At $999, which is the starting price of the new M4 MacBook Air series, it delivers a value proposition like no other, which is amazing, considering the fact that Apple also equips its latest portable Macs with 16GB of unified RAM as standard. Unfortunately, when taking a closer look at how the technology giant improved the specifications while charging a lower price, we find that Apple once again resorted to chip-binning, at least on the GPU side of things. While the base M4 MacBook Air ships with a 10-core CPU, we do not get to see the same number of GPU cores.
GPU core count on the 13-inch base M4 MacBook Air is lower than what is present on the M4 iPad Pro family
There are several M4 versions that Apple introduced, starting with two options that were available in the redesigned iPad Pro series launched last year. One featured a 9-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, while the other delivered a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Now, based on the specifications page of the updated MacBook Air, there is a third iteration, one that does not compromise on the number of CPU cores but takes two steps backwards on the number of GPU cores.
Keep in mind that this configuration is only for the base 13-inch version, as the other versions all offer an Apple Silicon with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. The reason for this decision is simple; chip-binning, a process that allows the Cupertino firm to re-purpose older silicon that are typically categorized under ‘bad’ batches with fewer cores, so these can be utilized in less expensive products. This difference will obviously be witnessed in various graphics-focused workloads, including games.
Earlier, we reported that the M4 running in the Mac mini could obtain more than 60FPS in titles like Death Stranding at Very High visual settings. With the MacBook Air, the downgraded GPU cores will result in some performance being left on the table, but by how much? It appears that we have to wait for the benchmark figures to come through to find out, but a previous Geekbench 6 Metal leak revealed a measly 5 percent performance delta when compared to the M4 MacBook Pro.
Assuming you want a solution to this conundrum, Apple charges a $100 premium to get the M4 MacBook Air with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. If you want an even better deal than this and do not mind placing your Mac in one position, Amazon is running a solid deal on the M4 Mac mini, with the base model listed for $529, making it the lowest price yet. However, we recommend getting the 16GB unified RAM and 512GB storage model, which is also discounted down to just $699.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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