For those doubting between the high end and base model

[robertfrancis70]

I planned on getting the base but at the last minute thought I'd check out the 10th gen instead -- mainly for more + faster ram and the two ports on the side. But the killer feature is turning out to be the speakers. It makes a much bigger difference than I expected and reviewers haven't done it justice.

I've had the 2017 and 2019 13" MBP's and spent a lot of time listening to Spotify on them. This is a noticeable step up... The stereo effect is much more pronounced (sounds like the sound is coming from two or three feet off to each side) and the sound is really crisp and clear...

You would probably need to have them side by side for a real comparison, I know, but still, it's worth touting...

 

[jerryk]

The base model is a rip off. Might as well get an Air.

Disagree. Air's fans seem to be very noisy if you do anything strenuous. It was a poor cooling design not to have ducting from fan to heat sink. Probably save a few bucks, which was more critical than properly cooling the CPU for the Air.
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If I upgrade RAM and SSD on base model to match 4TB 10th gen ($1800) version, then it's $200 difference. For extra $200, you get below items

1) 2 extra TB ports. Flexibility to charge on either side
2) Faster RAM
3) Better GPU
4) Latest CPU
5) Better speakers
6) Faster SSD? (Not sure)
7) Better cooling (2 fans)

I think it's worth it to get 4TB version if one can afford it.

How many people really need 4 TB available at all time? And how many people want to lose that much data when they laptop drive dies? I have a 2 TB on my 16 MBP and daily backup to a NAS to prevent data loss.

 

[KPOM]

If I upgrade RAM and SSD on base model to match 4TB 10th gen ($1800) version, then it's $200 difference. For extra $200, you get below items

1) 2 extra TB ports. Flexibility to charge on either side
2) Faster RAM
3) Better GPU
4) Latest CPU
5) Better speakers
6) Faster SSD? (Not sure)
7) Better cooling (2 fans)

I think it's worth it to get 4TB version if one can afford it.

Here’s a counterpoint. This is the reviewer who dispelled the MacBook Air “overheating” issue, so he isn’t necessarily anti-Apple.

For me, the base Ice Lake model is worth it for the convenience of the additional ports and the better speakers.

 

[robertfrancis70]

hmmm.... "Ice Lake MBP"... I like that. Thanks KPOM for getting us down with the lingo...

 

[KPOM]

I would have gone for the MBA if it wasn't for Apple engineers thinking it could do without a well designed heatsink.

It’s using a Y-Series processor. Equip it with a Mac Pro cooling system and it runs maybe 10% faster. Its cooling system is perfectly adequate.

All the misinformation going around about the MacBook Air is getting ridiculous. It wasn’t intended to be a MacBook Pro replacement. It has a processor that tops out at 12W. By contrast, the base MacBook Pro puts out up to 25W when pushed. That’s why it is faster. No amount of heat sinks will ever cause the MBA to perform as well as a MBP.

 

[unoporfavor]

Regardless of differences, why would one of the models not have the 10th gen and the rest do? I can't quite work that out.

$

 

[Mdv2]

It’s using a Y-Series processor. Equip it with a Mac Pro cooling system and it runs maybe 10% faster. Its cooling system is perfectly adequate.

All the misinformation going around about the MacBook Air is getting ridiculous. It wasn’t intended to be a MacBook Pro replacement. It has a processor that tops out at 12W. By contrast, the base MacBook Pro puts out up to 25W when pushed. That’s why it is faster. No amount of heat sinks will ever cause the MBA to perform as well as a MBP.

No, it's not. Perhaps for you, not for me. I don't want to sit with a laptop on my lap reaching 100C simply for having a lot of tabs open in safari with a CPU/memory intensive trading engine webpage, to only be constantly annoyed by fan noise and heated legs. It's not misinformation, the heat sink construction is just poor engineering on Apple's end.

 

[nill1234]

No, it's not. Perhaps for you, not for me. I don't want to sit with a laptop on my lap reaching 100C simply for having a lot of tabs open in safari with a CPU/memory intensive trading engine webpage, to only be constantly annoyed by fan noise and heated legs. It's not misinformation, the heat sink construction is just poor engineering on Apple's end.

Used it in my lap all the time without any issues and i cant hear any fan during XCode. The MBA does what its designed for, and for me its perfectly fine i paid 1350€ so way cheaper than the 10th gen MBP for 1930€

 

[Mdv2]

Used it in my lap all the time without any issues and i cant hear any fan during XCode. The MBA does what its designed for, and for me its perfectly fine i paid 1350€ so way cheaper than the 10th gen MBP for 1930€

That's great to hear and I am happy for you, but I have read several reports on here of people who returned their MBA exactly for the issues described above.

 

[oreganoinferno]

Ordered the 10th Gen because of the putatively better cooling, speakers, hope of having a long-lasting device, and peace of mind.

BTW had the 2020 MBA i7 first, and compared it side-by-side with my 2017 13" nTB MBP - except for keyboard and speakers, the 2020 MBA felt like a downgrade, so I returned it.

 

[matram]

Products are designed for different target users / use cases.

The MBA and MBP probably work exactly as designed. Then it is up to the user to choose the best tool for his / her use case.

The fact that one product does not perform optimally for you does not mean the product is faulty.

 

[recoil80]

If I do get the 10-gen CPU version, it's really for the extra USB-C ports and the ability to charge my laptop from the right (since that's where the charger sits on my desk). 😛

I have a 16" so 4 ports, and all of them have a cable connected as I'm typing this message.
I don't need to charge on the right, but my external monitor is there, so my iPad that I use to test my apps.
Sure you can use a dongle, but 4 ports are really convenient
Besides, the 4 ports model starts with 16GB of RAM and 512 storage, if you spec the base model up the price difference with the 4 ports is less than 300

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
A number of posts were removed due to bickering and other rules violations. Please stay on topic and follow the rules for appreciate debate:

Please review the forum rules regarding appropriate debate, point #1 under Things Not To Do.

Inappropriate posting in a debate. The Rules for Appropriate Debate apply when users disagree with each other. We insist on a certain level of respect and civility toward other users, even when your viewpoints differ, and prohibit posts that attack posters personally or serve only to anger others (see "trolling" above).

 

[KPOM]

No, it's not. Perhaps for you, not for me. I don't want to sit with a laptop on my lap reaching 100C simply for having a lot of tabs open in safari with a CPU/memory intensive trading engine webpage, to only be constantly annoyed by fan noise and heated legs. It's not misinformation, the heat sink construction is just poor engineering on Apple's end.

The case is cool even if the CPU is running at 100C. They specifically do not connect the cooling system to the case for that reason. Most of hacks do just that, which transfers heat to the case.

 

[magbarn]

No, it's not. Perhaps for you, not for me. I don't want to sit with a laptop on my lap reaching 100C simply for having a lot of tabs open in safari with a CPU/memory intensive trading engine webpage, to only be constantly annoyed by fan noise and heated legs. It's not misinformation, the heat sink construction is just poor engineering on Apple's end.

It may run at 100C, but the 2020 MBA i7 I had for 2 weeks ran cooler on my lap than my 2020 Ice lake i7 MBP 13. The MBP's design is to get out as much heat off the CPU as possible in a thin/light chassis. The MBA purpose is to adequately cool a 12 watt CPU which it barely does as the CPU is pegged at 100C. BUT you're only having to dissipate 12 watts of heat vs the 30+ watts that the 2020 MBP ice lake can put out (and the 8th gen can boost to 25 watts also). You can't cheat physics so 30+ watts of heat will always feel warmer than 12 watts any day of the week. The MBP definitely has much more case heat than the MBA.

 

[usernametakenforever]

If I upgrade RAM and SSD on base model to match 4TB 10th gen ($1800) version, then it's $200 difference. For extra $200, you get below items

1) 2 extra TB ports. Flexibility to charge on either side
2) Faster RAM
3) Better GPU
4) Latest CPU
5) Better speakers
6) Faster SSD? (Not sure)
7) Better cooling (2 fans)

I think it's worth it to get 4TB version if one can afford it.

Lol this video is straight out of my comment above.

 

[IngerMan]

If it’s a $200 dollar difference, I think yes go Gen 10. But if you are managing well with 256GB SSD and add 16GB of ram on the Gen 8 then it’s a $425 difference with tax added, roughly 25%. I think then going Gen 8 makes sense.

this is a mobile device and out in the field or travel they both get the job done. It’s not a significant difference. If your making your coin from video editing you would have a different desktop version for home base.

the majority of people buying these are not making any coin from them, it’s just a tool or a toy, Sometimes both.

 

[tthomson]

Good video and it's exactly why I went for the base model. I use my MBP for general computing and My current MBP 13" late 2013 with the base processor has done this job perfectly well for years. This is the first year that it's starting to show its age.

Went for the base + 16 GB RAM. That's more than enough power for my usage.
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You might notice the graphics performance if you’d running high res external screens but agree otherwise for general computing you’ll not notice it.

I don't think you'd notice it even running a 4K external monitor. The Intel Iris Plus 645 is actually a decently powerful iGPU which just came out last year. It has 48 EUs which is the same number as the G4 Ice Lake graphics found in the base MBA. The Ice Lake G7 iGPU found in the higher-end MBP has 64 EUs, and thus will be faster.

 

[Supra Mac]

Lol this video is straight out of my comment above.

Also to add the higher end model has faster WIFI. 3x3 vs 2x2 on base.

 

[edubfromktown]

Ordered the 10th Gen because of the putatively better cooling, speakers, hope of having a long-lasting device, and peace of mind.

BTW had the 2020 MBA i7 first, and compared it side-by-side with my 2017 13" nTB MBP - except for keyboard and speakers, the 2020 MBA felt like a downgrade, so I returned it.

The prior 13" MBP's (2017 13 inch Macbook Pro i7 is what my kid uses) feel so dense compared to the MBA.

I've been putting an i7 through the paces going to check out a 10th Gen as well. There doesn't appear to be as much of a weight difference between the new MBA and MBP 13" these days.

 

[KPOM]

Also to add the higher end model has faster WIFI. 3x3 vs 2x2 on base.

Interesting about the eGPU performance. I saw a detailed comparison of the 13” Ice Lake vs the 16” a week ago, and he noticed a similar extra benefit for the 13” with an eGPU relative to the 16”.

 

[noobinator]

There doesn't appear to be as much of a weight difference between the new MBA and MBP 13" these days.

2.8 lbs in the Air vs 3.1 lbs in the 13” Pro (base I think)

 

[ajaan]

Went for the base + 16 GB RAM. That's more than enough power for my usage.
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I don't think you'd notice it even running a 4K external monitor. The Intel Iris Plus 645 is actually a decently powerful iGPU which just came out last year. It has 48 EUs which is the same number as the G4 Ice Lake graphics found in the base MBA. The Ice Lake G7 iGPU found in the higher-end MBP has 64 EUs, and thus will be faster.

I don't think you'd notice it even running a 4K external monitor.
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Not my experience. The Iris Plus 645 on my base MBP is useless at powering a 4K monitor to the point of being unusable, regardless of what the specs say. Slow UI, and that's without doing anything gpu intensive. Had to use a regular monitor. And the fans whirl up too, making it noisy.

Similar experience on the Mac mini (although lower iGPU). Theorectically can do a 4K in practice not a good experience.

Using Macs with a iGPU and 4K monitor remains frustrating. Although, on another thread someone is saying the 10th gen MBP with the better iGPU is handling 4K monitors just fine.

For me, this is enough to change up to the 10th gen MBP.

 

[tthomson]

I don't think you'd notice it even running a 4K external monitor.

Not my experience. The Iris Plus 645 on my base MBP is useless at powering a 4K monitor to the point of being unusable, regardless of what the specs say. Slow UI, and that's without doing anything gpu intensive. Had to use a regular monitor. And the fans whirl up too, making it noisy.

Similar experience on the Mac mini (although lower iGPU). Theorectically can do a 4K in practice not a good experience.

Using Macs with a iGPU and 4K monitor remains frustrating. Although, on another thread someone is saying the 10th gen MBP with the better iGPU is handling 4K monitors just fine.

For me, this is enough to change up to the 10th gen MBP.

Hmm, that's weird. Maybe it has to do with RAM since it's a iGPU? Did your base model have 8 or 16 GB RAM? I ordered the 16 GB so I'm hoping it will perform OK. Intel says that the 645 can support 4K 60 Hz and up to 3 displays.

 

[lobo1978]

people are so hung up about it being a 10th gen CPU, but there's really little actual improvements, the performance gain is marginal. Its not like Intel is suddenly using 10nm technology

Listen to @maflynn - stay cool and do not get spinned by marketing hype.

We are actually observing demise of Intel and huge change in CPU/GPU market as we know it. Even laptop definition is changing. Apple is actively redefining it. Others will follow - they always follow (or just directly and bluntly copy-paste).