M1 MBA Weights

[MacRazySwe]

For various reasons I now happen to have two old M1 MBAs, a base model 8/256GB and one upgraded model M1 16/512GB.

I thought I was just imagining things, but after a blind test, my significant other and I are confident that the 16/512GB model is heavier than the base model. Obviously not something you would ever notice unless compared side by side.

I'm just curious if anyone has any more insights to the weight difference between the two. I had assumed that the RAM and SSD was soldered as a "single" item regardless of storage size, so double the memory shouldn't mean anything? Or is the 512 model using dual 256 modules or something?

And no, I'm not ready to pry them open. 😂

 

[baconcat_8964]

This is the logic board of M1 Air.

Orange is where RAM located. 8GB model has two 4GB chips, 16GB model has two 8GB chips.

Green is where storage located. For M1 laptops, Apple uses two 128GB chips on 256GB model, and two 256GB chips on 512GB model. They changed that on M2 laptops, only use one 256GB chip on 256GB model but heavily impacted the read/write performance, so they moved back to always two storage chip on M3 laptops.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

“Blind” test? Wouldn’t a scale be better?

I can’t imagine there being more than a couple of grams difference…

 

[MacRazySwe]

Thanks for sharing @baconcat_8964

And yes, @FreakinEurekan we have a new kitchen scale on order, so that’s coming up next. 😀