chip's ability to deliver excellent performance, thermals, and battery life.

MacBook Air

The Verge's Dieter Bohn remarked that "The MacBook Air with the M1 chip is the most impressive laptop I've used in years."

Forbes's David Phelan described the experience as similar to "every time you switch to a new iPhone with the latest processor - everything seems preposterously fast and responsive."

Bohn noted how well the M1 performs, even when using demanding "pro" apps or using multiple apps at a time:



Phelan also noticed a considerable improvement in speed when starting-up the MacBook Air:



Bohn found that the MacBook Air appeared to have very good thermals, despite having a passive cooling system with no fan.



Bohn said that while the M1 in the MacBook Air did deliver much better battery life, it was not as good as Apple claimed, and did not perform as well as the new MacBook Pro.



The area most criticized by reviewers was the MacBook Air's camera, which Bohn said was barely improved:



MacBook Pro

TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino said that "the M1 MacBook Pro runs smoothly, launching apps so quickly that they're often open before your cursor leaves your dock... Every click is more responsive. Every interaction is immediate." Much like Phelan, he described it as feeling "like an iOS device in all the best ways."

The Verge's Nilay Patel discussed the better thermal design of the MacBook Pro, since it uses an active cooling system with a fan. However, Patel did not notice much of an improvement over the MacBook Air:



Patel said that he "easily" got "10 hours on a charge and had to really push things to drain the battery in eight hours". Moreover, much like the MacBook Air, Patel chastised the camera:



Mac mini

The Verge's Chris Welch indicated that M1 chip in the Mac mini was able to perform better due to its improved thermal design:



PC Mag's John Burek had a similar experience, commenting:



Burek found that the Mac mini performed better than the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but not by a wide margin:



Yet Welch was disappointed that, in spite of the fact that it is more power-efficient, the M1 chip does not yield a reduction in power usage:



He was also downcast about the Mac mini's loss of two Thunderbolt 3 ports:



Burek downplayed the loss of the two additional Thunderbolt 3 ports on the Mac mini, however:



Welch rebuked the Mac mini's internal speaker, saying that "it's the kind of speaker you'll never, ever want to use."



More Reviews

MacBook Air

• Engadget's Devindra Harawar
  
• The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern
  
• Wired's Julian Chokkattu

MacBook Pro

• TechRadar's Matt Hanson
  
• Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles

Mac mini

• TechRadar's Matt Hanson
  
• AnandTech's Andrei Frumusanu

For early unboxings and first impressions, check out our summary, which compiles over a dozen of the latest videos reviews.

‌The ‌‌MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini with Apple Silicon are now available for order and in-store pickup.

Article Link: Apple Silicon Mac Reviews: M1 Chip Delivers Exceptional Performance, Thermals, and Battery Life

I’ve been holding off on replacing a 2012 MacBook Air until it finally stops being functional. It’s just about there and obviously these new M1 Airs are a huge upgrade. I’m just worried about which RAM to go with. Is 8GB going to be enough to last for several years (future proofing)? Probably the most intensive thing I do is light editing in Photos.

I have a 16GB iMac 2017. It gets slow more than I would like but it's almost always CPU, the memory is almost always green. When the memory occasionally spikes I think it's a misbehaving app. Use Activity Monitor and see what you're using.

 

[mikentosh]

You mean you sabotaged it, right? 🤣

Well, as it turns out... when I was gutting it for parts, i found an extreme amount of dust in the intake on the bottom. I feel lack of proper maintenance may have played a factor. Embarrassed to say.

 

[deputy_doofy]

So basically a bunch of the naysayers get to taste crow?

I'm sure they'll still say it doesn't compete with their Viagra-powered Intel something-or-other.

 

[aajeevlin]

why not? since it acts like an external display just that can be even better because it can be wireless
Ok, size should not matter as what an external monitor definition is. Or since the ipad has no stand...its not an external monitor/display?...that means the XDR pro display is not a monitor until you buy the stand

To me when you ask if people have or how many external monitor they will tell you "how many monitor" they have, it's unusual for people to count ipad as an extenral monitor. If you ask me (I have an ipad pro), I would never think to coutn it as external monitor. My two 27inch monitors? Yes, those I would count. I got my answer on this, I'll wait for the next release.

 

[neuropsychguy]

After reading the Verge article, I think that Macrumors are making more out of it than Welch intended.

I agree but it is a direct quote from the Verge review. It's mainly just trying to get a review out quickly without thinking through what is being written. If the criticism was, "Why is Apple including the same power adapter when the M1 is supposed to be more power efficient [which is possibly what was intended]?" That's a valid question but saying there are not apparent power efficiency increases is being lazy. At least take the time (like Anandtech did) to test the efficiency.

 

[ondert]

Okay but what are the frequencies?