In 2006, Apple began using Intel processors on its devices. Then, on November 17, 2020, Apple announced that it will include its new M1 chip in the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.
The M1 chip is based on the Arm architecture rather than the x86 architecture used by both Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), as well as Intel. Apple has been using Arm architecture chips for several years in its iPhones, modifying and improving them to increase performance.
Under the hood M1
The M1 is an 8-core processor with four performance cores and four efficiency cores that are used only during peak performance.
Several things make M1 unique. It is manufactured using the 5 nm (nanometer) process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to create the transistors, which is superior to both AMD’s 7 nm process and Intel’s 10 nm manufacturing process. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, and the smaller the transistor, the more it can be packed on a single chip.
The M1 has unified random access memory (RAM), which allows extremely fast data transfer, and comes with an 8-core graphics processing unit (GPU) that, in many cases, offers superior graphics to the Intel Xe graphics processor. , which is used in Intel 11-Gen processors. The M1 also comes with a 16-core neural engine for machine learning and artificial intelligence tasks.
Where M1 really shines is high performance per watt. This low electricity consumption has two main advantages:
- Lower heat generation – this allows Apple to eliminate fans, resulting in a slimmer device design
- Longer battery life – The M1 offers a 50% to 80% gain in battery life compared to Apple’s Intel processors.
Reviewer Joel Hruska said of the Apple M1 chip: “It’s the strongest threat to the x86 dominance I’ve seen in my entire career.”
AMD Ryzen chips come with up to 64 massive cores, which increases their multi-tasking capability. On November 5, 2020, AMD announced the launch of its Ryzen 5000 series of mobile processors.
The way the M1 faces the Intel and AMD chips
In the accompanying tests, PC World tested an Apple MacBook Pro M1, which includes an M1-based SoC / CPU, a 512 GB custom SSD, 16 GB of LPDDR4X / 4267 memory and a 13.3-inch 2560×1600 screen. Against him, they analyzed several laptops of similar size, including:
- MSI’s Prestige 14 Evo, which includes an 11th-generation quad-core Core i7-1185G7 with Iris Xe graphics, 16GB LPDDR4X / 4267 memory, a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD and a FHD display 14 inches
- MSI Prestige 14, which includes a 10-core six-core Core i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics, 16GB of LPDDR3 / 2133 memory, a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD and a 4K display of 14 inches
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 that includes an Ryzen 4800U eight-core Radeon graphics, 16 GB LPDDR4X / 4267 memory, a 512 GB PCIe 3.0 SSD, a 14-inch FHD
- Acer Predator Triton 500 with a 10-generation six-core Core i7-10750H processor, GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics, 32GB of DDR4 / 3200 memory, a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD and a 15.6-inch 300Hz FHD display
PC World reported that 3D rendering tests led to the M1 being a “cold stone killer” with no fan noise while fans aboard the x86 laptops were racing. In particular, the 8-core M1 Mac overtook Ryzen-chip laptops and most Intel-chip laptops, with only the MSI Prestige 14 pulling very lightly ahead.
PC World also reported that tests performed by Puget Systems on Photoshop, which is a single-threaded process, showed that the M1 succeeded Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 with its Ryzen 7 4800U chip. However, the 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake chip defeated the MacBook Pro M1 by a small fee. What made the biggest difference in Photoshop tests was the amount of memory available.
Starting November 18, 2020, Adobe Photoshop runs natively on Apple M1 Mac and Microsoft Surface Pro X tablets, which also include Arm-based processors. The Microsoft Surface Pro X tablet is unique in that it uses the Qualcomm custom weapon-based SQ1 chip, which was built exclusively for Microsoft.
Intel is firing at Apple
Probably feeling the pressure of the M1, Intel began to pull back to Apple, citing benchmarks. On January 5, 2021, Tom’s Hardware website released slides from a recent Intel presentation that put M1 on Intel chips in a range of tasks, including improving photos, organizing albums, choosing stock options, and online themes.
However, Tom’s Hardware pointed out that the Intel chip used in the comparison is Core i7-1185G7, while the Intel chip used in most laptops is Core i7-1165G7. The I7-1185G7 is only used in one production laptop – the MSI Prestige 14 Evo.
Even stranger was that Intel switched between different Apple devices during tests. It switched to a MacBook Pro that had only 8 GB of RAM rather than the 16 GB model, and in a battery life test, Intel switched to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 notebook, Acer Swift 5, rather than to stay with Core i7-1185G7.
Intel has included in its statistics M1 performance in games that currently do not work with macOS and M1 CPUs, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, games in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered and Red Dead Redemption 2.
In its presentation, Intel supported the broader form factors offered by Windows machines, such as 2-in-1 desktops, small-format desktops, touch-screen desktops, and even easels. Apple currently remains in touch screens and 2-in-1 convertible zones. Intel recently launched a Twitter campaign that aims to show tasks that are impossible on M1 cars, probably indicating a certain level of despair on the part of Intel.
Only one PC offers tablet mode, touch screen and pen capability on a single device. #GoPC
– Intel (@intel) February 2, 2021
It is said that Microsoft, Google and Amazon are interested in the low-power features offered by the M1, which would be particularly beneficial for use on servers. As we reported recently, Intel’s revenue from cloud service providers fell 15% from a year earlier, showing a possible weakness in its data center business. Microsoft, Google and Amazon could try to develop their own chips, with Microsoft and AMD already reporting that they are working on their own ARM-based chips.
Should you buy an M1 device?
The bottom line is that early adopters of M1 devices may suffer for some time before developers catch up. A key area where M1 seems to be lagging is in gaming, but that will change as developers migrate their applications to the Arm architecture. Apple is well known for optimizing its software and hardware to create what its fans consider to be unmatched performance.