M3 MacBook Air after a week | developer's machine

Summary

The video script reviews the M3 MacBook Air, comparing it to its predecessors and assessing its performance for developers. It highlights the new anodization process and improved Geekbench scores, while emphasizing real-world performance in coding, build times, and execution. The M3 MacBook Air excels in handling multi-tasking with limited RAM and storage, making it an excellent choice for students, professionals, and audio creators. However, it falls short for heavy workloads like game development or machine learning. The script recommends the 16 GB RAM model with 1 TB storage for optimal usability and resale value.

Takeaways

• 💻 The M3 MacBook Air looks similar to the M2 MacBook Air, with the main external difference being a new anodization process.
• 🚀 The M3 chip shows improved Geekbench results and offers better performance for code build times, execution, and real-world developer tasks.
• 🧑‍💻 For developers, the M3 MacBook Air handles typical tools like terminal, Git, Xcode, and Android Studio efficiently, even with 8 GB of RAM.
• 🌐 Chrome is preferred for its developer tools, despite being slower than Safari.
• 📚 The M3 MacBook Air is suitable for students and professionals who need portability and long battery life.
• 🎨 It's a good choice for audio creators due to its silent operation, but video creators might prefer a MacBook Pro.
• 🔧 Developers can run medium to large NX mono repos and other typical development tools without issues on the M3 MacBook Air.
• 🌡️ The M3 MacBook Air can experience thermal throttling under prolonged heavy workloads, limiting its suitability for intense tasks like game development or machine learning.
• 📈 Single-core performance on the M3 chip is significantly faster than M1 and M2 chips, but multi-core performance is still better on machines with more cores like the M1 Pro MacBook Pro.
• 💾 For optimal performance and future-proofing, it's recommended to choose the 16 GB RAM model with at least 512 GB of storage.

Q & A

What is the main external difference between the M3 MacBook Air and the M2 MacBook Air?

The main external difference is the new anodization process, which makes the M3 MacBook Air look slightly better.

What performance metric was mentioned in the script for comparing the M3 chip with the M2 chip?

Geekbench results were mentioned as a performance metric for comparing the M3 chip with the M2 chip.

What kind of real-world developer scenarios were tested on the M3 MacBook Air?

The script mentions testing the M3 MacBook Air with code build times, execution, and using real development tools such as Xcode, Python, and other typical development tasks.

What is the ideal model of the M3 MacBook Air recommended in the script for developers?

The script recommends the 16 GB RAM model with 1 terabyte of storage for developers, as it provides a good balance between usability and resale value.

How does the M3 MacBook Air perform in terms of handling multiple tasks simultaneously?

The M3 MacBook Air showed no signs of slowing down even with multiple tasks such as terminal instances, Xcode, iOS simulators, Chrome with multiple tabs, and other development tools open at the same time.

What are the limitations of the 8 GB RAM model of the M3 MacBook Air according to the script?

The 8 GB RAM model has limitations when running heavy applications like Android Studio, Docker, and having multiple tasks open, which can lead to slowdowns and the need to close programs for a smooth experience.

What is the script's stance on the 256 GB storage model of the M3 MacBook Air?

The script suggests that the 256 GB storage is not enough, especially for developers, and recommends at least 512 GB, with 1 TB being more future-proof.

Who is the M3 MacBook Air best suited for, according to the script?

The M3 MacBook Air is best suited for software developers, students, everyday users, and professionals who prioritize portability, battery life, and lightweight design.

What is the script's opinion on the dual external monitor support for the M2 MacBook Air?

The script mentions that the dual external monitor support seems to be a synthetic limitation placed by Apple on the M2 models and hopes that it will be enabled in future OS updates.

What advice does the script give for developers considering upgrading from an M1 or Intel MacBook Air?

The script advises developers to consider upgrading to the M3 MacBook Air for better performance, portability, and battery life, especially if they are coming from an Intel MacBook Air.

Outlines

00:00

📚 M3 MacBook Air: Developer Experience and Performance Insights

The script discusses the M3 MacBook Air, highlighting its similarities and differences with the M2 model, particularly the new anodization process. It emphasizes the improved Geekbench scores of the M3 chip, which were expected due to its prior appearance in the MacBook Pro. The focus is on real-world performance, including code build times and execution using development tools. The author shares their experience using the M3 MacBook Air for a week, running various development tasks on the base model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. The script mentions the machine's ability to handle multiple applications simultaneously without slowing down, and it touches on the ideal model to purchase, considering Apple's penchant for options and lack of ports. It also discusses Apple's strategy in releasing the M3 MacBook Air to compete with upcoming Qualcomm chips in cheaper laptops.

05:00

🔧 M3 Chip Performance: Benchmarks and Practical Usage

This paragraph delves into the performance of the M3 chip, comparing it with the M1 Pro and M2 chips. It details the author's tests, including a Python multicore test and an extensive Xcode build test, revealing the M3's superior raw performance. The author also addresses real-world usage, running various applications such as terminal, Xcode, Android Studio, Chrome with multiple tabs, and Docker desktop. The script mentions a caveat about Android Studio and discusses the MacBook Air's capabilities for different user groups, including students, professionals, and media creators. It also provides insights into the MacBook Air's thermal throttling and its implications for heavy workloads, as well as the limitations of the 8 GB RAM model when running memory-intensive applications.

10:01

💡 Recommendations for MacBook Air Models and Usage Considerations

The final paragraph offers recommendations for potential MacBook Air buyers, particularly developers. It advises those with Intel or M1 MacBook Airs to consider upgrading for better performance, resale value, and longevity. The script provides thoughts on the M2 MacBook Air as a discounted alternative and contrasts it with the M3 model. It also recommends specific configurations for the M3 MacBook Air, suggesting the 16 GB RAM with 1 TB storage model for a balance of usability and resale value. The author discusses the limitations of the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage options, advocating for higher specifications for longevity. The paragraph concludes with advice on external storage options and a summary of the M3 MacBook Air's suitability for developers who value portability and battery life, while also cautioning against its use for heavy workloads like game development or machine learning.

Keywords

💡M3 MacBook Air

The M3 MacBook Air is the latest model of Apple's laptop line, featuring the M3 chip. It represents the ongoing evolution of Apple's silicon-based computers, which are known for their performance and integration with the macOS ecosystem. In the video, the M3 MacBook Air is compared to its predecessors, particularly the M2 model, highlighting improvements in performance and build quality.

💡Anodization

Anodization is an electrochemical process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts, such as aluminum. It enhances the part's corrosion resistance and wearability. In the context of the video, the new anodization process is mentioned as an external differentiator for the M3 MacBook Air, suggesting a possible improvement in the laptop's finish or durability.

💡Geekbench

Geekbench is a cross-platform benchmark that measures the computing performance of processors. It is often used to compare the raw power of different devices. The video mentions Geekbench results for the M3 chip, indicating that it outperforms the M2 chip, which is a significant point of discussion for viewers interested in the technical specifications and capabilities of the M3 MacBook Air.

💡Performance

In the video, 'performance' is a central theme, referring to how well the M3 MacBook Air handles various tasks and applications. The script discusses the laptop's performance in code build times, execution, and real-world developer scenarios, emphasizing the importance of practical, day-to-day usability for the target audience of developers.

💡M1 Pro

The M1 Pro is a high-performance chip from Apple, featured in the MacBook Pro models. It is mentioned in the script as a point of comparison for the M3 MacBook Air, particularly in terms of single-core and multi-core performance. The comparison helps to contextualize the M3's capabilities within Apple's broader lineup of silicon-based chips.

💡RAM

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a crucial component of a computer system that temporarily stores data for quick access by the processor. The script discusses the limitations of having 8 GB of RAM in the base model of the M3 MacBook Air, noting the potential for performance bottlenecks when running multiple resource-intensive applications simultaneously.

💡Storage

Storage refers to the physical or virtual space available on a computer for saving data. The video script mentions the base model's 256 GB of storage, suggesting that it may not be sufficient for users with large projects or extensive software needs, advocating for the 512 GB or 1 TB options for better longevity and performance.

💡Thermal Throttling

Thermal throttling occurs when a device's processor slows down its operation to prevent overheating. In the context of the M3 MacBook Air, the script warns that intense, prolonged CPU usage can lead to thermal throttling, which can reduce performance, especially in a device without active cooling like a fan.

💡Software Developers

The target audience for much of the video's content, software developers are professionals who create and maintain applications and systems. The script evaluates the M3 MacBook Air's suitability for this group, discussing its performance in development tasks and the importance of portability and battery life for developers who may work in various locations.

💡Media Creation

Media creation encompasses the production of audio, video, and other multimedia content. The video script touches on the M3 MacBook Air's suitability for audio creators due to its silent operation and evaluates its potential for video editing workflows, suggesting that while it may not be ideal for all media creation tasks, it could be suitable for certain types of work.

💡Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that involves the development of algorithms that can learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. The script briefly mentions the M3 MacBook Air's capabilities in this area, noting that while it can handle some machine learning tasks, it is not the ideal choice for serious machine learning or game development due to its limitations in RAM and thermal management.

Highlights

The M3 MacBook Air has an external design not much different from the M2 model, with the only noticeable change being a new anodization process.

The M3 chip in the MacBook Air shows better Geekbench results, as expected from previous observations in the MacBook Pro.

Performance in code build times, execution, and real-world developer scenarios is a key focus, with the M3 MacBook Air showing promising results.

The base model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage was tested for a week, running multiple development tools and applications without slowing down.

The M3 MacBook Air is capable of handling intense workloads for short durations without thermal throttling.

For software developers, the M3 MacBook Air is suitable for mobile and web development, but not for serious machine learning or game development.

The M3 chip outperforms the M1 Pro in single-core operations but falls slightly behind in multi-core due to fewer performance cores.

The M3 MacBook Air is recommended for students and everyday users due to its excellent battery life and portability.

Professionals seeking a lightweight and portable machine will find the M3 MacBook Air beneficial for work on the go.

Audio creators may prefer the M3 MacBook Air for its silent operation, although video creators might still opt for the MacBook Pro.

The 8 GB RAM model showed limitations when running Android Studio, Docker, and other applications simultaneously.

There's no need for M2 MacBook Air users to upgrade to the M3, but M1 or Intel MacBook Air users will see significant benefits from upgrading.

A comparison between the M3 MacBook Air and the M1 Pro MacBook Pro suggests the latter is better suited for intense, long-duration workloads.

The recommended model for most users is the 16 GB RAM with 1 TB storage configuration for optimal usability and resale value.

The base 256 GB storage option may not be sufficient for developers, with 512 GB or 1 TB being more appropriate for longevity.

External storage can be upgraded in the future, unlike the internal RAM and storage of the M3 MacBook Air.

The M3 MacBook Air offers impressive performance for most developer tasks, making it a strong contender for those valuing portability and battery life.

Transcripts

by now you've probably already seen some

unboxings of the M3 MacBook Air and it's

really not that different than the M2

MacBook Air the only thing externally

different is the new anodization

process yeah it seems a little bit

better also I promise this will be the

only time I mentioned geekbench in this

video and the M3 does have better

geekbench results this something we were

expecting because we already seen the M3

chip in the MacBook Pro from a couple

months ago but I care more about the

performance of this machine in code

build times execution and in real world

developer situations using real

development tools so after my experience

with all the Apple silicon MacBook airs

till now I have some results to share

about the M3 MacBook Air oh and I'll

also tell you which is the ideal model

to buy because let's face it Apple loves

giving us options almost as much as they

love taking away

ports everyone knew the M3 MacBook airs

were coming so Apple had to act fast in

a recent video I discussed how the M3

chips outperform the upcoming Qualcomm X

Elite chips but not the M2 chips since

the M3s were only in the pricier MacBook

Pro until now and Qualcomm chips were

about to land in newer cheaper laptop

models Apple needed to make the first

move so they surpris us with dropping

this on a Monday morning now while using

this for a week I've also ran some tests

including my typical mandal Brad python

test which is a multicore test building

my own projects and of course the

classic large xcode build called xcode

bench market and there's no question

that when it comes to Raw performance

the M3 version wins every

time I also compared it to the M1 Pro

stay tuned for that as for real world

usage here's what I've been running

quite comfortably for about a week now

on this base model with 8 GB of RAM and

256 GB of storage Yes you heard that

right but listen to this of course I've

been running a few instances of terminal

that's the command line on the Mac

running commands interacting with Git

CIS and so on xcode for iOS development

and also the iOS simulators I did

install Android Studio but a little

caveat about that I'll talk about that

shortly Chrome is my browser of choice

it's not the fastest browser it's not

the native browser of Mac OS that's

Safari but I prefer Chrome for his

developer tools with all of my

procrastination tabs open probably 20 to

30 tabs at a time but I do use separate

apps for todoist notion which is my not

taken app my text editor that's

primarily vs code but I've also started

using Zed recently for quick file edits

I made a video about that recently I'll

link it down below and postmen for

testing rest apis I also have Docker

desktop installed but that's not on all

the time only when I need it and a

developer will often switch between

these rapidly as you're working as

you're coding testing debugging doing

research and this machine showed no

signs of slowing down even with all that

stuff open at the same time on an 8 GB

machine don't underestimate the MacBook

Air starting from the m1's all the way

to m2s and the M3s it's a very capable

machine and even the base model will

handle a lot but of course no machine is

one size fits all there are certain

tasks that are going to be way too heavy

for the MacBook Air to handle more on

that later but for my week with this

machine I spent it strictly as a

developer not as a content creator and I

ran NX monor repo that's my main project

that I'm working on that has multiple

IOS and Android apps Huawei apps as well

as a typical load of tools that I

mentioned earlier and the M3 air handles

them

flawlessly so let's talk about who is

this good for and is it good enough for

software developers sure this machine is

great for students and everyday users

it'll slay those everyday tasks like

nothing but students can also buy a

Chromebook if the budget is tight and I

mean those $150 Chromebooks folks never

spend more than $150 on a Chromebook bro

when you can get a used MacBook Air for

example for $300 to $400 the one reason

why you'd want the newer MacBook Air as

a student or everyday user is for that

sweet sweet battery life this thing will

go all day you'll even forget your

charging brick at home sleep overnight

at a friend's house and then it'll still

last you the next day too the next group

is professionals that want lightweight

and portability these include uh non-

Gamers and folks that use their machines

for work especially when traveling or

moving between locations frequently it's

super light and super thin with a long

battery like I mentioned what else is

there to say now as for Med media

creation this machine is probably best

so far for audio creators because it's

completely silent there's no fan in it

and even though I've seen this machine

get prais for video workflows I'm a

stubborn Adobe suite user so I have to

carry the MacBook Pro for video but if

you're on Final Cut or Da Vinci this

might fit the bill for you still for

video though I'd suggest getting a

MacBook Pro for longevity but since I'm

a developer first let's break things

down for my fellow devs I do mobile and

web development with a little bit of the

machine learning touch that right now

cuz it's I don't know I heard it was

good I've ran medium to large NX mono

repos the monor repo is where you have

all your projects all in one repository

with a usually a shared code base and it

runs my projects without a hitch these

consisted of typescript Web projects and

IOS and Android native mobile app

targets now this machine is certainly

not for serious machine learning or game

development you'll be able to do a few

things here and there but certainly not

the base model you also run into some

issues with running larger virtual

machines like if you want to run Windows

for example on a Mac I've got lots of

videos showing how to do that you can

run them just make sure that they're

small give them only a little bit of

resources that are necessary and one at

a time not too many compilation times on

this little beast are quite fast and on

single core transpilation or JavaScript

execution it'll smoke anything else from

the M1 or M2 families including MacBook

Pros because a single M3 core is faster

than any of the M1 or M2 Cor course but

on multi-core compilations it'll still

be a bit faster on a machine that has

more cores cuz it's using all those

cores all at once for example I've

tested against the 14-in M1 Pro MacBook

Pro because that was a very popular

machine with developers this probably

shouldn't come as a surprise that it's a

single core operation and the M3 is

faster than the M1 Pro but by how much

faster it is is pretty crazy on the

MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip in it

this C C++ single core sorting operation

took 3 minutes 55 seconds and on the M3

MacBook Air 2 minutes 58 seconds almost

a minute shorter I'm running the

multicore one now let's see if that

makes a difference there is a little bit

of an imbalance in the number of cores

here on the M1 Pro we've got eight

performance cores on the MacBook Air we

only have four performance cores and

four efficiency cores kind of what we

expected but surprising thing is not by

much M3 MacBook Air got 3 minutes and 2

seconds M1 Pro MacBook Pro 2 minutes and

39 seconds while the M3 air beats it in

single core tests as it should those

cores are 3 nanometers instead of the 5

nanometer cores on the M1 Pro but since

the M1 pro has doubled the performance

core count than this M3 air the M1 Pro

MacBook Pro still finished the builds

faster now during my testing at one

point I did start hitting a bit of a

Slowdown more than that in a bit and I'm

going to get to specific recommendations

momentarily there just some issues that

have been coming up in other reviews

that I'd like to address here will it

throttle faster since it'll be running a

hotter chip yes of course it doesn't

have a fan like a MacBook Pro and has a

different thermal profile and tolerance

even though it's got the powerful M3

chip that can handle intense workloads

as long as these workloads are

relatively short in duration that's key

here based on my test I would keep the

CPU heavy code compilations down to

about 2 minutes max these are the kinds

of intense workflows that raise your

temperature up to 108° on the CPU and if

it stays there a little bit too long the

CPU is going to be slowed down by Mac OS

and sometimes significantly giving it

enough chance to cool down that's what

thermal throttling is so running these

intense processes longer than that may

negate some of the performance gains the

M3 chip will provide due to the form

factor here so this rules out any kind

of game developers and machine learning

Engineers that want to run local models

and the latter Point speaks more towards

the memory side of things because larger

models need more memory too which this

machine won't be able to handle but I

have separate videos on machine learning

stuff I'll link to some down below now

for the ram limitations specific to the

8 GB model I have here into the mix with

all the programs I have running here I

added Android Studio which was using

almost 3 gab of Ram plus another gig for

Java that coupled with docker's default

1 GB of RAM usage and then I noticed a

pretty major slowdown especially when

switching between tasks this 8 GB

machine does have its limits but those

limit limits are pretty hard to reach

during normal operation and even once

they're reached Mac OS cleverly masks

away any performance Problems by doing

some really smart

swapping if you have an M2 MacBook Air

there's really no need for you to

upgrade at all you might be tempted by

the two external monitor capabilities

but at the end of the day you still only

have a total of two displays available

to you also keep in mind the slight

performance hit you'll experience with

more monitors to drive as I've shown in

a recent video where I tested up to

eight displays on the new Macbook lineup

so here I've got the manual broad test I

reran it we got 44 seconds which is

slower than the original time I got with

just the onboard screen but it's still

faster than 47 seconds on the M2 as a

side note the Dual external monitor

support seems to be a synthetic

limitation that Apple placed on the M2

models and my hope is that with the next

major OS update they will enable dual

external support for the M3 MacBook Pro

and if we make a loud enough stink about

it maybe the M2 MacBooks now if you have

an M1 or an Intel MacBook Air forget it

if you have an Intel MacBook Air you

need to upgrade to Apple silicon right

away unless you have some very specific

cases where you need it I have an Intel

MacBook Air and believe me the

difference is insane but if you have the

M1 MacBook Air you may still want to

upgrade there is a large enough

difference in performance the M1 is

still a really good machine it's

approaching 4 years of age but it's

still very very good you can go for the

M3 magbook a which will give you the

benefit of lasting a bit longer and

having a higher resell value at this

point and I recently made a video

showing how trading values of the m1's

and the m2s are still pretty good but

also if you're going from an M1 or an

Intel MacBook Air you might want to

consider picking up the M2 MacBook as

well for a nice discount right now if I

find some deals I'll list them down

below but keep in mind that that machine

is approaching 2 years old at this point

versus a machine that's brand new so if

you're selling the M2 MacBook Air 2

years from now it's going to be 4 years

old if you're selling the M3 2 years

from now it's only going to be 2 years

old basic math I know I I didn't need to

tell you that but just think about it

that way from a perspective of a buyer

that's buying it from you 2 years from

now now if you're working on an

intel-based MacBook Pro the M3 MacBook

Air will be a huge upgrade to you in

terms of performance and portability and

battery life unless you know that you

need more than 24 GB of RAM however

giving my earlier example if you had a

choice between the M3 MacBook Air and

the M1 Pro MacBook Pro I would still

personally go for the M1 Pro MacBook Pro

and the reason for that it's a different

class machine it has fans it'll lasts

longer under intense pressure it has a

better screen it's got more IO and it

has more cores so getting back to the M3

MacBook Air what specific model would I

recommend I would go for the 16 GB model

with 1 terabytes I think that's a sweet

spot as far as usability and resell

value because I'll tell you what the a

ma machines will resell very well but

you might hit a wall with that amount of

ram in your upcoming years of use the 24

GB model will not have good resale value

because the amount that you'll spend on

that extra Ram up front I don't think

you'll get that money back in either the

amount you'll use the machine or the

amount of money you'll get back for the

machine when you sell it I have the 8 GB

model but I also bought the 24 GB model

and this was a mistake on my part

because now I don't know what to do with

it and that machine was not cheap so 16

gigs is the way to go I think but if you

had to save some money go with the 8 GB

model is decent enough for many

workflows but sooner or later probably

sooner you'll hit a limit and you'll end

up having to close programs in order to

have a smooth experience look I can jump

on the bandwagon and see things like 8

GB shouldn't even be an option in 2024

the reality is that all manufacturers

still have an 8 GB option if you need

more than 8 GB then get more than 8 GB

and stop complaining that other options

which are not suitable for you exist

Live and Let Live folks now what about

that 256 GB of storage that comes with a

base model it's simply not enough in my

opinion because after installing all the

things and all the developer tooling

that I have on there I only have 50 GB

left 512 is the minimum at this point

but keep in mind that if you plan to

store videos or image assets for your

projects that'll quickly eat up your

storage for a bit more longevity I'd

suggest 1 TB remember that while you

won't be able to upgrade your RAM or or

your internal storage once you purchase

the machine you can always upgrade your

external storage I use this super fast

Samsung 980 Pro SSD in a thunderbolt 4

enclosure and have another terabyte to

play with here but the drives can always

be swapped out for more in the future

the M3 MacBook Air is a fantastic

machine for software developers who

prioritize portability and battery life

it's got pretty impressive performance

for most developer tasks and it offers a

really nice experience however if you

know your work will invol olve heavy

workloads like game development or

machine learning you might be better

served with a MacBook Pro or a Mac

Studio let me know in the comments what

you think of the M3 MacBook Air and if

you want to see more extensive tests of

the M3 chip I made a video of the M3

MacBook Pro base model especially for

software developers in this video right

over here check that out next thanks for

watching and I'll see you

[Music]

soon