Apple MacBook 12 (2017) Laptop Review

Since we have adjusted our Wi-Fi test since the review of the MacBook 12 from 2016, we have repeated the test in order to get comparable data. We measured very good values of 660 MB/s (receive) and 689 MB/s (send). The MacBook 12 from 2017 is just about on par with the MacBook Air from 2017 here, while Apple's MacBook Pro 13 still performs better. The MacBook 12 falls slightly behind the new Air, the MBP 13 and the MBP 15 (2017 models) under harder conditions (several walls between the router and the test device). This is also true in comparison with the actually cheaper Air 13.

The display of the MacBook 12 has also remained the same in 2017. The laptop still uses a 12-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels. Resolution and display diagonal ensure a very sharp image. Texts in particular appear very sharp. In direct comparison with the recently renewed MacBook Air, the Air shows noticeable weaknesses in terms of display sharpness. The other measured values of the predecessor's display also do not show noticeable weaknesses. As so often, the glossy surface is controversial.

We have re-checked the display brightness with our test model from 2017 and observed that it is slightly less bright than the predecessor from 2016. However, this might be due to production tolerances. In the following, you will find the measurement results of the identical predecessor from 2016. Because of new measurement instruments, we have also re-measured of the response times and repeated the PWM check.

While the response times have not changed noticeably in comparison to the predecessor, we discovered something new in terms of PWM: Our new, more sensitive instrument reveals that the MacBook 12 also uses PWM for brightness control at brightness level 30% and lower. The reason why PWM has remained hidden so far is the extremely high frequency: 116 KHz or 116000 Hertz. If this can even mislead expensive measurement instruments, impacts on users appear to be more than unlikely.

Even the entry-level model features a Core m3-7Y32 with a base clock of 1.2 GHz instead of a Core m CPU 1.1 GHz now. Intel has specified a base clock of 1.1 GHz for this chip. This means that Apple drives it with a higher clock rate. The chip has a configurable TDP and Intel has designed it for a clock rate range between 600 MHz and 1.6 GHz (3.75 to 7 watts TDP). Regardless of the low clock frequency, the processor can temporarily increase its clock rate to up to 3 GHz. 

Our Cinebench 15 results show a performance gain of up to 20 to 30% when compared to the predecessor with a 1.1 GHz CPU. This is significantly higher than expected, since the CPU was only updated from Skylake to the current Kaby Lake architecture and the base clock was only increased by 100 MHz. Note: This is only representative for short performance peaks. The refreshed Apple MacBook 12 behaves oddly under prolonged load, since it is passively cooled.

As usual, we also let the current MacBook 12 run Cinebench in a loop in order to analyze the long-term behavior of the notebook. The first quick glance at the diagram reveals that the MacBook 12 behaves oddly. The notebook starts at a good level. Then the performance falls slowly by about -10% before it collapses for the first time. Apparently the threshold of the passively cooling system is exceeded at that point and the CPU throttles significantly. It takes about 15 minutes before this occurs, whereas the processor can rest for a few seconds after each run due to the design of the test.

After the CPU has throttled for a while, it increases its speed again, but remains 15 to 20% below the initial results. After another six runs, the clock rate collapses again, this time even more noticeably than the first time. In the following, the score almost reaches its initial value, but it falls notably faster during the following runs.

The behavior can be easily explained with the passive cooling solution of the MB 12, which reaches its limits under prolonged load. As a result, the CPU has to throttle. The longer this takes place, the more "reserves" are available for the next try. The time it takes until the first collapse (15 minutes) should be long enough for most demanding office tasks. Thus, a noticeable performance loss is not to be expected here.

The migration from Skylake to Kaby Lake has also upgraded the graphics unit: The Intel HD Graphics 515 is replaced by the HD Graphics 615. However, big performance gains are not to be expected. In the 3DMark benchmark test (Bootcamp Windows), the new configuration performs just 3 to 13% better. The Apple MacBook 12 is definitely not designed for complex 3D tasks, such as running modern computer games.

The Apple MacBook 12 is and remains silent. There are no moving parts in the notebook, neither on part of the cooling system nor in the storage device. Electronic noises were also not noticeable in our test.

The surface temperatures are not noticeably different from the predecessor's. However, this was not to be expected anyway, since the changes are too small. While the MacBook 12 remains cool without exception during normal use such as office tasks and web surfing, hotspots develop during prolonged load in the lower middle segment at the top side and the underside. However, a temperature of just above 40 °C (~104 °F) does not cause problems.

We have also repeated the audio measurements on the new MacBook from 2017 and our measurements are almost identical, apart from a small exception. An extraneous noise in the range of 100 to 125 Hertz might have been present in the measurements of the predecessor. You can still say that the Apple MacBook 12 really features an exemplary audio solution worth hearing for a compact notebook.

Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes above can be turned on/off!)

With the exception of the idle average value, the power consumption measurements on the revised MacBook at hand are quite close to the predecessor's. This could be caused by a measuring error or deviations due to the new measurement instrument. Overall, a significantly higher power consumption due to the use of the newer, faster CPU is not noticeable.

The battery life of the revised MacBook 12 is slightly better than the predecessor's: It lasts 540 minutes (9 hours) in our standardized Wi-Fi test. This should be enough for a work day on-the-move if demanding applications are not used.