MacBooks are great computers, but there’s a number of different varieties to think about.Between last gen hardware and all of the current models available now, it can feel like there’s a lot of options.Today, we’ll be breaking down which MacBook is right for you, depending on your budget and what you need it for.
At the most basic level, Apple offers two MacBook models: the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro.Both come in smaller and larger sizes (13-inch and 15-inch for MacBook Air, 14-inch and 16-inch for MacBook Pro).MacBook Airs always ship with the baseline Apple Silicon, which is currently an M4 chip.
If you’re looking at deals on last gen models, you might see an M2 or M3 chip.MacBook Pros, on the other hand, come with three different Apple Silicon variants: M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max.On top of that, 16-inch MacBook Pros don’t offer the baseline M4 chip.
Apple Silicon breakdown You may ask: whats the difference between a baseline M4 chip, an M4 Pro chip, and an M4 Max chip? Great question.To sum it up quickly, the baseline chip is the most efficient, and the Max is most powerful.When you buy the baseline M4 chip, you are getting the weakest chip in a Mac, but that also comes with some top-notch battery life.
Plus, the performance should still be plenty for the vast majority of people.It packs a 10 core CPU and 10 core GPU.If you step up a notch to the M4 Pro, you get up to a 14 core CPU and 20 core GPU.
There’s also a second variant of the M4 Pro chip, with a 12 core CPU and 16 core GPU.Either way, you take a huge leap forward in both CPU and GPU performance.With M4 Max, you take an even bigger leap up to a 16 core CPU and 40 core GPU – providing a huge leap in the GPU department.
That’s a very basic rundown, but to put it even simpler: If you don’t know the benefits of having faster CPU and GPU performance, you’re likely fine with a baseline M4.It’s really only high-end intensive workflows where M4 Pro and M4 Max truly shine.Since this article will run over last-gen MacBook deals as well, I’ll quickly mention that the M4 line is roughly 10-20% faster than previous generation M3 chips.
M3 vs M4 MacBook Air While there’s only a one year difference between these two computers, there are a couple of differences that you might find important, outside of the chip.First things first, M4 MacBook Air comes with a new 12MP center stage webcam.It’s an ultra wide angle, so you can fit much more into your frame, and it has a neat feature that zooms in on whatever is on the forefront of the view.
Additionally, the M4 MacBook Air comes in a new Sky Blue color, replacing Space Gray.Other than that color difference, the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs share the same color lineup, with Silver, Starlight, and Midnight.So, why buy an M3 over an M4, you may ask? Well, the answer is pricing.
Since the M3 is old news now, you can fetch some deals on outgoing inventory, particularly if you want higher specifications.For example, you can currently pick up a 512GB/16GB 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $899 on Amazon, whereas that spec with M4 will run you $1068.You can save nearly $200 by just taking the older chip.
With 15-inch MacBook Air, you can pick up an M3 model with 512GB/24GB for $1299.To get that with M4, you’ll have to pay $1449.So, you can save $150 by getting the older chip.
All in all, here are the current prices for all M3 and M4 MacBook Air configurations on Amazon: M3 chip 13-inch M3 MacBook Air (512GB/16GB) – $899 on Amazon 13-inch M3 MacBook Air (512GB/24GB) – $1099 on Amazon 15-inch M3 MacBook Air (512GB/24GB) – $1274 on Amazon M4 chip 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB/16GB) – $929 on Amazon 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB/16GB) – $1068 on Amazon 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB/24GB) – $1249 on Amazon 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB/16GB) – $1049 on Amazon 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB/16GB) – $1249 on Amazon 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (512GB/24GB) – $1449 on Amazon MacBook Pro You may ask, why get the MacBook Pro over the MacBook Air? Well, beyond performance – the MacBook Pro has a few great features: a much brighter (and HDR) display, active cooling for sustained performance, and additional ports: HDMI, SD card, and an additional Thunderbolt port on the right side.The MacBook Pro truly has a gorgeous screen, with 1000 nits of sustained brightness standard.For context, MacBook Airs do 500 nits of standard brightness.
MacBook Pro is also capable of reaching 1600 nits while displaying HDR content.MacBook Pros also pack larger batteries.With the base model M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the base model M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, you can get some incredible battery life – with up to 24 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Granted, the MacBook Pro is a bit thicker and heavier than the MacBook Air, with the 14-inch MacBook Pro weighing around 0.7 pounds more than the 13-inch MacBook Air, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro weighing around 1.4 pounds more than the 15-inch MacBook Air.All in all, if you want the best out of your Mac and don’t mind the extra thickness and weight, the MacBook Pro is the better choice – presuming it’s in your budget.14-inch MacBook Pro pricing: M4 MacBook Pro (512GB/16GB) – $1449 on Amazon M4 MacBook Pro (1TB/16GB) – $1599 on Amazon M4 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB/24GB) – $1749 on Amazon M4 Pro MacBook Pro (1TB/24GB) – $2149 on Amazon M4 Max MacBook Pro (1TB/36GB) – $2879 on Amazon 16-inch MacBook Pro pricing: M4 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB/24GB) – $2229 on Amazon M4 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB/48GB) – $2599 on Amazon M4 Max MacBook Pro (1TB/36GB) – $3149 on Amazon M4 Max MacBook Pro (1TB/48GB) – $3599 on Amazon Wrap up Overall, Apples MacBook lineup is very wide, but there honestly is something for everyone, no matter the price point.
With all of the great deals that’ve been happening as of late, there’s never been a better time to buy your first Mac or upgrade your MacBook.My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Anker MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 MOFT Magnetic Wallet Stand, fits up to 3 cards Logitech Brio 100 1080p Webcam for Mac AirTag 4-pack (on sale for 20% off!) SanDisk Extreme 2TB USB-C SSD, up to 1050MB/s AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
