MacBook Air with M4 chip might offer MacBook Pro-like performance, according to leaks
The much-anticipated MacBook Air M4 is expected to hit the market in the next few months, boasting a significant upgrade in performance compared to its predecessor, the MacBook Air M3.
According to leaked benchmarks, the MacBook Air M4 features upgraded RAM, with 24GB of memory onboard. This upgrade is evident in its impressive Geekbench Metal score of 54,806, which is 33.5% higher than the MacBook Air 13 M3's score. Interestingly, the MacBook Air M4's GPU performance, despite its fanless design, is less than 5% under the MacBook Pro 14's.
The MacBook Air M4's performance rivals that of the MacBook Pro 14, equipped with the M4 chip, as indicated by the leaked benchmarks. If Apple maintains the same pricing structure, a similarly configured MacBook Air M4 would cost approximately $1,499, making it more affordable than the MacBook Pro 14, which starts at $1,599 and would cost about $1,999 with 24GB of RAM.
However, it's important to note that the MacBook Pro 14 offers higher performance capabilities overall, especially with more CPU and GPU cores and larger RAM options. The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) is positioned as even more powerful, targeting professional and gaming workloads with advanced cores, large memory (up to 128GB), and superior GPU features. Its performance exceeds that of both the MacBook Air M4 and the MacBook Pro 14 M4 base models, though specific benchmark scores are not given.
In summary, the MacBook Air M4 delivers a significant jump over the M3 in CPU benchmark scores while maintaining portability and efficiency. However, it still falls short of the MacBook Pro line's peak performance levels with M4 and M4 Pro chips.
It's worth mentioning that the benchmarks do not provide a comparison with the MacBook Air 13 (M3, 2024) in the standard suite of lab tests. The leaked MacBook Air M4 benchmark was a Geekbench Metal run, testing the GPU of the M4's integrated graphics tile.
As we eagerly await the official release of the MacBook Air M4, it's clear that Apple is set to deliver a powerhouse in the form of a fanless laptop, offering impressive performance at an affordable price point.
[1] Source for MacBook Air M4 and M3 benchmark scores: [Link to Source] [2] Source for MacBook Air M4's CPU performance and efficiency: [Link to Source] [3] Source for MacBook Pro 14's performance capabilities and features: [Link to Source] [4] Source for MacBook Pro 16's performance capabilities and features: [Link to Source]
- The MacBook Air M4, set to hit the market soon, boasts a substantial improvement in performance over the MacBook Air M3, thanks to an upgrade in RAM to 24GB.
- According to leaked benchmarks, the MacBook Air M4's GPU performance, despite its fanless design, is less than 5% under the MacBook Pro 14, signifying impressive capability for a laptop in its class.
- If Apple maintains the same pricing structure, a similarly configured MacBook Air M4 would cost approximately $1,499, making it more affordable than the MacBook Pro 14, which starts at $1,599 and would cost about $1,999 with 24GB of RAM.
- Despite the MacBook Air M4's impressive performance, it still falls short of the MacBook Pro line's peak performance levels, with the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) targeting professional and gaming workloads.