Apple M1 Macs don't support eGPUs, while the new MacBook Air is offered with a less powerful 7-core GPU M1 variant

[Redaktion]

Apple's transition to its own silicon offers exciting possibilities for the future of energy efficient, high performance computing. However, the transition won't be without its hiccups and a lack of eGPU support moving forward looks like a relatively substantial one. The company is also following a similar path with the M1 chip as it did with the A12X and A12Z chips when it comes to the new MacBook Air.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-M1-Macs-don-t-support-eGPUs-while-the-new-MacBook-Air-is-offered-with-a-less-powerful-7-core-GPU-M1-variant.503682.0.html

[slws]

So I don't get it 100% Biggest performance jump ever. At the same time only entry level Macbooks with 2 USB ports are updated. Intel Macs sells like premium products but are not available for pick up with long delivery times. Is it next announcement  in december or what?

[pcms]

M1 can address only 16GB RAM as maximum, and it can probably only be scaled for these midrange laptops, not for full blown 15 and 16 inch ones, where 30+W TDP cpus are used... I guess you can't scale the same chip infinetely while keeping the pricepoint, hence big macbooks will have to wait for more powerfull versions of M1...

[pcms]

What I dont get is, who would pay extra for Air with faster chip (meaning you probably need more power) when you can get maacbook pro m1 for the same price with much much  much bigger power...

Also 7gpu cores - is it the usual practice that these are chips with manufacturing defect causing unstable core being deactivated by apple so that they dont have to throw it out and sell instead? I wonder whether there will be other differences between 7 and 8 core gou chips, like frequencies etc...

[Phil Atkinson]

Curious as to the performance differences between the two Macbook Air. I am looking at the 7 core graphic with 16GB memory. Would I really notice the difference with the 8 core graphic?

[Dan Ridenhour]

Binned parts and deactivated bits are quite common in silicon   Various i3/i5/i7 parts have been the same CPU at time coming off the line then binned according to what tested and what they needed more of.

They stretched this release about as far as they could.   About the only thing they could have added was an entry level all in one.    Since everything runs the same CPU and GPU all that makes the 'pro' pro is its battery, touchbar, active cooling, etc.   For folks like me that call the macbook pro design the 'wrist slitter' the air is actually the more attractive choice.

But it drops the ball more than once for me so I don't see any of them as an option...   I can't run windows anymore so windows specific workflows are out...  I can't run eGPUs so nvidia specific workflows are out...   It can run iOS and iPad apps but without a touch screen there isn't much functionality there other than... look it works. 

I know they went with 'zero' hardware design changes probably to keep the 'whats different' down to a minimum but including iPad and iOS app support would have had developers flocking to the device as you would finally have one system to create and test those apps without tethering or emulation... but lack of touch support just makes it all a tease.

So the biggest thing I get out of this release is that the A14x is likely going to have similar specs to the M1. 

[pcmc]

Since everything runs the same CPU and GPU all that makes the 'pro' pro is its battery, touchbar, active cooling, etc.

they are the same cpu but I bet the TDP envelope is very different. My guess is in Air something like 5-7W (passive cooling) and in Pro 15W (active cooling). The performance will be very different...