M1 Pro 16” vs M3 Air 15”

[happypappy]

I currently have a 16” M1 Pro MacBook Pro that I got on the original launch day.

I used to be heavy into video and photo editing so needed the pro model. In fact no matter what, I always just bought a Pro.

Things have changed since then and I don’t do video editing much at all, but still use Adobe products for things like Photoshop and Lightroom.

Most daily usage is for work: Safari, Mail and some website design tasks. But I definitely don’t use the power this machine offers anymore.

That brings me to the new M3 Air. It’s nice to think about having a lighter laptop for travel and everyday work. The M3 also seems like a big increase in performance from the M1.

But would I be making a mistake if I traded in for the M3?

I would get the 16GB ram and 1TB storage upgrades.

Is the weight really that different?

Thanks!

 

[Basic75]

Is the weight really that different?

Just ... try it?

If you don't have access to both, put rice in two sacks and weigh with some kitchen scales. The tech specs that are available online include the weight.

 

[Basic75]

M1 Pro 16” vs M3 Air 16”

In case it wasn't a typo, know that there is no 16" Air, just a 15".

 

[Basic75]

The M3 also seems like a big increase in performance from the M1.

In single-core performance the M3 easily beats the M1 Pro, in multi-core performance it's a bit slower.

 

[haginile]

I don't think this will matter to you, but the issue with Air vs Pro is that it can't sustain performance (it throttles). I have a Python script that takes roughly 7 minutes to complete a m1 max MBP, but more than 16 minutes on an M2 MBA.

 

[Kotsos81]

I don't think this will matter to you, but the issue with Air vs Pro is that it can't sustain performance (it throttles). I have a Python script that takes roughly 7 minutes to complete a m1 max MBP, but more than 16 minutes on an M2 MBA.

Of course, here we don't have to (only) do with throttling, but also with the multi-core performance difference between M1 Max and M2: The former is about 25% faster than the latter. This is not the case between M1 Pro/Max and M3: the latter is about 5% slower than the former, i.e., the difference in performance is almost not noticeable in most scenarios of practical interest. Then, the only factor that really makes a difference in speed in that case is throttling (and possibly the amount of RAM in certain scenarios).

 

[theorist9]

Some other downsides of the 15" M3 Air vs. your 16" M1 Pro MBP: While the display on the 15" Air is very good, that on your 16" M1 is better. If you have access to an Apple retailer, you should compare yours to the Air. You'll also lose a TB, HDMI, and SXDC port. And I expect the speakers won't be as good. Finally, your M1 Pro can drive two external displays plus its internal, while the M3 Air can drive two externals only when in clamshell mode.

For performance, according to Geekbench, the M3 Air would be 30% faster in SC performance, 5% slower in MC performance, and 30% slower in GPU performance. Of course, for extended workloads, your M1 has a big advantage.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Absolutely zero chance I would consider this sidestep unless weight and thickness are nonnegotiable assets. The oft drawbacks of mini-LED aside (I’d still choose it over vanilla backlighting anyway) the Pro has a vastly superior display and onboard audio quality. No, no. And finally, no.

 

[throAU]

Performance wise it won't be massively different. The pro has active cooling so may even be better on sustained workload.

The Pro has a nicer screen and speakers, more ports and the CPU/GPU is on par outside of ray tracing.

I'd keep your M1 Pro a bit longer unless you're planning to get rid of it purely due to age.

I'm waiting for the M4 Pro maybe at the end of this year personally.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Having been a "Pro" person and now an "Air" person, if you buy an Air just stick with the base model. If you start upgrading the ram, storage, etc then you start running into MBP prices. Personally, I think the Apple should only make the MBA with one ram/chip config and only allow upgrades for storage. Granted some people would perform the form factor over the MBP regardless but the MBA will never be able to efficiently use the performance after upgrading.

 

[AirpodsNow]

I currently have a 16” M1 Pro MacBook Pro that I got on the original launch day.

I used to be heavy into video and photo editing so needed the pro model. In fact no matter what, I always just bought a Pro.

Things have changed since then and I don’t do video editing much at all, but still use Adobe products for things like Photoshop and Lightroom.

Most daily usage is for work: Safari, Mail and some website design tasks. But I definitely don’t use the power this machine offers anymore.

That brings me to the new M3 Air. It’s nice to think about having a lighter laptop for travel and everyday work. The M3 also seems like a big increase in performance from the M1.

But would I be making a mistake if I traded in for the M3?

I would get the 16GB ram and 1TB storage upgrades.

Is the weight really that different?

Thanks!

OP. Did you get the 15” in the end and if so, how was it.