M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro - Ultimate Comparison After 6 Months...

Which macbook to buy in 2024? This question is asked by many people. In my new video, we'll compare two of the latest models - the MacBook Air M3 and the MacBook M3 Pro! Let's try to understand the key difference between these devices, which MacBook is better to buy for work, which one is better for surfing the browser, and which one is better suited for everyday tasks and maybe even games? Watch the video to the end and maybe we will answer the main question together - Why pay more?
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[@prabhatpal3374]

TL;DR - he said buy M3 pro 14 inch.

[@Ultrajamz]

Good just got one Friday. Microcenter $260 off and 24/mo payoff, new not refurbished.

[@BravoDeus]

Thanks bro

[@innnews6299]

A simpler advice would be to buy at least at 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD on a Mac within your budget. Doesn’t matter if it’s MBA or MBP. The only change would be if you do video editing, then go for MBP (because of the ports & fans). Again, same principle applies: buy the one with 16/512 spec you can afford. Don’t worry about the M1/M2/M3 chip differences.

[@vitordinis]

totally agree. i got the first macmini m1 16/512 spec over four years ago and this thing still rocking

[@Fernando_1903]

I have one MBA M2 base version, but I am considering to upgrade to a version with more RAM and Storage. Should I get the 13” or 15” with 512 gb and 16 gb of RAM? Or maybe jump to a MBA 14” M3 pro refurbish for $1700

[@djerikfox]

..just bought air m3 512/16g ram for music production..omg its amazing, runs logic and cubase and all of my plugins...im so happy with it! regards

[@rubengarciajr]

its a beast

[@SilkeGlock]

How much plugins can it take?

[@simpromovie]

I you want to compare two computers you should equip them with the same RAM on SSD. You don't need buy a MacBook Pro if only the RAM is not enough. Just buy the MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 512 SSD... I would never buy the MacBook Pro even if it cost the same! It is a big fat heavy computer with a smaller display. If I need the performance for serious desktop work I do that with a Mac Studio or a Mac Mini with the Pro CPU....

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

Most stores selling these only have the base configurations and thats what a lot of people buy. Yes, if you are more of a power user, you migtht configure and order a better spec, but that isn't the majority of people.

[@Himegw]

I bought a 14 pro m3 16 ram and base storage. The other option was the 15 air m3 with 16 ram and 1 tb ssd. I got a great deal on the pro. The screen is so clear, speakers are better, the fan is here when i need to push it harder. The weight is the same on both.

[@simpromovie]

@@Himegw I can understand that completely. It all depends on your personal preference. I got my daughter the 14" pro for her creative work with Premiere Pro , Photoshop and other things. Great tool for that! For me personally I need the MBA 15" for remote support, on premise IT support, text editing and things like that. For this a thin and light MacBook Air with a bigger display is more useful...

[@jayb8934]

I think you're underestimating how powerful the Air is for most people, especially when you say that it's just a glorified typing machine and it won't last 5 years.

[@JoshNerius]

Yeah, even my OG M1 Air is still pretty great for a lot more than just typing…

[@livegrowtruth]

Crazy underestimated, seems quite uneducated on the MacBook airs power. That one statement shows he doesn't know much

[@garryhall9660]

i have bought the M2 Air as a works machine. it is light and is great to travel around. i have 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. my main machine is a M3 Pro as it has promotion and its great for presenting courses.

[@luisfandre]

which stand are you using with the macbook pro, please?

[@x24ldb]

if your in uni or work from home and use your laptop for mainly personal and occasional business / professional use, the 15 inch m3 air is a good sweet spot for 90% of people. if you want the 13 inch just get the m2

[@MartaZiomek]

I thought I'm not a very demanding user (no video/photo editing nor programming for me), but either in my online teaching work or in my translation work, multiple chrome tabs+apps are a must, and often combined with zoom calls at the same time. I had and loved my base model M1 MacBook Air, but the 8GB resulted to just not be enough in the end. THAT, and I still use the HDMI port on my second monitor, so M3 MB Pro with the baseline 16GB RAM was a natural step for me to take. I'm very happy with my choice - I don't need M3Pro, but at the same time, more memory and storage + HDMI port resulted to be the best fit for me. I'd definitely recommend my "medium" M3 MB Pro over the MB Air to any user with similar needs to mine :)

[@andyH_England]

Both use the same single cores, so they are comparable for the vast majority of normal usage (non-pro work). The performance will be the same up to four performance cores. Most people will rarely need more than those four performance cores. The next upgrade, the M3 Pro, only has one extra CPU performance core, so its advantage is not substantive. Most Mac users do not play games, so the 8 or 10-core GPU is more than enough for day-to-day stuff. So, the M3 MB Air performs more than enough for non-pro users. They then need to decide if they want to pay extra for the M3 MB Pro 14, which has a few extra features (fan, IO, 120Hz, miniLED, HDR max brightness, etc). If you buy for 5-7 years, those luxuries may be worth the extra £300. If you are a heavy multitasker, consider upgrading to 16GB. The MB Air 13-inch upgrade is £200, and you also get 25% extra GPU cores, so it's a reasonable value, as the GPU upgrade costs £100 separately. We have several base Macbooks, and 8GB is more than enough, so if your workflow is not intensive, save money and get the base model. They usually go on sale; I have already seen the base M3 MB Air at $1000, which will get lower with M4 rumours. If you are a pro user, the M3 Max would be a good place to start, but if your budget doesn't stretch that far, then the lesser M3 Pro chip is a good option. Other factors are weight and display size, but this isn't rocket science, and despite the usual complaints, it is easy to choose what is best for you.

[@jcut]

Great great comparison, thanks for making this video! I'm debating between buying a buffed MacBook Air M3 with 24Gb Ram or a base MacBook Pro with M3 Pro. I do UI design (Figma) and do not plan on gaming or doing heavy 3D beyond Spline. I could buy the M3 Pro but I really really don't like the chunky shell, I much prefer the Air model, so I wonder if I can spec up the Air so that I can go with it instead the Pro. WDYT?

[@user-pj4lf5eq7y]

I bought MacBook Pro M3 because of its astonishing and vibrant display.

[@dbsql6238]

I wish the M4 was out. It would make my decision so much easier.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

What about the M5?

[@dbsql6238]

@@WorksOnMyComputer On March 8th, 1968, there was an episode on Star Trek that featured Apple's Mac Studio running a M5 Extreme. I'll do the M5 for my desktop but use a M4 Pro Max as my laptop for simpler tasks.

[@richardkelly9971]

Well, it’s out now, but on the iPad 😂

[@velvetthundr]

I really love your glasses. What brand and model are they? I'd like to give them a try if they sell it in New Zealand.

[@user-xf7bu5lq7f]

Thats oakley

[@sambek10]

Thanks a lot for your video! I'm gonna buy my first macbook, mainly for photo editing in lightroom and some graphic designing in Illustrator. I don't do too much video editing. From your experience, is macbook air enough in my case? Cheers!

[@anyaangelova5425]

Pro would definetely be a better option! This is coming from someone who has been an Air user for the past 15 years and I just have switched to Pro.

[@sambek10]

@@anyaangelova5425 thank you!

[@mafazrahman1900]

The keyboard keys fading is so true

[@HarshDeepSingh-pc5ou]

Confused between the 14 inch m3 pro, 512 gb, 18gb vs 36gb or the 16 inch m3 max 14c/30c,36 gb 1 tb ssd. My needs are 4k video editing, lightroom and photoshop. I want the max but if m3 pro is enough, I don't want to overspend. Please help me make the right decision.

[@vaamestate]

Best Air vs Pro Comparison after tons of videos from others! Phew

[@Schrodingerscomment]

Would love to see a spec'd out M3 iMac or MacBook Air, 8c-CPU/10c-GPU 24gbMem./1-2tb storage, up against the M3 MacBook Pro 16gb.

[@walterdbrown]

What’s your take on my position? I want at least 16gb memory, I really want the mini-LED display and way better speakers, and I want something to last me at least 3-5 years. But, I also find it really hard to justify spending $2,000 for minimal tasks. Is the M3 chip Macbook Pro with upgraded memory a better option for me? Or should I not waste my time saving $200 when I could just get the M3 Pro chip entry model on sale for $1,800?

[@petercoates2056]

I would also look at Apple certified Refurbished as you can get good m2 pros and there literally the same

[@alexdubkov6998]

Было бы здорово, если протестить air и pro в low power mode режиме, чтобы air не перегревался (108 градусов нехорошо для кремния). И сравнить реальную производительность. Ведь стресс-тесты -- в них никто не работает. Мне очень импонирует air - не шумит, не сосёт пыль. Но вот для разработки и программирования (взяв более жирный конфиг -- 24ram+1tb) будет ли его хватать. Или всё же м3 про? Но там экран с PWM ...

[@Creelyblades]

Even on sustained heavy loads, the air is only about 10% slower than the pro. That’s really not the difference between being able to do it and not being able to do it. Framing the air as a consumption device, and very basic and the pro as being capable enough for content creation I think is an exaggeration of the difference. The truth is Apple’s M3 silicon is rather powerful, and even in an air is very capable of content creation at a professional level. You mentioned if someone were a college student typing lectures, and watching videos that the air would be adequate for that, no. The air would be way overkill for that, get a Chromebook or ipad if that’s all it’s gonna do.

[@ahmadfaqihabdurrahman1044]

I’m UI/UX designer and i’m still confused whether to buy M3 air or M3 pro? I want to have a device that is more durable. The only difference between the Pro and the Air in terms of performance is that it has a fan, while the CPU and RAM are the same for the base model. I don't really understand this, can you give me some input? is it a right choice to take the m3 pro base model over the m3 air base model? Thank You

[@mohammedalaya8879]

am facing the same issue, it is tricky but I think M3 air would be enough and durable and most important it is lighter

[@livegrowtruth]

Spot on, the reviewer called the air a glorified typing machine though lol

[@Dom59878]

Now that I am retiring and will do some traveling I am looking at 2 laptops the Dell XPS 15 which is upgradable and the MacBook Pro, which is not, and I am not sure how long should I expect for a Mac to last for doing browsing, KZbin and possible some remote work. Any advise? I am looking at 10 years life span.

[@spamspasm8183]

Hi. I just upgraded to an m3 mbp 14inch from a 2011 MacBook Air. Before that air, I had a 2006 mbp. If you just need browsing, KZbin, light video editing, emails etc macs will last a decade easily. My 2011 air is still working great and will now be passed on to a kid in the neighborhood who can’t afford a computer and will be used for studying. As to why I upgraded, I do some light CAD work and Fusion360 just abandoned support for 2011 MacBooks.

[@Dom59878]

@@spamspasm8183 Thanks for the advice.

[@iseptimus]

Mac will outlast any Dell. As long as you go for as much memory as you can afford. Even a MacBook Air with 16 or 24GB if you can do it.

[@Dom59878]

@@iseptimus I got a Dell XPS 13 9315, for $799+tax. Should be good for 3-5 years. Same specs Mac air would have cost me double that.

[@rubengarciajr]

I have purchased the macbook air 8gig ram and 256 and i just upgraded to the new macbook pro m3 14in - PLEASE purchase at least 16gig of ram

[@DAIMU_YT]

Я только сейчас вспомнил где я вас видел, и честно скажу, акцент очень хорош, раз он меня так запутал. Респект!

[@josephlau8476]

I like MacBook Air very much.

[@tibo2090]

I don't really know what to choose. the MacBook M3 Air 16GB/512GB (€1,760) or the MacBook M3 Pro 8GB/512GB (€1,850). I would mainly use it to edit photos on Photoshop. The better screen quality and the SD card slot on the PRO model is a big advantage for me. Or am I better off with the Air M3 16GB/512GB because it has more RAM? I use a Nikon D750 and edit an average of 500 photos per year. So not a heavy user I guess? My current laptop is an Acer nitro 5 (8GB/512GB) from 2019

[@yvespires17]

I wouldn't get a laptop with 8GB of ram. It will be outdated super fast (it actually already is for me)

[@rubengarciajr]

please don't get 8gig of RAM - at least 16

[@tibo2090]

should I choose an M2 15 inch 24GB/512 for €1849 or an M3 13 inch 16GB/512 for €1759? only for photoshop and youtube in the background

[@spherical89]

Hey, I think you made a really serious mistake: the M3 air screen is 100 nits brighter than the M2 air, and the webcam is now 1080p.

[@socialwill]

…and it will be 6 months we have the M4 Air, and M4 Pro’s

[@blackstoneriverworkshop7167]

idk, the m3 air just came out

[@bestlifedoc]

Any advice would be helpful... looking to either get the MBA 24GB 512GB vs MBP 16GB 512GB. For video editing and podcast recording but also like the light weight of air

[@rubengarciajr]

if you are editing audio, the MBA will never stress. the 15in AIR looks amazing and the perfect size. I purchased the 14 MBP but also own the 13in air and it was a TANK!! i use heavy photoshop files for clients and it didn't struggle and it was only 8gig of ram !!

[@bestlifedoc]

Thanks for replying ! will be editing video. Useful information 👌🏽

[@rubengarciajr]

@@bestlifedoc if you are editing video, get the MBP, it will be better

[@TheMaan2008]

I'm on the same boat actually!! I have the Air M1 now, & deciding between M3 Air & M3 Pro!!

[@rubengarciajr]

@@TheMaan2008 i think you will be good with both - max out RAM if you can. its on'y 20% more poweful, after watching a few videos.

[@mavfan1]

We know.

[@CAIORAZ]

A better comparison would be the M3 Air and M3 Pro.

[@emonahmmed9192]

Need your help Please reply me asap 👇🏻 Hi brother please suggest me this thing- i'm a full time designer and complex video editor in future I will use this laptop for after effects works. The video clips I use for editing those are 4k 60FPS h.264/HEVE Currently I'm using Intel windows laptop Now I want to buy 14inch MacBook m3 pro with 11core CPU, 14Core GPU 18GB memory, 512GB SSD now can you please suggest me should I buy this laptop for next 5 years? Advance thanks 🙏🏻

[@c28.]

I have a MacBook Pro M1 Max. I’m waiting until they upgrade the display to an oled to upgrade my laptop. Until then the m1 is good enough for me.

[@c28.]

I do agree with the comment about the keyboards though. They seem to get glossy at free a while. Even with light use. They need to figure out a new coating for the keys that prevents this.

[@faisalgill4100]

Will the upgrade to oled be an actual upgrade? Considering the insane contrast ratio on these mini led panels

[@c28.]

@@faisalgill4100 the display is really nice on it, but it has a lot of blooming especially if you watch movies with dark scenes that have bright spots on them. It seems that Apple will be putting oled panels in the iPad Pro, so we will hopefully see if it is an upgrade.

[@PeterbFree]

OLED does not produce professional grade colour. It is not possible to calibrate an OLED screen as they do not produce a white point. No reference monitor manufacturers use OLED for this reason.

[@rheacutillo5199]

Hi Arthur! Narrowing down a 15” Air purchase, choosing between refurbished M2 24gb/2TB or new M3 16Ram/1tb. Thoughts please?

[@rubengarciajr]

honestly you can't go wrong with the M2 - its only a 10-15% power difference, Unless you are a SUPER power user, like editing videos ALL day, you will never noticed the difference. I purchased the M3 pro, this is my first 'NEW' laptop, i always purchase refurbished. I just wanted to experience the unboxing lol

[@leebeeskee]

All KZbinrs now using the rinse and repeat method of 'I was wrong'!

[@FormatTV82]

The M3 Pro is ultimate.

[@NeonRavenYT]

0:03 “which one should you pick” Me: windows laptop

[@Lomaxxx]

I am researching for a solution to the shiny keys since years and i tried nearly every possible thing out there. The only thing that really help against shiny keys is "keyshorts". I attached these from the first day when i upgraded from my M1 Max to my M3 Max. The only thing what is a bit tricky is to apply them correct and that takes some time. And after applying you have to cut them sometimes on the edges very very carefully to not lift them up while typing. But if you do it you will not get any shiny keys and this makes a huge difference in price when you are selling you laptop in the future, because most of the time this is one of the first question a possible buyer is asking.

[@coldfahim]

Ok

[@yvestcheza]

Looks like the touch bar its gone

[@louisfox553]

I got the MB Pro with 18 GB RAM not because the 8 GB can not handle what I use it for today but because in 6 years it'll still be capable. 8 GB macbooks will be pretty useless in 2030

[@andreadelgado3191]

Lol. Why would you buy something thinking how it will hold up in 6 years frkm now that's crazy 😵‍💫 every tech thing will be pretty much outdated in 2030

[@geneyumang9554]

the huge price difference you will be paying $1000 more for the macbook bro ... not everyone could afford more than $2,000 for a macbook pro

[@akin242002]

Still would recommend the M3 Air (with 16GB of RAM and a $20 dongle) for most teenagers or college students not majoring in engineering. For professional white-collar work, a Lenovo ThinkPad T14s or M chip MacBook Pro 14.

[@nicolasb.henry294]

As a visual artist I use a M2 MacBook Air and it is more than. Enough. I do not understand why so many KZbinr think everyone needs a MacBook Pro "for professional tasks" if I want a more powerful machine I will go to a M3 MacBook Pro for the moment I don't need a M3 Pro or a Max ( I do not edit a Christopher Nolan movie) It just depends of your workflow...but yeah the M3 MacBook 3 will be my next laptop or even a refurbished M2 MacBook Pro should be fine.

[@Aron20060]

⁠@@nicolasb.henry294hey bruh i want mackbook for creating music beats and editing for my yt video and some heavy taskin too little bit im thinking to buy mackbook air m3 16ram/512 storage is that enough for this? Cuz majority yt sayin u need the m3 pro m3pro for editing and such tasks but i got no budget ima student 😭 will air do fine man?

[@SiposK]

M2 Air with the slow ssd??? 😂 Are you crazy???

[@djerikfox]

..yes, 256ssd on m2 is much slower than m1 or m3...its tested! regards

[@doanminhnam]

It’s only M2, right?

[@gmuk101]

It is not for travel if it doesn’t have SD card slot.

[@OC-CPA]

Lots of people travel and never use an SD card. You can always use an adapter, hub, USB drive, or cloud/wireless.

[@heikorudi6105]

uuhhhm cloud?

[@raulhenriquez9130]

Arthur looks a lot like Bryce harper

[@Baujahr90erAG]

Get 16GB.. i have an iMac 24 basic model. Its rubbish. Even on easy tasks i notice some slowdowns

[@ikfastoil112]

This guy is annying af.

[@maximus7288]

Both suck in comparison to M3 Pro and M3 Max

[@denginaneuro]

bro has russian letters on keybord, respect fr

[@user-it4zi6tt3x]

Not everybody is a youtuber you know...