M2 Air, will it not overheat?

[Balans]

I think about m2 macbook air because I carry a lot my computer. I am not afraid of efficiency in everyday work, because I am not a heavy user. However, I like to play minecraft, I know from tests that the game runs smoothly, but will passive cooling it is enought with longer playing?

I am thinking about the 16/512 option, but I do not know if it is also worth taking 10-core graphics, will I feel any difference in performance or temperatures?

 

[Toutou]

The computer can't overheat. If the SoC temperature gets too high, the computer will lower the clock rates of the CPU and GPU so that heat produced == heat radiated away, and it will keep running indefinitely.

But if you care about battery life and not having to game on an uncomfortably hot computer, just choose a lower resolution (like 1080p or something) instead of the native display resolution, and enable VSync (which also limits FPS to 60). The computer won't have to work so hard and it won't ever get uncomfortably hot. This applies to most games btw.

 

[chrono1081]

You don't have to worry about overheating. Too many people (including "tech" YouTubers) equate normal computer operations with overheating because they feel warmth.

I play Final Fantasy 14 on my air all the time and it barely gets warm, sometimes for multiple hours if I'm doing a lazy weekend.

I have the 10 core 16 gig model.

 

[Balans]

thanks. You have dispelled my doubts about air m2. Earlier, I was thinking about the option of the base model air m2 + a second gaming computer. But it does not make sense because I play only occasionally and only in one game, it is definitely better to upgrade the device that I will use on a daily basis.

I will buy the device in about a week or two. I am still thinking about upgrading the GPU, in your opinion is it worth it only for minecraft?

 

[Toutou]

in your opinion is it worth it only for minecraft?

In my opinion (and on my budget) it's not worth it, but you're the one paying for the computer.
Going from 8 to 10-core GPU will get you 25 % more GPU performance under ideal conditions. Given that Minecraft has always been an unoptimized, CPU-intensive mess and that even the M1 Air is powerful enough to run it comfortably, I don't think that getting the better GPU just because of it is worth it.

But again, it's your money, maybe you'll find a different game that you like and that actually runs 20 % faster on the 10-core GPU.

 

[chrono1081]

thanks. You have dispelled my doubts about air m2. Earlier, I was thinking about the option of the base model air m2 + a second gaming computer. But it does not make sense because I play only occasionally and only in one game, it is definitely better to upgrade the device that I will use on a daily basis.

I will buy the device in about a week or two. I am still thinking about upgrading the GPU, in your opinion is it worth it only for minecraft?

I would say probably not. I'd only upgrade the GPU if you're going to be doing 3D work or something.

 

[1BadManVan]

I did the upgrade since I wanted the bigger charger anyways, already spending this much, I might as well get the 10 core model, it will still give you a bit of a performance boost in the game. And as more and more apps become properly optimized to take advantage of the the extra gpu power, the better the experience in the long run. Just my thoughts on it, I love my m2 air, heats never been an issue

 

[TSE]

The only time Youtube "reviews" (more like commercials made for Millennials and Gen Z, but that's another discussion) have found the MacBook Air M2 to throttle is running insane benchmarking applications that nobody will ever run, unless you are in the less than 1% that do 3D Rendering or something like that.

Don't worry about it. Get your M2 MacBook Air, use it for what you want to use it for, and if it's not satisfactory to your conditions, then return it within 14 days. Life is too short to be worrying about this kind of stuff.