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Comment by tuankiet65 | Hacker News Reader

My MacBook Pro M1 (original M1, not Pro, not Max) compiles WebKit at about the same speed as the last MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9. Sure, the M1 pumps out significantly less heat than the i9, but from reading all the posts cheering how the M1 makes them more productive, I can't help but be a little disappointed, as I expect a bigger jump in performance than this.

(and for the record, the M1 has 8 threads while the i9 has 16, counting hyperthreads. Not sure if that has anything to do with C++ compilation performance)

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I used a Macbook Pro 13 (Intel i7) for a little more than a year. And after that I have been using an identical Macbook Pro 13 (ARM M1). The only differences I have noticed are:

- the ARM laptop never gets hot to the touch

- fan spin up is extremely rare on this, compared to Intel, where it would go full throttle on a video call or if I connect a 1440p monitor

- the battery life is at least 6-7x on this

These are amazing improvements and I will wholeheartedly recommend this over the Intel Macbooks. However, one thing I haven't noticed is any difference in performance. I admit my usage does not include webkit compilations. I use browsers with lots of open tabs, google meet calls, slack, VS code with python projects. Both laptops have served well, but they haven't blown me away with speed. My Ryzen 5 desktop feels lightning fast by comparison.

I have a base 2017 MBP, and I'm currently testing out a base 2022 M2 MBP. There's no doubt it's much quieter — the CPU temp is ~30°C instead of 50-70°C. But it also seems quite a bit faster. I am a prosumer type user (I have hundreds of tabs open, but don't compile code often), and the difference is noticeable.

For me, the biggest issue with the Intel MBP was that it got hot so the CPU was throttled all the time. But seeing how cool the M2 runs, I have zero concern that it will ever slow down with my workload. It will always be as fast as the Intel MBP was on its best day. Plus, tons more battery life. I do hate the Touchbar though, and the 2 port setup...

In this comparison though, your entry level CPU (the M1) is holding its ground against a top of the line CPU performance-wise and beating it on power and thermals. To me that feels like a HUGE improvement, it's like an i3 performing the same as an i9.

No, that is nonsense. Apple only sells $1000+ devices and unsurprisingly none feature an "entry level" CPU. Just like a gaming laptop maker might only sell i7 and i9 models. Nobody would call an i7 "entry level" just because it is the cheaper of the two.

Ok then, entry level on Apple's scale. The i9 MBP's were the previous generation of "top of the line" CPU's offered, and the M1 is the "bottom of the line". An i9 MBP would start at around $3500-4000AUD whereas you can get an M1 Air for ~$1100AUD.

If I was to pay the same for an Apple Silicone MBP as I did for a previous gen i9, I would be getting an M1 Max which absolutely demolishes laptop i9's and has none of the thermal issues.

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