Connect with us

Apple

New MacBook Performance Suffers Compared to MacBook Air

Published

on

If you’re looking to buy a high-performance MacBook, you may want to skip the new MacBook model, as the performance isn’t on par with even today’s MacBook Air.

According to some early benchmarks, the new MacBook scored a 1924 and 2044 during two single-core tests, and a 4038 and 4475 for multi-core tests. The 2015 entry-level MacBook Air scored a 2881 during a single-core test and 5757 on multi-core. That should tell you right away that the new MacBook doesn’t quite stand up against the latest MacBook Air.

According to Primate Labs, this puts the new MacBook’s performance roughly on par with the 2011 MacBook Air and the 2010 MacBook Pro.

Obviously, that isn’t the best performance, and anyone looking to buy a new MacBook will probably want something a bit faster. Of course, the new MacBook is perfect for web browsing, email, and other basic tasks, but shelling out $1,299 for a casual computer may not be the best choice for some buyers.

macbook

Instead, you’ll actually be better off buying a new 2015 Macbook Air, which starts at $899 for the 11-inch model and comes with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD 6000 graphics, and 128GB of flash storage, whereas the new MacBook only comes with a 1.1GHz Intel Core M processor, but also comes with 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of flash storage. The 8GB of RAM is great, but it can’t do much if the processor isn’t up there with it.

Where the new MacBook really stands out, though, is with its design. It weighs just two pounds and is only 13.1mm thin at its thickest point, which is 24% thinner than the 11-inch MacBook Air.

This new MacBook also comes with a 12-inch display and is equipped with a Retina-quality resolution of 2304 x 1440, making this the first ultra-thin MacBook to sport a Retina display.

The new machine has an all-new keyboard, which is 40% thinner than the old style, but the key caps themselves are 17% larger. It’s a better-built keyboard overall, though, with stainless steel dome switches instead of silicone (these are the parts under the keys). Plus, each key has it’s own backlight instead of a general set of LEDs lighting up the whole keyboard. This makes for a more even application of light across the keyboard.

macbook-1

The trackpad received an upgrade as well. It’s still the same glass material, but it’s now pressure sensitive and you can click it anywhere, instead of just from one side like previous trackpads. The pressure sensitivity is used for what Apple is calling “force clicks,” which will allows you to press hard on an address in the Mail app to get a location (for example). You can also use force clicks in Finder to see a preview of whatever is inside a folder.

On the inside, the new MacBook is rocking a fanless design, which is the first MacBook ever to do that. This means that noise levels will be pretty much nonexistent. It’s also rocking Intel’s new Core M processors, which only uses 5 watts of power. Compared to other processors currently on the market, 5 watts is incredibly low and Apple says that you’ll be able to fit in 9 hours of web browsing with the new MacBook.

As for ports, the new MacBook only has a headphone jack and one Type-C connector, which supports USB, DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA.

The new MacBook will come in silver, space gray, and gold. Prices start at $1,299 for the entry-level model with an upgrade to a 1.2GHz processor and 512GB of storage costing $1,599. The new MacBook will release on April 10 and will join the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air line, so I guess it’s easy to see why Apple didn’t give it a specific name other than “MacBook” — it stands alone.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.