The M3 MacBook Air has recently been benchmarked on Geekbench, and the results show that its performance is comparable to the base model MacBook Pro. The benchmarks were conducted on a machine labeled Mac15,13, which is consistent with a 15-inch MacBook Air. Although Apple only announced the M3 MacBook Air yesterday and it won’t be available until Friday, it’s likely that review units have been sent to selected journalists who have tested it on Geekbench.
The benchmark results for the M3 MacBook Air are as follows: a single-core score of 3,157 and a multi-core score of 12,020. These scores are identical to the base model M3 MacBook Pro, which is not surprising considering both machines are equipped with the same M3 chip. However, it’s worth noting that the MacBook Pro has active cooling, allowing it to sustain peak performance for longer periods compared to the passively-cooled MacBook Air.
Compared to its predecessor, the M2 MacBook Air, the M3 chip provides around a 20% increase in the single-core score and an 18% increase in the multi-core score. Apple did not directly compare the two generations but instead compared the M3 MacBook Air to earlier models such as the M1 MacBook Air and the last Intel version. According to Apple, the M3 chip, built using industry-leading 3-nanometer technology, offers even faster performance and more capabilities. It features an 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB of unified memory. The new MacBook Air is said to be up to 60% faster than the model with M1 and up to 13 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.
While some may argue that the comparison between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air is cheeky, as few M2 owners would consider upgrading, it is more likely that owners of the 13-inch MacBook Air powered by either M1 or Intel chips would consider upgrading. For those interested, there is also a breakdown of all the other differences between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models.
In conclusion, the M3 MacBook Air has shown comparable performance to the base model MacBook Pro in recent benchmarks. With its powerful M3 chip and industry-leading technology, the new MacBook Air offers even faster performance and more capabilities compared to its predecessors. Whether you’re a current MacBook Air owner looking to upgrade or someone in the market for a new laptop, the M3 MacBook Air is definitely worth considering.