MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Pro 16" 2019 - which performs better?

[TheOutlier]

Which would perform better and is worth the buy for a secondhand item?

MacBook Air M1 (13-inch)
* 8-core CPU
* 8-core GPU
* 16GB RAM
* 1TB SSD
* Price: $1,300 USD

vs.

MacBook Pro 16" 2019
* 2.3GHz 8-core Intel Core i9
* AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
* 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
* 1TB SSD
* Price: $1,400 USD

 

[GoldPunch]

If the big screen is important to you, choose the 16-inch one. But that Macbooks with Intel processors will lose value in the coming years if you want to sell it in the future.

 

[Ramonsterrr1981]

Both will perform well, but obviously seeing the shift to Apple Silicon, the M1 version will be a bit more future proof. But if you need the larger screen, then the Intel MacBook Pro is still a good option.

When it comes to performance, both are great and will probably serve you well. It also really depends on what kind of software you are dependent on.

 

[TheOutlier]

...

 

[TheOutlier]

In terms of GPU power, is the 8-core GPU from the M1 stronger than the Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB? I'll mainly be doing design work.

 

[smbu2000]

I think the 8 core gpu is supposed to be similar in power to the 4GB 5300M in the base MBP 16. I think that performance differs between different applications though.
The M1 Air is also a tiny bit slower than the M1 MBP/M1 Mac Mini with sustained usage.

You can see various comparisons at barefeats.
https://barefeats.com/m1-versus-16in-macbook-pro.html
This has the higher tier 5600M gpu though. You can see benchmarks from the 5500M by checking previous articles.

It really does depend on what you want to use though. I use my 13” M1 MBP (16GB/1TB) as it is lighter to use and I can easily take it with me anywhere. It gets great battery life and is pretty much silent.

For other uses I have my 2018 15” MBP (i9 2.9Ghz 6 core/32GB/2TB/4GB Pro Vega 20). It works well and I can also use it for Windows stuff. (I tried a 2019 16” model, but the size/weight was just a bit too much cfor me compared to the previous 15.4” models.)

I do wish the MBP had more than two ports. That is pretty limiting, especially as my previous 13” MBP had 4 TB3 ports, like on the 15” model.

 

[TheOutlier]

I think the 8 core gpu is supposed to be similar in power to the 4GB 5300M in the base MBP 16. I think that performance differs between different applications though.
The M1 Air is also a tiny bit slower than the M1 MBP/M1 Mac Mini with sustained usage.

You can see various comparisons at barefeats.
https://barefeats.com/m1-versus-16in-macbook-pro.html
This has the higher tier 5600M gpu though. You can see benchmarks from the 5500M by checking previous articles.

It really does depend on what you want to use though. I use my 13” M1 MBP (16GB/1TB) as it is lighter to use and I can easily take it with me anywhere. It gets great battery life and is pretty much silent.

For other uses I have my 2018 15” MBP (i9 2.9Ghz 6 core/32GB/2TB/4GB Pro Vega 20). It works well and I can also use it for Windows stuff. (I tried a 2019 16” model, but the size/weight was just a bit too much cfor me compared to the previous 15.4” models.)

I do wish the MBP had more than two ports. That is pretty limiting, especially as my previous 13” MBP had 4 TB3 ports, like on the 15” model.

Do you notice a difference in performance between your 13" M1 MBP and your 2018 15" MBP? Or is it negligible?

 

[ahostmadsen]

My M1 MBA runs CPU intensive tasks about twice as fast as my 6-core 16" Intel MBP. That's one thing. But in addition the M1 MBA just feels much more snappy. On the MBP there is just a slight lack with everything (like clicking a window, a menu, resizing windows, waking from sleep) that is noticeable compared with the M1 MBA. I think Apple optimized the M1 and MacOS to work perfectly together.

 

[internetrando]

Both machines will likely fulfill your needs equally. I would expect the M1 in that configuration to perform as well as (or better) the 16" Intel model with similar specs. You'll certainly have better battery life with the M1 in most tasks, if that is of importance to you.

If you absolutely need the screen real estate, need the extra ports, and/or need to/want to run Windows natively, then the 16" Intel is for you.

 

[throAU]

perform better

Which application(s)?

 

[06tb06]

In terms of GPU power, is the 8-core GPU from the M1 stronger than the Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB? I'll mainly be doing design work.

It all depends on the type of software you're going to use. Architectural design software, namely Live Home 3D Pro, utilizes AMD's ProRender software for rendering but only works on AMD GPUs. There's currently no M1 support at the moment.

Choose the 16-inch if you want a bigger and brighter screen. Both machines are great options.