

Each computer has the same exact processor (with one wrinkle I’ll address in a sec), which can theoretically run at the same speed - but the fan in the MacBook Pro and Mac mini lets them sustain peak performance for longer. That’s basically what’s happening in the new Apple M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, Apple confirms to The Verge. In a small, fanless chassis, they have to throttle down quickly, but they can go for longer in a larger or better-cooled one. A CPU’s thermal design power (TDP) in watts is a better predictor of performance than its gigahertz clock speed because some of the weakest laptop and phone chips can “boost” up to multiple gigahertz these days. Image: Appleīut you shouldn’t knock that fan, because here’s a little-known fact about today’s CPUs: they can almost all run far faster if you give them better cooling. (I guess it’s been a long time since manila envelopes were a thing.) Compare the MacBook Pro’s dimensions. I mean, yes, it is a little bit hilarious the MacBook Air is now a laptop that doesn’t blow air, just like it’s amusing that the Air technically continues to be a thicker laptop than the 13-inch Pro. This fan, which is exclusive to the MacBook Pro: The 13-inch MacBook Pro’s fan. I’m not joking when I say: the biggest difference is a fan. They’ve got the same M1 processor, the same memory and storage options, the same ports, and very similar screens. It’s been a little bit weird that Apple would sell both a 13-inch MacBook Air and a 13-inch MacBook Pro simultaneously, but perhaps never more than today - because Apple’s new $999 and $1,299 laptops seem nearly identical if you look beyond the differently curved frames.
