MacBook Air 2020 i3 vs i5? Might change my order

[Emm-Mas]

hi
its a good question.
everybody's situation / usage is different so there is a lot of discussion about this.

i have owned every MacBook Air model (except for minor speed bumps).
apple really does a great job at finding a balance between smoothness/brightness of display/battery life/price in every MBA revision.

this balance means that although its good for many (most i think) average laptop users, it also means its definitely not the best machine for people who have higher performance needs (gamers/video editors).

to be clear: i think both the i3 or i5 can last a very long time. more than 4 years to be sure.

but what i have said in my earlier post that you should buy an i5 for longevity is that we do not know what each major macOS revision will push each older machine to simply no longer being quite as smooth or quick.
we do know that apple will often not support macs older than 7 or 8 years with newest macOS. this is history.
its not just about having the latest OS, it mainly becomes an issue of security updates and compatibility.
but, for the final years of yr mac, after the initial 4 years, the question becomes for the last 2 or 3 years will yr mac be a source of pleasure for you to work on, or will it really feel its age and be slow and always be reminding you that you want a new mac. and, if you want to sell it in its 5th year, is it worth a price that provides a good downpayment for a new machine or not. or if you give it to a family member does it still have some useful value.

especially for the Air, since it is designed to not be a speed demon out of the box, getting it with 16MB is recommended (also a heavily contested point).
getting an i5 means there is no compromise at all, and (if past is prolog) definitely will be able to a great machine 5 or even 6 years from now.

sorry to reply to this post again but how likely do you guys think it is that a base i3 MBA with regular iOS updates will actually become annoyingly slow with simple tasks like word, Netflix etc in just 5 years? I understand that computers don’t actually slow down themselves but software updates and apps will become more resource intensive over time etc but how much of a difference do you guys think I would actually notice with my office and Netflix? If it’s just a few extra seconds to open up word then that’s not too much of an issue

 

[twintin]

sorry to reply to this post again but how likely do you guys think it is that a base i3 MBA with regular iOS updates will actually become annoyingly slow with simple tasks like word, Netflix etc in just 5 years? I understand that computers don’t actually slow down themselves but software updates and apps will become more resource intensive over time etc but how much of a difference do you guys think I would actually notice with my office and Netflix? If it’s just a few extra seconds to open up word then that’s not too much of an issue

If history is anything to go by I will say many years. My 2012 Air with Catalina still rocks (have not noticed any slowdowns) after 8 years.

 

[jpn]

sorry to reply to this post again but how likely do you guys think it is that a base i3 MBA with regular iOS updates will actually become annoyingly slow with simple tasks like word, Netflix etc in just 5 years? I understand that computers don’t actually slow down themselves but software updates and apps will become more resource intensive over time etc but how much of a difference do you guys think I would actually notice with my office and Netflix? If it’s just a few extra seconds to open up word then that’s not too much of an issue

from my earlier post:

quote
....especially for the Air, since it is designed to not be a speed demon out of the box, getting it with 16MB is recommended (also a heavily contested point)....

...we do know that apple will often not support macs older than 7 or 8 years with newest macOS. this is history.
its not just about having the latest OS, it mainly becomes an issue of security updates and compatibility....
endquote

get an i3 with 16GB RAM, and it will be fine for your stated uses.
but regarding keeping it for many years like 8? you would be ignoring the security updates that apple will eventually not supply. quite risky. you do not know what security holes will need to be plugged by apple and very old machines might not get those updates.

for a completely other way of thinking:
always buy the cheapest device. and just buy new ones more often. this way also works. its not my own personal way, but it is a buying strategy that can work.

for me, especially with an Air, buying a great device - RAM, processor*, storage - and planning to keep it for 5 years has worked really well. zero compromises. and having a great device for 5 years is a wonder these days where tech evolves so rapidly. apple really plans its Air strategy and marketing position for it really well.

*2020 i7 Air: i don't know an actual use case scenario for average user for the i7 model.

 

[IngerMan]

from my earlier post:

quote
....especially for the Air, since it is designed to not be a speed demon out of the box, getting it with 16MB is recommended (also a heavily contested point)....

...we do know that apple will often not support macs older than 7 or 8 years with newest macOS. this is history.
its not just about having the latest OS, it mainly becomes an issue of security updates and compatibility....
endquote

get an i3 with 16GB RAM, and it will be fine for your stated uses.
but you are ignoring the security updates. quite risky. you do not know what security holes will need to be plugged by apple and very old machines might not get those updates.

for a completely other way of thinking:
always buy the cheapest device. and just buy new ones more often. this way also works.

So you recommend to save $100 by buying a dual core, non corrugated aluminum heat sink vs a Copper Corrugated Heat Sink with a Quad Core? Just want to be clear because it seems like a no brainer. The cooling on the corrugated heat sink is documented in these threads to be very efficient where I have no evidence of that on the aluminum heat sink.

 

[twintin]

So you recommend to save $100 by buying a dual core, non corrugated aluminum heat sink vs a Copper Corrugated Heat Sink with a Quad Core? Just want to be clear because it seems like a no brainer. The cooling on the corrugated heat sink is documented in these threads to be very efficient where I have no evidence of that on the aluminum heat sink.

It is well documented that the i3 in generall is both cooler and quieter than the i5. Probably because it emits less heat than the i5. The whole cooling system seems to be designed primarily with the base model in mind, so unless you have very specific needs (in which case an MBP may be a better choice), I would say the base model is a no brainer. This is what the Air is and always has been about. Also, outside US, the i5 can be closer to $150 more expensive. 😊

Apple MacBook Air 2020 Review: Is the Core i3 the better choice?

The entry-level version of the new 2020 MacBook Air is in review. Is the Core i3 processor sufficient for your everyday tasks?

www.notebookcheck.net

 

[dmccloud]

I have been going back and forth between the i3 and i5 MBA and the 13" base MBP for a couple of weeks now. I already have a high powered machine for gaming and photo/video editing, so I really don't need the additional power of the i5. I just ordered the i3 MBA, as this is going to be my non-work machine with some light coding work on the side.

 

[certen]

I have been going back and forth between the i3 and i5 MBA and the 13" base MBP for a couple of weeks now. I already have a high powered machine for gaming and photo/video editing, so I really don't need the additional power of the i5. I just ordered the i3 MBA, as this is going to be my non-work machine with some light coding work on the side.

That was my exact thought process as well, decided on i3, mainly cost and silence ,I upgraded to 16gb, yes it is only that much and that but it all adds up, and need to make choices.

 

[Jack Neill]

If history is anything to go by I will say many years. My 2012 Air with Catalina still rocks (have not noticed any slowdowns) after 8 years.

I also have a 2012 Air and even with 4GB still runs basics in .15 just fine. I did swap the stick SSD for a MX500 tho and get better R/W’s

 

[prism]

Well, here is apparently one more difference between the i3 and i5:
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) for the i3 and Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) for the i5!!!
with just $100 difference for the upgrade, the i5 imho is the better choice.

 

[EknCn]

Well, here is apparently one more difference between the i3 and i5:
Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) for the i3 and Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) for the i5!!!
with just $100 difference for the upgrade, the i5 imho is the better choice.

If u put the i5 version, it will have to work more to give you more performance and that means it will produce more heat.

In my opinion users should take it according to their needs, i need i3 version because i will do simple work.

But users need performance then i recommend Pro versions.

 

[rcoden]

Blah, don't know what all the mess about the i5. I've had my new MacBook Air i5 for less than a week and it has not ONCE spun up the fans. Using Safari, Mail, Maps, Google Chrome, Photo's, etc. No issues with fan noise. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe not, but no fan noise (so far).

 

[ghanwani]

Blah, don't know what all the mess about the i5. I've had my new MacBook Air i5 for less than a week and it has not ONCE spun up the fans. Using Safari, Mail, Maps, Google Chrome, Photo's, etc. No issues with fan noise. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe not, but no fan noise (so far).

What about heat?

 

[rambo47]

Oops replied to the wrong message. Embarrassingly noob.

 

[rambo47]

Blah, don't know what all the mess about the i5. I've had my new MacBook Air i5 for less than a week and it has not ONCE spun up the fans. Using Safari, Mail, Maps, Google Chrome, Photo's, etc. No issues with fan noise. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe not, but no fan noise (so far).

Same here. i5 and no fan noise. I haven't pushed my MBA, but Photoshop and Acrobat haven't caused the fan to come on. Nor has Safari. I'm sure I don't *need* the i5 but I like having it. Same thing with 16GB of RAM. My 2010 MBA lasted me 10 years. And it still works fine, but as programs became more complex I started to notice the fan coming on more and more. Plus with the Core 2 Duo processor and only 4GB of RAM is was starting to lag a lot

 

[razmanugget]

We got the base i5 2020 and love it. The fans have run during Zoom and MS Team meetings, but other than that, it has been silent. I wanted the i5 for the upgraded G7 video and we pair it with a 4k monitor. Very happy.

I've heard some people say the latest OS updates have fixed the fan issues with the Air. That may be the case, we don't know.

 

[rcoden]

What about heat?

No heat or fan issues, so far. I am using (mostly) Safari, Mail, i.e. standard apps. I've installed Microsoft Office, and have used it, still not heat of fan issues. I'll report if anything changes, but so far, I've been very impressed with how quickly, and quietly, this MacBook Air has been.

 

[Mainsail]

I just ordered the base 2020 MBA with i3 and 8GB. It was a good deal with discount. My primary uses:

• Mail
• Safari
• Messages
• iWork
• MS Office
• Notes
• Photos (with occasional minor edits)
• iMovie (very rarely. Usually just glorified short slide shows for occasional family events)
• FaceTime & Zoom

I had the 2019 MBA and it was flawless. Rarely heard the fan. No problems with the keyboard. My elderly dad needed a laptop, so I gave him my 2019, and I bought a 2020. The 2019 MBA only had 128GB of storage, so the 256GB in the 2020 will be nice. I really had no reason to upgrade, except it didn’t make sense for my dad to buy a new computer and the extra storage will come-in handy.

Anyway, for my use, I don't anticipate any issues with the 2020 MBA, but it doesn’t arrive until next week....so TBD.

 

[KPOM]

from my earlier post:


*2020 i7 Air: i don't know an actual use case scenario for average user for the i7 model.

Agreed. The base MacBook Pro is much better, other than the inability to drive a 6K monitor (which I wouldn’t recommend on an Air, either).

The i5 for an extra $100 seems like a reasonable update. The Air isn’t a speed demon, but some apps can benefit from the extra cores.

 

[a-m-k]

I'm sorry I can't help you, but I do have a question. What are i3's and i5's?

 

[MacStreamer]

I had the 2020 i5 10th gen MBP and I felt the heat through the keyboard when using it all the time. Even basic browsing. Will the Air do the same?

 

[CheesePuff]

I'm sorry I can't help you, but I do have a question. What are i3's and i5's?

Refers to the type of Intel CPU, the base model has a dual-core i3 processor, the higher tier has a quad-core i5.

 

[a-m-k]

Refers to the type of Intel CPU, the base model has a dual-core i3 processor, the higher tier has a quad-core i5.

What does the "I" mean?

 

[CheesePuff]

What does the "I" mean?

It's Intels naming scheme