What exactly would you do with a CPU clock speed on a CPU not used in any system you can compare against?
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MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M1 Chips Have Same 8-Core CPUs, No Upgrades Available
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What exactly would you do with a CPU clock speed on a CPU not used in any system you can compare against?
Agreed. The M1 is just the beginning. I said the same thing about the A4 when it was first announced, and people looked at me crosseyed. The benefit back then was that I could load up on ARMH stock (Arm Holdings, back when it was public). Now, I I just have to load up on more AAPL and (presumably) TSM – the latter typically makes the processors for Apple.
300 bucks for better audio, larger battery, touchbar, higher performance and higher sustained clock is totally fine.
Shipping times of MBA custom configs are already slipping.
I was going to go for the higher end GPU version with 16 GB and 1 TB since it was still shipping the same as standard configs. But due to a payment snafu*, that one slipped to Dec 3-10. Others slipped just a week so I ended going with the lower end GPU and 16GB/1TB (doubt I'll ever notice any different from the loss of one measly GPU core). But that one's still a week behind the standard configs. I was hoping to use this machine for something next week, but oh well!
*Trying to use Apple ID balance but it never offered to log me in, took me 10-15 minutes to resolve by using a different computer to order. By this time the damage was done.
I was going to go for the higher end GPU version with 16 GB and 1 TB since it was still shipping the same as standard configs. But due to a payment snafu*, that one slipped to Dec 3-10. Others slipped just a week so I ended going with the lower end GPU and 16GB/1TB (doubt I'll ever notice any different from the loss of one measly GPU core). But that one's still a week behind the standard configs. I was hoping to use this machine for something next week, but oh well!
*Trying to use Apple ID balance but it never offered to log me in, took me 10-15 minutes to resolve by using a different computer to order. By this time the damage was done.
If you can sell these with new arm chips, the displays should get some much needed improvements too. Mini LED would have been nice or even OLED especially with the battery life improvements the M1 gives you. Also, these devices need the bezels downgraded.
What would be the point? What would the ghz processor speed tell you? You can't compare it to Intel or AMD so it's kind of pointless. If they told you it was 1.5ghz and that the Intel is 2ghz you'd think it was slower, but because the power to watt is considerably better and it runs cooler it out performs it x3 (for example) as a marketer you're not going ot use "ghz" to advertise your processor than are you - it's pretty simple.
Because the frequencies are lower than Intel’s and the marketing team probably thought it would create a bad perception from buyers.
I think the only answer is that it'll be able to keep running at higher clocks without throttling. To be honest, Apple really kind of bungled this launch by not differentiating the CPU in the "Pro" / desktop machines vs the Air.
And they won't show Ghz but they ask the user whether they want a 7-core or 8-core GPU in their base model computer...what are you doing Apple? Even a developer like me has no idea of what to make of that. And no one has any way to compare performance between the two models...
Yes, but I think they have done the same thing for a while. There was always more than one way to get to a config. I only know because it drove me batty as well.
I agree with you, but again, I feel like it should be pointed out that "clocked different" != "throttled." Other than their own article title and declarations, nothing MR has shared tells me that the two SoCs are running at the same speed and the cheaper one is gimped when it gets hot.
I simply like the form factor of the discontinued 12”. From the edge to edge keyboard to the portability. It was fanless, so I don’t see why they couldn’t reintroduce it as the Air went fanless too. Maybe it’s a butterfly keyboard thing.
Thought there was a new 24in iMac in the background, but sadly its an Apple Pro Display XDR. Roll on M2 chip and a new line up of iMacs and iMac Pro's. With the transition to Apple designed chips, perhaps Apple will help its drive for renewable technology by allowing chip upgrades without deconstructing everything first.
The newly announced MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models that Apple announced today are equipped with the same 8-core M1 chip that also offers an integrated GPU, with Apple offering no CPU upgrades.
There is, however, a GPU upgrade available for the MacBook Air. By default, the MacBook Air ships with an M1 chip with a 7-core GPU, while the MacBook Pro has the same M1 chip with an 8-core GPU.
If you choose the $1,249 MacBook Air model with a 512GB SSD, it upgrades to an 8-core GPU instead of the default 7-core GPU, but there is no custom configuration option to choose the lower tier model with the upgraded 8-core GPU option.
Both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro can be customized with more RAM and more storage space. The Mac mini also has the same M1 chip with 8-core GPU as the MacBook Pro with no GPU/CPU upgrade option available. The new models are available today and will start shipping out next week.
Article Link: MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M1 Chips Have Same 8-Core CPUs, No Upgrades Available
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Nah. Intels low power CPUs have already been designed with variable TDP for years. You can get the M3 used in the fanless Surface models in other machines with a fan, and those typically turn the speeds and sustainability up.
I hope the same thing for the 16". That said, it's not hard to believe that Apple has figured out how to trounce Intel's always-****** integrated GPU offering.
It is this time on-die unified memory. It *should* have a much higher bandwidth than standard DDR4Until you see how much they are asking for it... and then it makes sense
Only benchmarks will tell.
Yes, but I think they have done the same thing for a while. There was always more than one way to get to a config. I only know because it drove me batty as well.
I agree with you, but again, I feel like it should be pointed out that "clocked different" != "throttled." Other than their own article title and declarations, nothing MR has shared tells me that the two SoCs are running at the same speed and the cheaper one is gimped when it gets hot.
I doubt it is running at the same speed - the same way the iPad and iPhone chips don't. But we don't care about clock speed there either - just performance.
So, aside from the touchbar, 100 extra nits of brightness, maybe slightly different speakers (due to the different chassis) and the 8-core GPU being standard (rather than a higher-end model), what am I getting by going 13" Pro over Air? Like, this is the issue with too many overlapping 13" machines. I'm hoping that the rumored 14" Pro redesign replaces this awkward Apple Silicon 2-port 13" Pro that doesn't give me much over the Air so that there's less weird overlap.
Marketing Fail 🙃 calling the Fanless MacBook Air
This isn’t the case though, I can compare the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro and can’t distinguish the chips. Like I take the point that Apple isn’t going to compare these to Intel or AMD, but this is going to get confusing fast when the rest of the Macs transitions and they start allowing more build to order configurations.
Is there any significant difference between the 7-core GPU Air and the 8?
My machine is mostly an internet station.
Pulled trigger on the $999 base model Air.
My machine is mostly an internet station.
Pulled trigger on the $999 base model Air.
Every chip manufacturer has yield issues.
