In this article, we will discuss the different processors used in MacBooks. This information will help you choose the right MacBook for your needs.
When buying a MacBook, one of the most important choices you have to make is: how powerful should the processor be? The processor is the brain of your MacBook that performs all calculations. A more powerful processor simply means faster performance. The clock speed, expressed in GHz, is about the number of operations per second. For example, for older refurbished MacBook Airs, this is 1.4 to 1.6 GHz, which can go up to 2.6 GHz for newer MacBook Pros .
Also important is the number of cores that can perform calculations separately, in MacBooks this is usually dual-core (two cores) or quad-core (four cores). More cores of course means that your MacBook will finish the calculations faster.
M1 chip
The M1 chip is an Apple-designed processor based on ARM architecture. This chip offers excellent performance and energy efficiency and can be found in the following MacBook models:
- MacBook Air (2020 and later)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020 and later)
Intel Core i
Before the introduction of the M1 chip, Apple used Intel processors in their MacBooks. These include the following variants:
Intel Core i3
- MacBook Air (2019 and earlier)
Intel Core i5
- MacBook Air (2019 and earlier)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch (2019 and earlier)
- MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019 and earlier)
Intel Core i7
- MacBook Pro 13-inch (2019 and earlier)
- MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019 and earlier)
Intel Core i9
- MacBook Pro 15-inch (2018 and later)
