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M1 MBP vs M4 MBA

E

EdisEdward

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 4, 2013
547
146
Hey guys, I’m considering getting the MBA when it launches. I’ll probably get the base model. Would I be losing any performance at all from a M1 MBP base model? I know specs are not released yet but I’m wondering if anyone can infer if M4 MBA would be an upgrade in all aspects based on other M4 products?

I’m looking for portability but also screen quality. Occasional video editing but not much.

Thanks!
 
The screen would be a big step down in quality but the base M4 chip at least matches the M1 pro and is much faster in single core
 
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You’ll probably find on this forum everyone will just cry ‘Buy MBP!’ But other than the screen not being pro motion (this doesn’t mean the MBA screen is bad in the slightest) an M4 Air v M1 Pro will probably be a much more enjoyable MacBook, especially now with 16gb memory as standard. And you probably wouldn’t notice the screen if at all after a couple hours first use. You could go have a play with one in a store first though to check it out.

People will say things like ‘you don’t get all the ports!’ - do you even use them? Get an adapter for the rare time you might

Speakers! - this is my favourite. Who is listening to music etc through their MacBook speakers in this day and age and not headphones? And for the times you do, the sound is absolutely fine

Do what’s best for you though. The portability and overall design of the MBA is better than the Pro IMO but if you do need all the ports and ‘better speakers’ then go for the pro, but for 500 more that doesn’t cut it for me. Both laptops are more than adequate

Watch some YouTube reviews, I’m currently the same waiting for the M4 Air and every review I watch seems to be saying the Air (M3) is like an unsung hero and more than capable of doing everything they need, coming from people with Pros
 
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It's about what you value the most, portability vs. larger and better screen and better speakers. The "short time" performance should be about the same between the chips, or at least I don't think you'll notice any significant difference in light to medium heavy work.

However, if you're doing heavier work for longer periods you should definitely keep the MBP M1 Pro. The M4 won't kill itself because of heat but it will throttle and get noticeably slower.

The Achilles heel of the Air is definitely heavy work for longer periods, whether it might be computational workloads, rendering, gaming, video encoding.
 
When you say M1 MBP base model do you mean the 13" with Touch Bar or the 14"? This will make a big difference to the advice you receive.
 
Portability: Air kills MBpro because it is thinner & lighter.

Screen quality: only your own eyes can properly judge for you. The screen is likely the same one in the M3 MBair now. Go see one on display, play with it for a while, try to do some things you normally do on it and pass your own judgement.
 
You'll lose the screen, ports and speaker quality.

However, the m4 air may get nanotexture option. if so, take it. IMHO it is well worth it.

Performance wise the machines will be basically same in terms of CPU and GPU except the m4 will have new cpu instructions, better neural engine and RT support in the GPU cores.

Wait for the m4 air release - go check the screen on one and if you deem it good enough (it's decent still on current airs!) pull the trigger, other things being equal or good enough a new machine is always better due to continued support timeframe, warranty, etc.
 
Masterman said:
Speakers! - this is my favourite. Who is listening to music etc through their MacBook speakers in this day and age and not headphones? And for the times you do, the sound is absolutely fine
Click to expand...

Uh, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people like this. I work from home and have a living situation with plenty of space so the headphones are optional.

I would definitely miss the sound quality of a MBP if I didn't have it. I wouldn't buy a MBP just because of the speakers, but it's a solid tiebreaker if the choice was close.
 
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