In a major ‘One Last Thing’ announcement, Apple unveiled its new M1 chip that will be featured in new versions of the MacBook Air, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro computers. This chip replaces the Intel-made chip, or Central Processing Unit (CPU) that Macs have been running on for more than a decade. The move is a major step forward for Apple to become less reliant on external suppliers. This mirrors the Apple made ‘Ax’ series of chips found in iPhones and iPads, whereas most Android phones use chips made by Qualcomm and a few others.
What’s the big deal?
A central processor, is essentially the ‘heart’ of a computer and determines how quickly it can perform tasks such as run software, make calculations, play games or draw intricate designs and graphics. Most of consumer-grade computers use processors from a handful of manufacturers. As a result, nearly all notebooks and PCs are stuck on a similar playing field in terms of price ranges, capabilities and performance.
Intel, the world’s largest consumer chip maker, needs to ensure that its CPUs work in as many different types of machines as possible, and are able to work with old and new software and even different operating systems. As a result, the design of its chips are made with compatibility in mind, and this reduces their overall performance and power efficiency.
By making its own chips, Apple can essentially have its very own playing field. As such, its processors would only need to be compatible with Apple hardware and software. Also, Apple would be a master of its own domain in terms of avoiding queueing up with competitors for the latest Intel chips and planning its product roadmap around Intel’s chip release schedule.
M1 = a massive game changer for Apple?
Given that Apple’s own testing has shown that the M1 can deliver up to three and a half times faster processing (CPU), six times faster graphics (GPU) and up to 15 times faster machine learning capabilities all with battery life up to TWICE as long as before. So, not only considerably faster, its computers gain a huge battery life bump. It needs to be said that Apple’s claims will need to be tested in the real world against both older Intel based Macs and Windows computers. Still, these gains are quite substantial and could put Mac computers well above the competition with performance and battery life that they just can’t match for the money.
Apple inside
The M1 is the most powerful processor that Apple has ever made. And the M1 will be a family of chips so we can expect to see some variants too. Its capability can be measured by ‘performance per watt’, which indicates how fast it is per watt of energy. As energy consumption links to battery drain, this is very important. Apple believes it has the “World’s best CPU performance per Watt” but we’ll need to test out its claims.
Design-wise, the M1 incorporates many other sub-components normally found in separate chips into one, single unit. The benefit of this is that communication between the different ‘cores’ and other parts of the chip architecture is faster with less distance to travel, and also requires less energy.
The M1 consists of an 8-core Central Processing unit (CPU), an 8-core Graphics Processing unit (GPU), a 16-core Neural Engine for machine learning tasks. It is made on a 5-nanometre scale, which is the latest and smallest standard for consumer chips with 16 billion transistors overall. There’s also a unified memory architecture for efficient, low-latency communication when retrieving and storing information.
Universal software
Everyday software will need to be written in a different ‘language’ in order to run on the new M1 Macs. In fact, developers need to have both Intel and M1 versions of their programs for Macs using on different processors. Using a new compiler, developers can now create what Apple is calling a ‘Universal’ version of their software to run on both platforms. However, for older software that has already been written for Intel and won’t be updated to a Universal version, this can still run on the new macs. By using Rosetta 2, which is an ’emulator,’ this will intelligently ‘translate’ the Intel-coded software in real time so it can run on the new Macs.
Programs written to run natively on M1 equipped macs will always be the fastest, and get the biggest benefits in terms of power consumption. However, there’s likely no great issue for running older software and it should be a fairly seamless experience. Eventually, most software will be written to work with the M1 as standard.
Apple has also announced that MacOS Big Sur is built specifically for M1 machines, and all of its software will be available in M1 native versions. Another benefit is that apps written for iPhones and iPads can run natively on M1 machines without any emulation. This could help bring a lot of popular apps to the Mac.
At time of writing, there’s no indication that Microsoft will provide Universal updates for its Office 365 suite, and Adobe is working on updates to Creative Cloud but there’s no immediate delivery timeframe.
What does this all mean?
When it’s all said and done, the M1 brings an amazing performance and battery life increase to the Mac. If the claims are accurate, these machines will certainly outclass the Intel/Windows competition. And considering the huge ‘bang for buck’ advantage that they deliver, plus that the new M1 equipped models will sell for the same price, there’s a LOT of value coming from a brand that is known to be pricy.
For the latest on the new M1 Macs, below is a guide to what’s different, the performance ranks from Apple, as well as some of the new things that they can do compared to the previous generation. We’ll be reviewing them at GadgetGuy.com.au as soon so watch this space! Orders start this week with deliveries and in-store sales starting next week.
M1 Powered MacBook Air
Enhancements:
The new Air no longer needs a cooling fan inside so it operates completely silently, according to Apple. There are also updates to the storage controller and flash memory for faster SSD (solid state hard drive) performance. There’s a new Image Signal Processor for better camera image quality. For comms, the latest Wi-Fi 6 and faster USB 4 are included.
Performance compared to the pervious generation:
- 8-core CPU performs up to 3.5x faster
- 8-core GPU, graphics are up to 5x faster*
- Machine Learning workloads are up to 9x faster
- 2x faster SSD performance
- Battery life: up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing
- Battery life: up to 18 hours of video playback
*The entry level MacBook Air gets a 7 core GPU with 8 cores in the standard version.
When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered MacBook Air can:
- Export a project for the web with iMovie up to 3x faster.
- Integrate 3D effects into video in Final Cut Pro up to 5x faster.
- For the first time, play back and edit multiple streams of full-quality, 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro without dropping a frame.
- Export photos from Lightroom up to twice as fast.
- Use ML-based features like Smart Conform in Final Cut Pro to intelligently frame a clip up to 4.3x faster.
- Watch more movies and TV shows with up to 18 hours of battery life, the longest ever on MacBook Air.
- Extend FaceTime and other video calls for up to twice as long on a single charge.
Otherwise, the appearance of the new Air is the same as the pervious model. It’s RRP is $1,599.
M1 Powered 13in MacBook Pro
Enhancements:
The new 13 inch MacBook Pro gets a new active cooling system. This enables the M1 to run faster than the version in the MacBook Air, and provide a more ‘pro’ experience. It alss gains two studio-quality mics for clear recordings and calls. There’s the latest camera ISP in the M1 chip, which enables sharper images and more detail in shadows and highlights on video calls. Two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support are included.
Performance comparisons compared to the pervious generation:
- 8-core CPU performs up to 2.8x faster than the previous generation
- 8-core GPU is up to 5x faster
- Machine Learning is up to 11x faster
- Battery life: up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing
- Battery life: up to nn amazing 20 hours of video playback
When compared to the previous model, the M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro can:
- Build code in Xcode up to 2.8x faster.
- Render a complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro up to 5.9x faster.
- Fluidly design intricate game scenes in Unity Editor up to 3.5x faster.
- Perform ML tasks in Create ML up to 11x faster.
- Separate out beats, instrumentals and vocal tracks from a recording in real time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
- Play back full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
- Compile four times as much code on a single charge, thanks to the game-changing performance per watt of the M1 chip.
The MacBook now holds the title of having the longest battery life ever on a Mac, according to Apple. It has a starting price of RRP A$1,999.
M1 Powered Mac Mini
Enhancements:
There’s an advanced thermal design used to maximise the performance of the M1 chip. Also new is support for up to two displays including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution. Then there’s Wi-Fi 6 for faster wireless performance. Lastly, the Mini gains the ‘Secure Enclave’ in M1 for best-in-class security.
Performance comparisons compared to the pervious generation:
- 8-core CPU with up to 3x faster processing
- 8-core GPU with up with 6x increase in graphics performance
- Machine Learning workloads up to 15x faster
When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered Mac mini can:
- Compile code in Xcode up to 3x faster.
- Play a graphics-intensive game like “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” with up to 4x higher frame rates.
- Render a complex timeline in Final Cut Pro up to 6x faster.
- Take music production to new levels by using up to 3x as many real-time plug-ins in Logic Pro.
- Magically increase the resolution of a photo in Pixelmator Pro up to 15x faster.
- Utilise ML frameworks like TensorFlow or Create ML, now accelerated by the M1 chip.
For more on the Apple M1, visit the product page here.
The post Can Apple’s new M1 chip put Windows PCs to shame? appeared first on Gadget Guy Australia.
This is a fantastic news; Apple's M1 processor can deliver up to three and a half times faster processing (CPU), six times faster graphics (GPU) and up to 15 times faster machine learning capabilities with battery life twice as long as before. Thank you for sharing your analysis. Refurbished Apple MacBook
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