Which MacBook should you buy - MacBook Air i3 or MacBook Air i5
Are you in the market to buy a Macbook for yourself and stuck between the choice of two different types of Macs, or two generations of the same Mac? What you should focus on are their processors because they make a lot of difference. Read this article where we will try to illustrate the differences between different generations of Intel processors.
So which processor should you choose? And does it really matter? Also, Apple announced that it would use its own Apple Silicon processor instead of Intel processors in the future which will make this choice harder. Luckily we are here to help!
Since January 2006, Apple has been using Intel processors in their Macbooks. With every new generation of processors, the function of the Mac improves, like faster speed, support for more cores, support for more RAM, better power consumption, and longer battery life.
Currently, Apple gives two MacBook Air base configurations both featuring 10th-generation Intel processors; but one with a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor and one with a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. While purchasing, you can customize the specifications of these, so it's better to know what kind of machine you'll need before the purchase!
The i3 MacBook is great for web browsing, streaming, emailing, and video calls. The i3's general performance is surprisingly good for these types of daily tasks but it starts to struggle while using editing software or multitasking. So, if you need your Macbook for photo editing or video editing, then this isn't the one for you.
The i5 MacBook Air is capable of performing multiple tasks and with demanding software, basic workflows associated with software development and tasks such as video, audio, or photo editing run far more effectively on the i5. It also has slightly higher turbo boost speeds at 3.5GHz than the 3.2Ghz of the i3. So, if the price is no bar for you, then get the i5 Macbook Air.
The major drawback of i5 is that it gets quite hot during intensive use and the fans work at their maximum speed too to prevent heating. But being a low-power processor i3 does not get as hot as the i5. So the i3 MacBook Air is less likely to be placed under thermal strain, so it will remain cool and cool for longer.
Despite the thermal issue, the MacBook Air i5 is a better choice for more demanding work and multitasking because of the better processor.
0 Comments