How does a Macbook Air mid 2012 compare to a Macbook 2016?

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Level 1

8 points

How does a Macbook Air mid 2012 compare to a Macbook 2016?

I currently own a Macbook Air 11" (mid 2012), and I'm thinking about upgrading.

I'm totally comfortable with its performance and really like its portability, actually it was the main selling point for me when I opted for the 11" instead of the 13" model, because I carry it around a lot and most times I have a secondary display to work with.

Aside from the obvious drawbacks (limited ports) and the way better retina display, how does my current laptop compares to the Macbook 12" 2016?

I mean, in terms of computing power, is it faster? Will I notice a difference?

MacBook Air (11-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Nov 11, 2016 10:05 AM

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Answer 1

joo2h

Level 1

85 points

Nov 12, 2016 12:53 PM in response to akiyamae

You may not noticed a differences depending on what you do with your computer. If you just browse the web, get work done etc they will seem the same although the core i5 is a better processor then the core m3.

One thing i can tell you, the keyboard feels better to me and it is lighter and will have better battery life along with the better display.

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Answer 2

akiyamae Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 13, 2016 6:36 AM in response to joo2h

Thank you for the answer, joo2h!

And do you know how it behaves comparing to an m5? Mine is powered by an i7. Should have mentioned it before I guess.

I mainly use the notebook for work. Keynote, Photoshop, Illustrator and Chrome with as many as 15-20 open tabs at once. I don't use it to manipulate video though. I know it's quite a lot of stuff, but my Air is currently perfectly fine.

I'm thinking of this more as a "sidegrade" instead of an upgrade. What I'm really worried about is if the processing power will hold me back and if the current generation m processors are comparable to 3rd generation i processors.

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Answer 3

joo2h

Level 1

85 points

Nov 13, 2016 10:32 AM in response to akiyamae

The current generation m processors are really designed to be efficient and not a work horse ( better battery life, fan-less cpu ). This is fine for most users to be honest, but you will take a dip in processing power. Intel's i7s also have turbo boost to allow the cpu to scale up to a higher clock cycle ( Cant do this in the coreM5 models ) which is great when you use illustrator. I don't think tabs will be a problem. Your system ram will take care of that and the m5 can handle the work load.

I think you will be pretty ok with the things you have mention above with just a slight question mark over illustrator. If I was you I think I would go ahead and pick one up as long as you keep your Air as well.

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Answer 4

akiyamae Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 13, 2016 2:41 PM in response to joo2h

Great! I'll bear that in mind when I decide what to do.

Thank you very much!

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Answer 5

Dec 26, 2016 7:22 AM in response to joo2h

Not exactly accurate. The Core m3 and m5 DO offer turbo boost - the m3 1.1 can boost to 2.2, and the m5 1.2 can boost to 2.7. It's right on the specs page on Apple's website for the 12" MacBook.

I bought a new 13" MacBook Air i5 in November, after using a 2010 15" MacBook Pro for several years. The lack in screen and overall build quality really disappointed me. As soon as Best Buy ran a sale on the 12" MacBook, I immediately returned it for a 1.1 m3 model for similar money. Zero regrets.

The 2016 m3 runs rings around my old 2010 i5 15" MacBook Pro in general use, and that system has an upgraded Seagate hybrid 1TB SSHD. I haven't tried anything heavy duty yet, but I rarely have to. For the money, there's no doubt the 12" MacBook is far superior to the Air in general use. The Retina display alone is worth the price.

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