M1 vs M2 vs M3 MacBook Air - ULTIMATE Comparison!

🔥AnkerWork All-in-One S600 Speakphone, Up to 37% Off on Kickstarter👉 ankerfast.club/P7SdK6
⭐️ Get Qi2 charger, speaker, mic, phone stand with voiceprint recognition technology in one device!
I bought every single generation of the Apple silicon MacBook Air and compared them in everything from CPU performance, coding, Adobe workflows, blender, gaming, battery life, and even thermal performance. The question is - which one should you get? The latest and greatest, or save some money and get the older versions?
These are the best MacBook Air deals I could find:
⮕ M1 MacBook Air: geni.us/m1air
⮕ M2 MacBook Air: geni.us/m2macbookair
⮕ M3 MacBook Air: geni.us/m3macbookair
Support the channel:
🖥️ Custom macOS wallpapers: crtd.tech/wallpapers
📷 Follow me on Instagram: / createdtech
00:00 Which MacBook Air Is Best
00:33 Physical Differences
01:56 M2 vs M3 MacBook Air
03:09 Chip Differences
04:54 SSD Speed
05:21 Everyday and Multitasking Performance
06:39 AnkerWork S600
07:47 Battery Life
10:14 Thermal and Heat Performance
11:27 Is The Air Powerful Enough?
12:42 CPU Performance
12:54 Creative Workflows
13:32 3D Workflows
13:52 Gaming Performance
14:19 Which One Should You Buy?
#macbook #macbookair #mac
--
Disclaimer: Some of the above links are affiliated, and we may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

[@CreatedTech]

🔥AnkerWork All-in-One S600 Speakphone, Up to 37% Off on Kickstarter👉 ankerfast.club/P7SdK6 ⭐ Get Qi2 charger, speaker, mic, phone stand with voiceprint recognition technology in one device!

[@sabilza]

I won't replace my 8GB M1 Macbook Air until Apple releases the base Macbook Air with a minimum of 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, and a 90hz refresh rate display

[@Niasyy]

you can always choose the model with 16GB ram. Even if they offered 12GB ram as a base model, it's hard to believe they'd keep the same price.

[@enfisya]

is your laptop enough for you? I’m looking into it now :) do you use it intensively? :)

[@portman8909]

16GB RAM. 12 gigs is a weird number.

[@mayakorneliaa]

I have m1 air with 8gb. Tbh, it’s not enough for me😭 bcs i do graphic design and video editing. It just lagging whenever i open after effect or illustrator. But if u only use it for administration stuff, its all fine

[@DarKnightRayleigh]

I don't understand why these youtubers just throw Macbook air as " email machine " , a $100 phone can do that too .

[@slivka_1]

It’s really stupid honestly. People can buy a chromebook for that. These Macs are powerful

[@DarKnightRayleigh]

@@slivka_1 yeah

[@nicolasb.henry294]

I use a base M2 Air and this machine is quite powerful that I do almost everything with it. Photo editing, digital collage art, organising exhibitions, preparing contest, writing poetry, creating my website and organising my art business. My next machine will be an M4 Air those machines are so powerful it its no need to buy a base M MacBook Pro as the both share the same chips. you really see a difference while using a M Pr or M Max Chips but for the moment I don´t need this power. But those M Air lineup are definitely more than "machine to read emails and surf the web mainly and be use mainly by students"

[@aryantawte3438]

Yeah , even m1 is a beast of a machine and can do pretty much any task , unless you do heavy photo or video editing or need gpu which I doubt more than 80% people don’t need. M1 or m2 base model is the way to go. I personally want apple to increase the base model to 512gb, even 8gb ram is enough.

[@skepticalmechanic]

Bought a 15" M2 MacBook Air new at Best Buy with 16GB ram and 1TB SSD for $1,499... What a deal! Got it yesterday!

[@gamerfor-life-]

WHAAAT!!??

[@gamerfor-life-]

THATS SUCH A GOOD DEAL…

[@gamerfor-life-]

Is it still up?

[@gamerfor-life-]

Is it available in Europe?

[@strike9966]

holding my m1 16gb air for as long as i can, i love it

[@brotherjoll1802]

lucky you got the 16gb man this 8gb gets laggy with some intermediate music production crafting whilst other tabs are open

[@leventelajos5078]

same

[@AnthonyOlenrag]

Just picked up M3 16gb 512gb ssd as my first macbook. Can’t wait to love it as well

[@FlyingPigChannel]

Same

[@DR-xr8so]

Same! Just bagged an as-new M1 16Gb / 1Tb for £700 (UK), to replace my 8Gb / 512Gb machine. I see no justification for the M2 / M3 for my usage.

[@victorhdmg95]

I got MacBook Pro m1 (basically an air m1 with fans) and I can assure u guys, its way more powerful than what I need for my daily use

[@timestampAi]

What about 4k vlog editing in capcut or inshot ?

[@chanchanadissanayake2391]

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you to you. I'm getting my first mac tomorrow, a MacBook Air and I've watched a lot of your videos on MacOS and Macs and they have been incredibly valuable for me. Keep up the good work!!!

[@CreatedTech]

Glad I could help!

[@nyx3983]

bought 15" M2 16/256. runs perfectly & love that extra screen space. makes doing anything feel more immersive.

[@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou]

Nice comparison. Would love to see a comparison between the 13" and 15" MBA M3 vs the 14" MBP M1 and M2, since they're all within a couple hundred bucks of each other.

[@Lambelio_]

You said that you stopped the head of autonomy when the MacBook M1 was at 5% But I would like to know how much time has elapsed from the battery at 100% to 5%?

[@picwolf]

I use my MacBook Air M2 with 16GB of ram for work and school and it’s a beast , I’m a web developer.

[@sergioramirez196]

Really like this channel. Thanks

[@Saniastic]

The Best Video. I was waiting for this video.

[@Little-bird-told-me]

very good channel. Underrated

[@bashirmdyt]

Please make a video comparing MacBook Air m3 with 16 gb ram 256gb storage to MacBook Air m2 16 gb ram 512 gb storage. Because in this configuration the price is almost same. Which one should I go for.???

[@mouad7498]

It saddens me how as much as I think the m1 macbook air is impossibly amazing for it's power and efficiency.. I had two m1 macbook airs die on me (motherboard failure) they both lasted me a year and a half so no warrenty lmao.

[@mjthethird1]

I prefer the wedge shape, and I use continuity camera for webcam as it’s far superior to both the 720p and 1080p

[@patricksantos4199]

I'm holding on to my base model M1 Macbook Air until they get rid of the notch on the macbook or if they make it useful.

[@jank8456]

My opinion (I have all of them): build quality: m1 air; look and feel: better m2/m3; screen: the same; speakers: better m1 (real stereo), performance: exactly the same m1=m2=m3; battery: little bit better in m2/m3 (my m1 has only 20 cycles)

[@jaspinderdhillon]

Brother I want to but a laptop for coding and doing regular sometimes intense works like video editing types so what should I go for ??

[@user-bn5lo5jy7o]

I want to buy one of the Anker Workers, can you share a link? as the one you sent won't allow you to buy it.

[@adambielski2743]

So it seems that something is wrong. M3 being 3nm, more power efficient uses almost the same energy as older less power efficient M2.

[@njpme]

They increased the cpu clock speed

[@Drew1218s]

Unless you are a 3D/motion graphics designer (which isn’t that many of you) the m1 will do everything you need. I’m a graphic designer and the M1 chip in my iMac with 8gb of ram runs all the adobe suite programs with no issues for me. I’ll have minor slow downs once I start opening lots of tabs but it’s not that bad.

[@curtispazarjr4985]

Great review!!!!!

[@MELOWARMACHINE]

I’m still wondering how gaming is on the M3 air with 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. I’m hoping it could play bigger games baldurs gate 3’s late game even if I need to lower the graphics, and pc/Xbox exclusives like starfield. I saw others showing the m3 actually throttles and heats up more with certain tasks so was wondering if the m4 might be even worse or if it’s new tech is for even less heat etc

[@ohmahrie]

did you watch the video

[@MELOWARMACHINE]

@@ohmahrie yes could you tell me around what time in the video he switched from 8gb to 16gb if I didn’t notice it please?

[@DatTruckinGuy]

Still have my M1 Air 16GB/256GB. Hasn’t lost a step once. Still don’t mind the 13 in. display.

[@zimabluexo]

am looking to buy m1 air now, is it ok or should i go with m3?

[@DatTruckinGuy]

@@zimabluexo Depends what you use it for.

[@zimabluexo]

@@DatTruckinGuy am complete noob, looking to learn programming stuff ! and switch to IT (i play no games)

[@DatTruckinGuy]

@@zimabluexo The M1 Air is still a good all around laptop. It’ll handle programming just fine. If you’re using it for more intensive tasks, like 8K video rendering or something like that, then get a MacBook Pro. If you do get a M1 MacBook, make sure you get the 16GB/ model. If you need more storage, consider your iCloud storage account. Sites like Amazon and WalMart still sells them.

[@zimabluexo]

@@DatTruckinGuy tnx fir replying all i can get is m1 air base model *😅 i was in doubt that will that be enough for me to learn coding? ig its enough fir me.

[@gerardrosales]

4:07 damn I didn't know that upgrading the RAM will also automatically include the non-binned GPU add on. Apparently, this was also the case for the M2 MBA models. I have an M1 MBA and I upgraded the RAM, but I didn't get the upgraded GPU core count back then.This was nice to know.

[@sakibsakic2952]

M2 here, not thinking about switching

[@DrCeramicDallas]

Just upgraded from M1 to M3 Air. The speakers are so much better in quality and loudness. Although the older model had a better speaker placement. I'd say it is worth it just for the new design. Don't forget that Apple has $100 education discount so these prices shown can be actually lower.

[@jeffreyjhamal7759]

How do I get the discount

[@Efftyyyy]

Can you please describe your experiences? I'm thinking of buying an mba m3, but I'm afraid it will get too hot. I will use it for daily tasks, reading articles and writing. I know that the computer is not a gaming computer, but I want to play Sims 4 from time to time. Do you think it will cause a problem? I'm afraid it will damage the computer if it gets too hot. I will be grateful if you could help me.

[@Saniastic]

M2 user here with Star Light Color. Love it

[@revenge217]

8/256GB in 2024 is ridiculous

[@solefreak2]

I'm using a mid-2012 macbook air with 8gb ram. Doing just fine apart from the failing battery.

[@AbeM.]

The only one in gold is the M1, so that’s the clear winner

[@Brandon-a-writer]

tbh, being a full time writer who is abusive to a laptop, really moving around with them and using them daily as a lifeline, the m1 air has never let me down … i have the 14" mbp and the m1 macbook air and the former is the "desktop" computer and the latter is my workhorse. if you need more power than an m1 air to write and occasionally really tax a laptop, you're a more discerning man than i. great vid mate

[@MrDucatiV4]

Me: I'll hold on to my M1 pro 16" instead of trading it in for the M3 air 15". Dame I actually thought about it but now nvmd.

[@boxrick1]

Why compare old crappy ruined batteries against spanking new laptops. Feels like a pointless test

[@ijlalahmad9652]

can macbook air handle 4k video editing? please let me know

[@JapanPotato]

Yes, no problem for most cases. I work with heavy (60 gb or more) files from my Sony FX3 camera oftentimes 5-7 streams simultaneously at 4K 60fps on my Air M2 with 16gb ram.

[@prajetkhule]

M2- 8,512 or M3- 8,256? Which one should i buy? I am an MBA student.

[@daphmaier]

Get an m2 with 16gb of ram and 256 gib ssd + a portable. Thank me later :-)

[@nicolasb.henry294]

@@daphmaier The M2 is still an amazing machine especially fro everyday tasks

[@Mr.Siro1003]

That's exactly the reason why I chose MacBook Air M1 8/256 for better SSD speed rather than M2 8/256 😊😊

[@luigivelasco175]

Just get an upgraded ram and ssd M2 .. M3 user here.

[@anthonywalsh2164]

I’m happy with my M1 air, however the maximum battery capacity is at 84%.

[@DR-xr8so]

Interesting comparison, thanks! But - I still love my M1! So much so, I've waited until the release of the M3 to bag another M1 to replace my 2020 machine. I've tried a friend's M2, but I don't like the form factor at all. That and MagSafe was / is a bugbear of mine. It was forever detaching itself on my previous MacBook Pros. It annoyed the hell out of me. Granted you can use one of the USB-C ports for power on the M2 / M3. Interestingly to my ears, the speakers on the M2 / M3 are no better than the M1. I've read some users are suggesting the sound output of the later models is possibly retrograde compared to the M1. All subjective I guess. Anyway, now the M3 has drooped, so have prices for the M1! I've just bagged an as-new M1 16Gb / 1Tb machine for just under £700 (I'm in the UK), which is in warranty until the end of this year. It looks brand new, 25 cycles, 100% battery & boxed. It's replaced my M1 8gb / 512Gb which I bought on release. I just don't have the need for anything better quite honestly, and for the price I bagged this one at? It's a no-brainer for me! BTW, did I mention I still prefer the form factor? 🥰

[@Everydaykaen]

Just ordered the m3 air as my first macbook 😅

[@chopra2189]

Which 8 or 16gb

[@Efftyyyy]

Can you please describe your experiences? I'm thinking of buying an mba m3, but I'm afraid it will get too hot. I will use it for daily tasks, reading articles and writing. I know that the computer is not a gaming computer, but I want to play Sims 4 from time to time. Do you think it will cause a problem? I'm afraid it will damage the computer if it gets too hot. I will be grateful if you could help me.

[@adukovski]

I have my macbook air m1 with base specs (8gb) and I am using it for everything. My daily work is done on it, mostly word documents, PowerPoint, excel and web surfing. Usually I also play Civ 6 from time to time (from an external ssd) and I do video editing in DaVinci Resolve (2 - 4 times per month)... And it has been incredible. For the money I paid for it and what it gives me, it is an excellent slim quiet computer that does everything that I want from it. Can it be better...I guess so...Do I want a new one, sure why not, it will do the same things...Do I need a new one, absolutely not,this is the best laptop that you can get for the money, and there is no second place.

[@hokage2778]

is midnight on m3 is normal?

[@rishabsinghbaran1574]

The fingerprints are pretty bad

[@revenge217]

Honestly which one is the best ? M1 ? M2 ? M2 Pro ? M2 Max ? M3 ? M3 Pro ? M3 Max ?

[@Stape_Playshion]

My hp laptop is over 5 and a half years old. Im looking to switch to macbook since mt laptom is so damn slow.

[@Danishxbr]

I bought m1 and used it for week but kept looking at m3 air 😂😂 also was not happy with the camera 😂 Finally went to store and returned it and bought m3 air . Very happy with the purchase 😇

[@Efftyyyy]

Can you please describe your experiences? I'm thinking of buying an mba m3, but I'm afraid it will get too hot. I will use it for daily tasks, reading articles and writing. I know that the computer is not a gaming computer, but I want to play Sims 4 from time to time. Do you think it will cause a problem? I'm afraid it will damage the computer if it gets too hot. I will be grateful if you could help me.

[@Danishxbr]

@@Efftyyyy Hi , I am very happy with MBA m3 . I have a base model and it doesn’t get hot at all . I came from windows laptop which was with higher specification ( more Than Euro 2500) but MBA 3 beats it in my usage . I mostly use it for presentation , research , social media and movies . Compact light weight and good upgrade for me .

[@wallyspencer3253]

honnestly? everything from M1 is a good option so i dont care i d buy it for prestige and still work on windows

[@PeterEmery]

Shouldn't call them Airs if they have no fan.

[@DaffyTheDuck42029]

The air just flows right on in and out 🤑 (Btw I’m pretty sure its called that bc of how slim and light they are)

[@AlexanderLindo]

I have a question regarding battery temperature which is not spoken about in most videos I have watched. I recently purchased an M1 MacBook Air in August 2023, a fantastic machine with excellent performance and timeless design, however seeing as your personal M1 MacBook Air is just over 3 years old and still has 90% battery health, as one would expect under normal use (With a battery manufacture date of May 2023, mine is at 89% battery health with 80 cycles). I am looking to maintain a healthy battery for as long as possible. While plugged in and with a full battery, I during sustained processor and graphics intensive loads, iStat Menus displays battery temperature increasing to ~44 ℃ until thermal throttling of the M1 kicks in, reducing CPU heat and therefore bringing battery temperature down to 43 ℃ until the task is complete. Watching your "How HOT Will Your FANLESS M1 MacBook Air Get?", I saw your battery temperature climb to a max of 44 ℃ during sustained load. Now while those temperatures are within spec of lithium-ion batteries, seeing the different chassis design of the M2 and M3 MacBook Air, I am curious to know how battery temperatures compare in similar scenarios and while the external laptop cooling pads you tested did not have a dramatic effect on reducing processor temperature, I am curious to find out how effective they are in reducing battery temperature.

[@AbeM.]

It’s interesting to hear yours has aged that quickly. I don’t do anything more intensive than coding and web browsing with my M1, so after nearly 3 years of almost-daily, it’s still at 95% battery health.

[@ashwanthk7358]

and now apple launches m4 ipad pro LOL !

[@Fizcakesprite]

Its just a chip with a higher labeled number.

[@NilosX23]

My niece wants a m3 Mac book air this is going to be her graduation present now she not a gamer so mainly school some games not hardcore i think mainly Roblox . Granted due to her scholarship she got a free xps 13 2 in 1. I want to get her just base M3 should fork over the $ 200 to get the 16GB ram or just base model is good enough for a person starting college she planning to be a nutritionist so not sure what will be required for to do in class.

[@DaffyTheDuck42029]

It’s pretty sad that no one replied to such a comment, to be honest im seeing that the base with 8 gb can be pretty bad, and the m3 is barely anything more than a more expensive m2 If possible probably better to go for a nice m2 with 16 gb and 256 or 512 ssd 🤷🏽‍♂️ They have the same modern design and what i saw in the video their features are super similar Congrats to them 😊 good luck

[@ckwbae]

me using my i3 mba lol still smooth tho

[@skepticalmechanic]

M2 only slower with base model... so it's NOT all M2..

[@nigel8499]

When are they going to get rid of the horrible 'notch'?

[@n.h187]

It'll turn into the pill.

[@dan8t669]

when people stop buying it

[@haruyanto8085]

You don't notice it on use, since that's where the menu bar goes

[@philipepics]

⚠Please consider purchasing a new Mac M1, M2, or M3 (Pro or Air, particularly the Air due to its fan and temperature management) with an EXTENDED WARRANTY. This is advisable because the core components, such as the CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD, are integrated into the logic board. Official Apple technicians do not repair these individual components; they only replace the entire logic board, which costs from 600 EUR for the MacBook Air M1.

[@lorensims4846]

At least the M1 MacBook Air still really looks like a MacBook Air.

[@Sam-pn2kc]

happy with my M2 air with 16gb ram for now. next upgrade will be a m4 pro or m5 pro next

[@safirealtor8650]

I have a m1is

[@Goalier95]

None. M4 chip just came out, wait next year for it or wait until 2026 when the M5 comes out.

[@NicolaMastrandrea]

m4

[@Macorelppa]

Snapdragon Owns M series chips. 🔥

[@petru8304]

You are faierd

[@stevemuzak8526]

Non of them. Wait for M4

[@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou]

In that case, why not wait for M5 or M6? There will always be a better product down the line (at least, until society crumbles).

[@stevemuzak8526]

@@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou M4 was just announced on the new iPads

[@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou]

@@stevemuzak8526 So? Again, there’s always going to be a newer chip. MacBooks might not get M4 chips until late this year or perhaps even next year. On the topic of the MacBook Air, the M3 MacBook Air JUST came out.

[@confusedwarrior4495]

No, wait for M5

[@bemvey]

Get M7 or nothing else!

[@FolkenFarnell-fanelia08]

there should be a lawsuit against apple for overheating damages on the motherboard on all MacBook Air.

[@haruyanto8085]

They are still cooler than non-Macbook