Apple MacBook Air 2020 Review: Should you get the more powerful version of the M1 processor?
After we have already reviewed the entry-level version of the Apple MacBook Air 2020 with the new M1 processor, we now have a closer look at the more expensive model with the 8-core GPU and a larger 512 GB SSD. You currently have to pay $249 more, but is it worth it?
There are no other changes compared to our previous review unit, so we will only cover the differences. All other information is available in our review of the entry-level MacBook Air M1 ($999):
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM) M1, M1 8-Core GPU | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry M1, M1 7-Core GPU | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) M1, M1 8-Core GPU | 1.4 kg | 15.6 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | |
| 88.1 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2020 | Dell XPS 13 9310 Core i7 FHD i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 14.8 mm | 13.40" | 1920x1200 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Razer Book 13 FHD i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 15.15 mm | 13.40" | 1920x1200 | |
| 84 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD R5 3500U, Vega 8 | 1.3 kg | 14.9 mm | 13.00" | 2160x1440 | |
| 89.5 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20UGS00800 R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7 | 1.3 kg | 16.9 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 |
Case - Test sample with a creaking hinge
One thing we noticed on our current review unit is a creaking display hinge. The noise almost sounds like there is a piece of protective film. However, this does not affect the functionality. It is the first time we experienced this on a MacBook and we would definitely return the device or ask the retailer for a replacement.
Storage Devices - 512 GB SSD with better write performance
The 512 GB PCIe SSD of our test unit can also be configured as an option ($200) for the entry-level model with 7 GPU cores. The transfer rates are much higher compared to the old MacBook Air and the overall performance is on the level of the MacBook Pro models.
The read performance is pretty much identical to the smaller 256 GB drive, but the 512 GB SSD is about 400 MB/s faster when it writes data. Still, you won't notice this in practice.
GPU Performance - More cores, more performance
The graphics card is the biggest difference. While the entry-level model only gets 7 GPU cores, the more expensive version of the Air is equipped with the faster version with 8 cores. This means there are no differences to the MacBook Pro 13 M1, which is also equipped with the 8-core GPU version of the M1 processor.
As expected, the Air with 8 GPU cores is slightly ahead of the entry-level model with 7 cores, but the difference is usually just a couple of percent point (biggest difference is 12 %). The 8-core MacBook Air is also pretty much on the same performance level as the more expensive MacBook Pro 13 M1. The entry-level MBA already passed the 3DMark Wild Life stress test, and the 8-core MBA passes it as well.
You will not notice the difference in everyday situation. If you do not plan to play games on your MacBook Air, you will be very happy with the entry-level (7-core GPU).
Gaming Performance
We have to be a bit cautious when we talk about the gaming performance, because so far we were only able to test emulated titles. Interestingly, the MacBook Air is even slightly ahead of the MacBook Pro 13. We have checked the results, but the values did not change. We will have to wait for native games for the M1 processor to gte a real comparison between the chips. There are no problems with iOS games in the App Store.
| Borderlands 3 | |
| 1920x1080 High Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM) | |
| Average Apple M1 8-Core GPU (19 - 20.5, n=3) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (17 - 22, n=2, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (27.8 - 34, n=2, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM) | |
| Average Apple M1 8-Core GPU (20.3 - 33, n=4) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) | |
| 1920x1080 Very Low Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) | |
| Average Apple M1 8-Core GPU () | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (last 2 years) | |
| 1280x720 Very Low Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (58 - 66.8, n=2, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM) | |
| Average Apple M1 8-Core GPU (30.4 - 56.7, n=4) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 78 | 27 | 25 | |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) | 100 | 42.3 | 25.5 | |
| Borderlands 3 (2019) | 56.7 | 30.7 | 20.5 |
Temperature
There are no perceptible differences in terms of surface temperatures. Despite the passive cooling solution (and the high performance), the results are not too high and do not cause any worries. You can comfortable use the MacBook Air M1 even under load.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.9 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.7 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.9 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35.5 °C / 95.9 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-7.2 °C / -13 F).
Battery Runtime - MacBook Air with long runtimes
We have repeated our Wi-Fi runtime test with the second MacBook Air, but the results are identical down to a couple of minutes. We record more than 16 hours in our Wi-Fi test at 150 nits, and still almost 9 hours at the maximum brightness. This once again shows that the consumption of the display is the biggest factor.
| Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) (Safari) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1 Entry (Fullscreen) | |
| Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2TB3 i5 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (389 - 1585, n=61, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9310 Core i7 FHD | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5 (fullscreen) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i5 (windowed) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20UGS00800 (Edge Chromium) | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - GPU-Upgrade alone is not worth it
The more expensive MacBook Air 2020 M1 basically shares the same pros and cons we found during the review of the entry-level model. The MacBook Air benefits a lot from the M1 processor. The performance is now similar to the MacBook Pro 13 with two Thunderbolt ports, and the annoying chassis fan of previous model was finally removed. Apple also improved the display as it now covers the wider P3 color gamut and the PCIe SSDs are much faster than before. All in all, the new Air 2020 is probably the most balanced MacBook we have seen in the last couple of years.
You can just get the entry-level model with the 7-core GPU if the 256 GB SSD offers sufficient storage for you. You will hardly notice the additional performance of the 8-core GPU in practice.
If you decide which version of the MacBook Air to go for, should not be purely focused on the iGPU, because the difference between the two versions (7 vs. 8 GPU cores) is very small and you just won't notice a difference in most scenarios anyways. The more important aspect is the SSD storage. If you can live with 256 GB, just get the entry-level model. If you want 512 GB, however, the pre-configured model for $1249 including the 8-core GPU makes sense. We suspect you will probably get better deals on default configurations (either 256 GB + 7C GPU or 512 GB + 8C GPU) in the future.
Price and Availablilty
The new Apple MacBook Air 2020 with the M1 processor is available in most online shops and starts at $1249, while the entry-level model with the 7-core GPU starts at $999 ($899 in Apple's education store).
Apple MacBook Air Late 2020 (M1, 8 Core GPU, 8 GB RAM)
- 12/22/2020 v7 (old)
Andreas Osthoff
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