MacBook (m3, m5, m7) Performance Compared to Recent Airs and Pros (Chart)

[helloitsme]

I put together this chart of the average MacBook Geekbench scores, compared to the i5 variants of previous MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros:

MacBook Air vs. MacBook:
The m5 and m7 MacBooks outperform all prior i5 MacBook Airs in the benchmark. The m3 MacBook scores about the same as the 2014 MacBook Air for single core performance, and about the same as the 2011 Air for multicore.

MacBook Pro vs. MacBook:
The 2016 m7 MacBook is similar in performance to the 2014 and 2015 MacBook Pros. The m5 performs slightly worse than the m7, but still better than the 2013 MacBook Pro. The m3 MacBook performs similarly to a 2011 MacBook Pro.

Notice that there is a rather large performance jump between the m3 and m5. The performance improvement is smaller between the m5 and m7. But note that the m7 has a significantly higher clocked GPU than the m5, which Geekbench (a CPU test) won't account for. So if you're working with graphics at all, you might still want to get the m7.

 

[Davidkoh]

This shows I really should get the m7 since I know the 13" 2013 rMBP is more than enough for my needs, so even with throttling I should have around the same performance.

 

[Leon88]

Just received my m7 today, it will replace my Late 2013 13" MBP (i7 CPU/16GB/512 SSD). Its noticeable to me that the m7 is a tad slower. Here are some performance hiccups i've come across on the m7 so far, which I rarely experienced on my 13" MBP:

- some scroll lag on graphic heavy webpages
- opening certain apps (first-go) will occasionally result in a delay of several seconds
- installing multiple programs while also downloading large files simultaneously dramatically reduced its performance (I suspect throttling is to blame). During this period, minor beach balling ensued while operating my day-to-day programs. That being said, I do understand this puts a lot of stress on the system.

Is it slow enough, to disrupt my workflow? So far i'd say no. It's portability easily makes up for any performance shortcomings that it may have. I'm mostly responding to emails, word processing, Excel and reading through PDFs.

I will try to do some photo editing later in the day via Lightroom and see how it fares. I deal with RAW files from 18, 24 and 42 megapixel cameras. My Late 2013 MBP struggles with 42MP images so I probably will not subject the rMB to those.

 

[Koudspeel]

These are some amazing scores! I kinda wonder how people can accuse the rMB 2016 of being a slow hog, while it evidently outperforms many older rMBP and MBP models.. I know that throttling is a big factor, but still.. as long as you're not gaming or video/photo editing on this beast, you're not going to notice that throttle.

 

[iam117]

Just received my m7 today, it will replace my Late 2013 13" MBP (i7 CPU/16GB/512 SSD). Its noticeable to me that the m7 is a tad slower. Here are some performance hiccups i've come across on the m7 so far, which I rarely experienced on my 13" MBP:

- some scroll lag on graphic heavy webpages
- opening certain apps (first-go) will occasionally result in a delay of several seconds
- installing multiple programs while also downloading large files simultaneously dramatically reduced its performance (I suspect throttling is to blame). During this period, minor beach balling ensued while operating my day-to-day programs. That being said, I do understand this puts a lot of stress on the system.

Is it slow enough, to disrupt my workflow? So far i'd say no. It's portability easily makes up for any performance shortcomings that it may have. I'm mostly responding to emails, word processing, Excel and reading through PDFs.

I will try to do some photo editing later in the day via Lightroom and see how it fares. I deal with RAW files from 18, 24 and 42 megapixel cameras. My Late 2013 MBP struggles with 42MP images so I probably will not subject the rMB to those.

Leon88.. looking forward to your review on editing photo via lightroom on this macbook 2016 i am planning to get one but getting mixed feedback on diff forum... i am hoping to gather more info from those who actually uses this macbook for some lightroom edit or premiere pro edit (not replacing the MacBook Pro but at least it can perform properly when in need)

 

[solaris]

Thanks a lot! Nice scores indeed, especially considering the MacBook is passively cooled.
Happy I made the choice of going m7.

 

[keviig]

It'll be interesting to see if the m7 can sustain the 1GHz GPU clock, as opposed to the 850Mhz (m3) and 900Mhz (m5) while gaming. It's hard to judge without testing them side by side, as Intel doesn't state GPU TDP differences between the three. I suppose if the m7 chips are better binned chips, they could do 1GHz at the same voltage and power draw.

 

[Leon88]

Leon88.. looking forward to your review on editing photo via lightroom on this macbook 2016 i am planning to get one but getting mixed feedback on diff forum... i am hoping to gather more info from those who actually uses this macbook for some lightroom edit or premiere pro edit (not replacing the MacBook Pro but at least it can perform properly when in need)

So i've just spent a bit of time working in Lightroom (m7 2016 MB). I'm working on a single photo basis, that means i'll do all the tweaking and export 1 photo to a specified folder before moving on to the next. Surprisingly, it performs almost identically to my Late 2013 MBP (i7/16GB/512 SSD)- this makes on-the-go editing a viable option for me now. The photos and catalogs are stored on a portable SSD (Samsung T1) to speed things up a little. I've tried working on raw files from the following cameras: Canon 5DMKIII (22MP), Leica M9 (18MP) and Sony A7RII (42MP). Perhaps the biggest revelation to me was it actually handled the 42MP raw files just fine! I could apply local brush adjustments and spot healing without too much lag.

While this sounds all fine and dandy, I think i've not 'stressed' the CPU enough for it to throttle yet. I reckon if I did a batch export of multiple photos, it would really start to heat up and throttle down. Also, these were minor edits (tonal adjustments, couple of spot brush adjustments). If I did more intensive brush work, it may start to slow down. I'll add my thoughts as I spend more time with it, but so far i'm loving it.

 

[TigerMSTR]

So i've just spent a bit of time working in Lightroom (m7 2016 MB). I'm working on a single photo basis, that means i'll do all the tweaking and export 1 photo to a specified folder before moving on to the next. Surprisingly, it performs almost identically to my Late 2013 MBP (i7/16GB/512 SSD)- this makes on-the-go editing a viable option for me now. The photos and catalogs are stored on a portable SSD (Samsung T1) to speed things up a little. I've tried working on raw files from the following cameras: Canon 5DMKIII (22MP), Leica M9 (18MP) and Sony A7RII (42MP). Perhaps the biggest revelation to me was it actually handled the 42MP raw files just fine! I could apply local brush adjustments and spot healing without too much lag.

While this sounds all fine and dandy, I think i've not 'stressed' the CPU enough for it to throttle yet. I reckon if I did a batch export of multiple photos, it would really start to heat up and throttle down. Also, these were minor edits (tonal adjustments, couple of spot brush adjustments). If I did more intensive brush work, it may start to slow down. I'll add my thoughts as I spend more time with it, but so far i'm loving it.

Well, wow. Try something more stressful and report back. But this thing seems like quite the powerhouse.

 

[mattopotamus]

Just received my m7 today, it will replace my Late 2013 13" MBP (i7 CPU/16GB/512 SSD). Its noticeable to me that the m7 is a tad slower. Here are some performance hiccups i've come across on the m7 so far, which I rarely experienced on my 13" MBP:

- some scroll lag on graphic heavy webpages
- opening certain apps (first-go) will occasionally result in a delay of several seconds
- installing multiple programs while also downloading large files simultaneously dramatically reduced its performance (I suspect throttling is to blame). During this period, minor beach balling ensued while operating my day-to-day programs. That being said, I do understand this puts a lot of stress on the system.

Is it slow enough, to disrupt my workflow? So far i'd say no. It's portability easily makes up for any performance shortcomings that it may have. I'm mostly responding to emails, word processing, Excel and reading through PDFs.

I will try to do some photo editing later in the day via Lightroom and see how it fares. I deal with RAW files from 18, 24 and 42 megapixel cameras. My Late 2013 MBP struggles with 42MP images so I probably will not subject the rMB to those.

I am surprised you did not see that on your 13" MBP. That seems to be an issue that plagues all Retina displays, outside of the 15" with a dedicated GPU.

 

[deeddawg]

It's portability easily makes up for any performance shortcomings that it may have.

Yes; it's handy to remember that the computer you have with you is infinitely more powerful than the one you left at home because it was too big/heavy.

 

[Leon88]

I am surprised you did not see that on your 13" MBP. That seems to be an issue that plagues all Retina displays, outside of the 15" with a dedicated GPU.

I should clarify that I do still experience some scroll lag on my MBP, but it fares slightly better compared to the 2016 MB. I'm not saying that it's nonexistent on the MBP. These are just small complaints against the 2016 MB, but on the whole I am really enjoying my purchase, will add further impressions as I spend more time with the machine

 

[mattopotamus]

I should clarify that I do still experience some scroll lag on my MBP, but it fares slightly better compared to the 2016 MB. I'm not saying that it's nonexistent on the MBP. These are just small complaints against the 2016 MB, but on the whole I am really enjoying my purchase, will add further impressions as I spend more time with the machine

UI lag has been my only complain with Retina displays over the years. It is kind of annoying that my rMB is "smoother" driving a 27" wQHD screen than a 12" retina display.

 

[Leon88]

Yes; it's handy to remember that the computer you have with you is infinitely more powerful than the one you left at home because it was too big/heavy.

Very true. I have previously been relying on the iPad Pro (13") at work because the 13" MBP was just too heavy to lug around daily. My early impressions tell me that the m7 2016 MB is about 10% slower than the 13" MBP (totally subjective I know) but its so friggin portable it might just be my main driver.

 

[Davidkoh]

I really cant decide which one I should go for, this is annoying . I usually always go for the base version and upgrade it in a year, but I don't know if the m3 is too slow for me. might be annoying enough just to wait until WWDC and see what is launched there.

 

[Leon88]

I really cant decide which one I should go for, this is annoying . I usually always go for the base vers Might be annoying enough just to wait until WWDC and see what is launched there.

If its not urgent, i'd recommend waiting. I suspect we'll see a reasonable reduction in weight and size for the 2016 MBP line. It's possible that the keyboard mechanisms will also be updated to reflect the more recent Magic Keyboard type keys. Going back to my Late 2013 MBP keyboard feels like i'm typing on mashed potatoes. Not to mention the m7 pricing is already MBP territory.

 

[deeddawg]

I really cant decide which one I should go for

When I'm in that situation I usually interpret it as meaning I'm not ready to buy yet. Typically for me it says I've either not fully settled on my requirements or the available options don't fulfill those requirements any better than what I have.

 

[Leon88]

UI lag has been my only complain with Retina displays over the years. It is kind of annoying that my rMB is "smoother" driving a 27" wQHD screen than a 12" retina display.

True. Unless its the 15" with a dedicated GPU, I also find retina displays somewhat laggy. It surprises me that its been several years since its introduction and it still suffers the same fate. I remember skipping the 1st gen 13" retina MBP because the UI lag rendered the machine unusable. Until today, the first thing I do when I receive a retina MB is turn off transparency effects, I find that helps heaps

 

[Picapau21]

If its not urgent, i'd recommend waiting. I suspect we'll see a reasonable reduction in weight and size for the 2016 MBP line. It's possible that the keyboard mechanisms will also be updated to reflect the more recent Magic Keyboard type keys. Going back to my Late 2013 MBP keyboard feels like i'm typing on mashed potatoes. Not to mention the m7 pricing is already MBP territory.

I have been carrying a Macbook Pro 15inch 2010 around for 6 years now and finally decided to get the macbook on size and portability alone. Only ever use it for Office products, Email, Browsing, light imaging and video work and no gaming.

There have been so many occasions I wished I had a smaller laptop and very few where I required the extra power of a dedicated graphics etc. Also it benchmarks around 50% faster than the Core i5 2.53 I am upgrading from, so for me it was a no-brainer to get a macbook.

Might be different for people who need the screen real estate or extra power.

 

[helloitsme]

I am surprised you did not see that on your 13" MBP. That seems to be an issue that plagues all Retina displays, outside of the 15" with a dedicated GPU.

The lag exists even on non-Retina devices. My non retina MacBook Pro can grind to a halt when loading pages like theverge.com

 

[Davidkoh]

If its not urgent, i'd recommend waiting. I suspect we'll see a reasonable reduction in weight and size for the 2016 MBP line. It's possible that the keyboard mechanisms will also be updated to reflect the more recent Magic Keyboard type keys. Going back to my Late 2013 MBP keyboard feels like i'm typing on mashed potatoes. Not to mention the m7 pricing is already MBP territory.

Waiting is boring though and one of the points for the rMB is that it is very small and light. I always felt my 13" rMBP was a bit bulky and not something I just sat with on the balcony so the whole point was to get something smaller and also fanless.

When I'm in that situation I usually interpret it as meaning I'm not ready to buy yet. Typically for me it says I've either not fully settled on my requirements or the available options don't fulfill those requirements any better than what I have.

Right now I don't have any smaller laptop. Got a 15.4" Asus laptop with a good dGPU but sitting with that is not nice. My needs for a laptop aren't that big to begin with. The trouble is trying to judge if a m3 is good enough to fulfill my requirements. What I know is that my old 13" rMBP Late 2013 was more than I really needed, never felt that to be a bottleneck but apart from that it is hard to judge.

 

[PatrickNSF]

Going back to my Late 2013 MBP keyboard feels like i'm typing on mashed potatoes.

This is how I felt when comparing the rMB to my 2013 rMBP (same specs as you) in December. I ended up with a heavily discounted base rMB and sold the rMBP to tide me over until the rMB's were bumped. I only deal with 16MP and 24MP image files...and editing law documents.

I've been tempted to pull the trigger on the m7 rMB several times over the past week, but keep thinking I should at least wait until WWDC to see how much slimmer the new rMBP's are. I wouldn't move back to a rMBP at the current size/weight, but I'd be invested in something smaller.

 

[Buerkletucson]

Thanks for this information............nice to see them all side-by-side comparisons.

I was happy with the performance of my 2015 so the free upgrade to the 2016 M5 is just a bonus along with increased battery life.

 

[Leon88]

This is how I felt when comparing the rMB to my 2013 rMBP (same specs as you) in December. I ended up with a heavily discounted base rMB and sold the rMBP to tide me over until the rMB's were bumped. I only deal with 16MP and 24MP image files...and editing law documents.

I've been tempted to pull the trigger on the m7 rMB several times over the past week, but keep thinking I should at least wait until WWDC to see how much slimmer the new rMBP's are. I wouldn't move back to a rMBP at the current size/weight, but I'd be invested in something smaller.

I was in quite a similar position as you were several weeks back. Constantly tossing back and forth whether I should wait for WWDC or get the m7. Ultimately, I decided that I would appreciate it's portability and I am certainly not regretting it so far- especially since the performance penalty appears to be minimal. It's likely the 2016 MBP line will be lighter and see a departure from the current chassis design (based on recent rumors), but they certainly still wouldn't be as thin/light as the MB. I feel the updated 2016 MBP will strike a nice balance between portability and performance though. I have a full desktop rig at home for any heavy duty work so that was also a factor supporting my decision to go for the m7 MB.

 

[keviig]

So i've just spent a bit of time working in Lightroom (m7 2016 MB). I'm working on a single photo basis, that means i'll do all the tweaking and export 1 photo to a specified folder before moving on to the next. Surprisingly, it performs almost identically to my Late 2013 MBP (i7/16GB/512 SSD)- this makes on-the-go editing a viable option for me now. The photos and catalogs are stored on a portable SSD (Samsung T1) to speed things up a little. I've tried working on raw files from the following cameras: Canon 5DMKIII (22MP), Leica M9 (18MP) and Sony A7RII (42MP). Perhaps the biggest revelation to me was it actually handled the 42MP raw files just fine! I could apply local brush adjustments and spot healing without too much lag.

While this sounds all fine and dandy, I think i've not 'stressed' the CPU enough for it to throttle yet. I reckon if I did a batch export of multiple photos, it would really start to heat up and throttle down. Also, these were minor edits (tonal adjustments, couple of spot brush adjustments). If I did more intensive brush work, it may start to slow down. I'll add my thoughts as I spend more time with it, but so far i'm loving it.

Glad to hear it's performing well. Would you be able to do a short test for us? Do a Handbrake video conversion (720p or 1080p) while having Intel Power Gadget open. So that we can see what speed it throttles down to after a couple of minutes. Another user did this and the m5 version went down to 2.0-2.2 ghz (Intel states 2.4 ghz max 2 core boost), and it would be interesting to see how the m7 compares when throttled!