M2 MacBook Air VS M2 MacBook Pro - DON'T BE FOOLED!

With the release of the M2 MacBook Air there is a lot of talking now about the thermal design of the laptop with many users wondering if Apple should have made some different decision decisions to prevent thermal throttling. However, we already have that answer because Apple made an almost identical laptop with the M2 MacBook Pro with it having an active cooling system, so in reality how much difference does this cooling system make on the M2 performance, and should Apple have included a fan inside of the M2 MacBook Air?


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[andymac]

Bought the M2 Air as a portable work laptop with some gaming, returned it a week later to get the M2 Pro. I don't game very often, but when I do, it would be a 2-3 hour session of DOTA2. The Air got hot after 30 minutes and the longer I played the more it slowed down the frame rate. Considering I played casually once or twice a fortnight, I figured the longevity of my M2 Air with my usage constantly heating up would be bad. The M2 Pro still gets warmer when I have my gaming sessions, but the impact is minimal on performance. Miss the form factor of the M2 Air, but honestly for me, I love this compact old MacBook Pro design and am ok with it.

[audioboy]

The Mac Book Pro is much better if your using your laptop for hours at a time for music editing. The Air therm throttles considerably after three hours using Logic Pro and gets extremely hot.

[MaxwellsUnearthly]

From this video MBA are designed for everyday use and light video rendering etc. MBP are designed for everyday use and for more robust rendering and intensive use. Great vid.

[Andyhandle]

Doing some gaming and I like the touch bar a lot. So pro seems the better option.
I do wonder if gaming and heating on the air would have a detrimental effect over the long term.

[gcmurillo]

I'm looking for my first Macbook, I think macbook pro M2 is my best option right now based in my budget and needs as software developer. Thanks for that video!

[jumperhigh]

I am more curious about the fan? Would the lifespan of the machine be impacted by the lack of fan for MacBook Air?

[hisimperialmajesty]

Which one is better on battery that’s my question

[Pachero]

I hope to see the MBA M2 with 16GB ram and 512GB disk compare with MBP 14" M1 with 16GB ram and 512GB.

[aamerayoob]

Very helpful video, and I got new base m2 air at a discounted price. The only thing that concerns me about my choice is fixed ram at 8gb and fixed ssd at 256 gb. However, the next levels up meant that you were bordering on 14" mac Pro at base (and that is too much money and too heavy)

[rudester]

As a retired electrical engineer, the Arrhenius equation comes to mind. Briefly stated, in Silicon devices every 10°C increase in temperature reduces component life by half. That is why Apple must underclock the M2 chip in the MacBook AIR when doing CPU intensive tasks.

[gospelaccordingtojohn]

I would love to see the difference with 24Gb of RAM. I’m a Logic Pro user and don’t use a laptop for most of my work. I had a M1 MacBook Air with 16Gb of RAM and it left much to be desired. If Apple made pro apps for iPad Pro, that would be a game changer.

[StBernardFan]

I really wish we could see a video comparing M1 to M2 MBA for the users these laptops were made for. A huge percentage of users only watch videos, do email, gdocs or MS Office, take video calls etc. I just think there are so many videos talking about thermal throttling, ssd speeds etc for users who should just buy a MBP. With the sales on the 14” MBP it is only $150-$200 more than a similarly spec’d M2 Air. My 2 cents…. I love my espresso and being a long time subscriber to Greg’s Gadgets, I find the humor has gotten better and better especially lately! Great vids!

[iGobyy]

True story:
I bought the 16" M1 base model thinking that I DO need all the power and crisp display. Returned it a week later.
Got the 14" M1 base model instead cause the 16 is just not working portability-wise. 14 works fine but, there still some lingering buyer's remorse in the air. Returned it almost 2 weeks later.
Got the M2 Air 16/512. PURELY because of this video.
It simply make sense for my work flow and use.
My advice is to go to the store and check everything out.
I thought the M2 Air is just an after thought by Apple. But, actually they've thought about it THOROUGHLY.
The price, the specs, the user, the flow, the everything.
I edit 4-5 streams of 4k videos and render/export it 10 min length. Done in flash.
The display is great. Sure, not mini LED. But, u'll forget about it and always be in awe streamin shit with it.
Unless, you edit 4k/higher, multiple streams (6 above), intense Photoshop/Animation, portability is a MUST, etc, get the M2 Air 16/512.
And you'll be good for another 4-5 years.
Otherwise, the 14 M1 base model is for you.
I was for sure the 14 M1 base model was IT. Bitch, that shit is heavy.

Thanks Greg. (hugs)
p/s exactly why I subbed to GG

[Sagerydian]

I have a question concerning the fans: I am in music production, so, do the fans spin loudly or are they spinning at all? On the M1 Macbook Pro they usually aren't needed in my everyday medium workload tasks. Is it the same with the M2?

[nickynickyyy]

How much of a difference would it make if you had a macbook air but with a cooling pad underneath it? Cant seem to find a review that mentions that, any help is appreciated thanks!

[kuntaldey]

Which one would last longer years? I am a coder and want to use my first mac as long as possible

[rachelcalderon]

Which one do recommend for a graphic design student? Pro or Air

[marcochavanne]

I had to return the Air after I remembered I had a Steam account from 10 years ago and played some Civ V. Got VERY hot so I sent it back and got a 13" Pro instead. For most people the Air is fine but sustained loads from gaming really need a fan in the Pro models.

[kolerandall]

I think that the pro model would be excellent for those who use it for work. Something powerful that can support external monitors would be beneficial, but at the same time they might just opt for the 14 inch. I think the average consumer would be better off with the Air. Especially college students or those doing simple computing. Espresso. I don’t drink them but I hear people like them.

[brachiator]

Interesting test results. The M2 Air held up well. This may make a lot of people happy. They might celebrate with an espresso.