M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: The Ultimate Comparison
In-Depth Comparison: M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro
Should you buy the new M3 MacBook Air or the M3 MacBook Pro? If you’re unsure which one suits your needs, you’re in the right place. After testing both models for months, I’ll share a real-world comparison of the M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro. In the end, you’ll have a clearer idea of which one is best for you. Let’s dive in!
COMPARISON OVERVIEW
#1: Key Differences
#2: Display Comparison
#3: Battery Life
#4: SSD Speed Test
#5: CPU
#6: Geekbench 6 CPU
#7: Cinebench 2024 CPU
#8: GPU
#9: Geekbench 6 Metal
#10: Cinebench 2024 GPU
#11: Gaming
#12: Xcode
#13: Logic Pro
#14: Web Browsing
#15: Blender 3D Rendering
#16: Lightroom Classic Photo Editing
#17: HandBrake
#18: Video Editing
#19: Which MacBook Air Should You Buy?M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: Key Differences
I’ll start with the M3 MacBook Air, which weighs 2.7 pounds. It’s lighter and thinner than the M3 MacBook Pro, which weighs 3.4 pounds. That’s why it’s known as the MacBook Air. In fact, I noticed that it’s thinner than the entire bottom of the MacBook Pro. I find this really impressive, and I love how thin the MacBook Air is.
The M3 MacBook Air is much quieter because it doesn’t have fans. But this lack of active cooling might affect performance if you’re doing heavy work. Without a fan to keep it cool, the MacBook Air might slow down a bit. However, the M3 MacBook Pro has a fan that keeps it cool. It’s quiet most of the time, but it helps the computer run smoothly, so performance won’t slow down.
The M3 MacBook Air has only a few ports: two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a MagSafe port, and a headphone jack. The M3 MacBook Pro, however, offers more options. It has two Thunderbolt/USB 4 (USB-C) ports, an HDMI port, a MagSafe port, and a headphone jack. There is also an SD card slot for importing photos and videos.
The M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro can support two external displays only with the lid closed. If you plan to use two monitors, you’ll need to bring your own mouse and keyboard. Alternatively, you can use one external display with the MacBook’s lid open.
The 13-inch MacBook Air comes with four speakers. The 15-inch MacBook Air contains six speakers with force-cancelling woofers. The M3 MacBook Pro also has six speakers with force-cancelling woofers. So, the M3 MacBook Pro has better and richer sound quality than both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air.
Display Comparison
When it comes to display, the M3 MacBook Air comes in two sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches. You have two choices to pick from. However, the M3 MacBook Pro only comes in a 14.2-inch size. It’s a balanced size, which might be just what you need.
The M3 MacBook Air features a high-quality Liquid Retina display. It boasts a 60-Hz refresh rate and can reach a brightness of up to 500 nits. I find its appearance quite pleasing, and I believe most users would be satisfied with it. Additionally, it includes a notch and thinner edges, giving it a more modern look.
In contrast, the M3 MacBook Pro packs a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a resolution of 3024 by 1964 pixels. This cutting-edge display has a higher pixel density of 254 pixels, so images look more vivid. It’s also brighter, with a standard brightness of 600 nits, 1,000 nits for HDR content, and up to 1,600 nits.
In addition, it features ProMotion, which can increase the refresh rate to 120 Hz when needed. This makes scrolling through Safari and system-wide animations look smoother and more natural. The M3 MacBook Pro is the winner in terms of display. It has a bright screen with excellent contrast and deep blacks, thanks to its mini LED display.
Battery Life
The M3 MacBook Air has a 52.6-watt-hour battery that lasts 18 hours for Apple TV app movie playback. The M3 MacBook Pro has a larger 70-watt-hour battery, lasting 22 hours for Apple TV app movie playback. Both models offer 15 hours of wireless web browsing.
During my tests, the M3 MacBook Pro lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes longer than the M3 MacBook Air. While it held out for 15 hours, it’s still a very solid result compared to most laptops. With that said, the M3 MacBook Pro stands out as one of the best laptops for battery life.
SSD Speed Test
Before I run the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, I want to mention a basic difference. The base model MacBook Pro comes with 512 GB of storage, while the base M3 MacBook Air has 256 GB.
My tests revealed that the M3 MacBook Pro can achieve read speeds of 2766 MB/s and write speeds of 2902 MB/s. This is an improvement over the base M3 MacBook Air’s read speed of 2735 MB/s and write speed of 1912 MB/s.
The M3 MacBook Pro offers much faster SSD speeds than the M3 MacBook Air because it has more NAND chips.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: CPU
Both MacBooks come equipped with the exact same CPU. They both have the M3 chip, which features 8 cores total: 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
They tackle demanding tasks by handling lighter workloads while saving battery life. This means they have identical processing power and efficiency.
The M3’s CPU performance cores are 15% faster than the M2’s, and its efficiency cores are 30% faster.
Geekbench 6 CPU
The Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark tests the performance of CPUs in daily tasks. The M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro are close in single-core performance, scoring 3080 and 3136, respectively. However, the M3 MacBook Air performs slightly better on multi-core tasks. That means both MacBooks are very fast and snappy.
While testing, I noticed that the M3 Air CPU generates more heat than the MacBook Pro. It’s not a serious issue, but it’s worth noting.
Cinebench 2024 CPU
Next, let’s look at Cinebench 2024 CPU performance. This benchmark measures how fast the processor handles intensive tasks. In single-core performance, the difference is negligible.
While both Macs share the same M3 chip, the M3 MacBook Air pulls slightly ahead in multi-core results by 22%. This is because of the MacBook Pro’s superior cooling system. It allows for higher clock speeds for all cores during the test.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: GPU
Apple’s new M3 chips come with a supercharged graphics engine! It’s the biggest leap they’ve ever made for Macs. This new GPU is faster, uses less power, and unlocks amazing new features. One of these is dynamic caching, which helps the graphics run smoother.
The M3 chips introduce hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Mac for the first time. Ray tracing simulates how light interacts with a scene, creating extremely realistic images. This new graphics technology allows professional apps to run up to 2.5 times faster than those on the M1 chips. Game developers can use ray tracing to get more accurate shadows and reflections. That makes game environments deeply immersive.
The M3 GPU also features hardware-accelerated mesh shading. It improves geometry processing and enables more detailed scenes in games and graphics apps. Despite these advancements, the M3 GPU maintains Apple’s power efficiency. It delivers the same performance as the M1, with nearly half the power and up to 65% more performance at its peak.
Geekbench 6 Metal
On the graphic side, the M3 MacBook Pro scored 47903 in Geekbench’s Metal test, while the M3 MacBook Air got 41406.
The M3 MacBook Pro has a 10-core GPU, which is 15% faster than the 8-core GPU in the M3 MacBook Air.
Cinebench 2024 GPU
Next, I benchmarked the GPUs using Cinebench 2024, a graphics performance test. Here, the difference is even smaller. The MacBook Pro outperformed the Air by just under 1%, scoring 3340 compared to the Air’s 3312. Even with 8 GPU cores, the MacBook Air performs similarly to the 10-core GPU of the MacBook Pro.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: Gaming
The next-generation M3 GPU gives graphics-intensive games incredibly realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections.
For instance, in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Pro delivers a 28% performance boost (32 FPS vs. 25 FPS). This advantage is evident in other titles too, with Civilization VI showing a 20% jump (51 FPS vs. 41 FPS) on the Pro. Even in Total War: Warhammer 3, the Pro edges out the air with a roughly 21% improvement (19 FPS vs. 15.8 FPS).
While both MacBooks use the M3 chip, the M3 MacBook Pro takes the lead in gaming. That’s due to its superior cooling system, which translates to smoother gameplay.
Xcode
I’ll test these MacBooks on real-world tasks. I’ll start with Xcode, which measures the time it takes to compile a large codebase.
When compiling code in Xcode 15, both MacBooks perform similarly. They completed the task in 2 minutes and 12 seconds. For coding tasks, the M3 chip in either laptop offers similar performance.
Logic Pro
In Logic Pro, both the M3 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro seem to handle similar workloads. They can play 118 tracks, indicating identical music production capabilities. It means you can focus on creating music without worrying about which MacBook you choose. They played the same tracks in Logic Pro because they share the same M3 CPU architecture.
Web Browsing
When I threw the Speedometer 3.0 against both laptops, the M3 MacBook Air had a slight performance edge. It achieved 37 runs per minute, while the M3 MacBook Pro reached 35.7 runs per minute. So if you prioritize fast browsing, they both work perfectly fine.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: Blender 3D Rendering
The M3 family of chips brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to Mac for the first time. Ray tracing simulates how light interacts with a scene. It enables apps to create highly realistic and physically accurate images.
When rendering a classroom scene in Blender using the GPU, the M3 MacBook Air was slightly faster. The Air completed the task in 2 minutes and 23 seconds, while the Pro took 2 minutes and 28 seconds. Wow! This is a game-changer for anyone working in 3D design and rendering.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: Photo Editing
In this photo editing task, I will export 100 raw images (45 MP each) using Lightroom Classic.
When it comes to everyday photo editing tasks, the M3 MacBook Pro shows its muscle. Exporting 100 raw photos (45 megapixels) took a full minute less on the M3 MacBook Pro (1 minute and 40 seconds).
The M3 MacBook Pro maintains higher performance when exporting large image batches.
HandBrake
After that, I’ll convert a 4K video to 1080p using Handbrake. Converting a large 4K video down to 1080p takes nearly a minute less on the M3 MacBook Pro (5 minutes and 47 seconds). The MacBook Pro runs cooler for longer periods of time. It allows for faster video processing with more efficient performance.
M3 MacBook Air vs M3 MacBook Pro: Video Editing
In a surprising twist, the M3 MacBook Pro and the M3 MacBook Air seem neck-and-neck in video editing. They export a 10-minute 4K video in 6 minutes and 50 seconds and 6 minutes and 53 seconds, respectively.
No matter if you go with the Pro or the Air, you’ll get your videos exported quickly and efficiently! For top-notch GPU performance, opt for the MacBook Pro with its fan.
If your tasks mainly involve editing videos on the M3 MacBook Air, it’ll handle them just fine. If you’re balancing both GPU and CPU tasks, the performance difference isn’t significant. Also, the M3 MacBook Air slows down when it heats up, which helps save battery life. That’s a neat feature!
Best Deals Today!
13-inch M3 MacBook Air ➡ (23% Off)
15-inch M3 MacBook Air ➡ (19% Off)
M3 MacBook Pro ➡ (19% Off)
Apple M3 Pro ➡ (15% Off)
Apple M3 Max ➡ (20% Off)
13-inch M2 MacBook Air ➡ (20% Off)
15-inch M2 MacBook Air ➡ (15% Off)
11-inch M2 iPad Air ➡ (7% Off)
Apple Magic Mouse ➡ (14% Off)
Which M3 MacBook Should You Buy?
The M3 MacBook Pro comes with premium features. It includes a brighter display with 120 Hz ProMotion. It also has a fan for cooling during demanding tasks and extra ports for connectivity.
It’s currently as low as $1499 on Amazon, which includes an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. This makes it $100 cheaper than purchasing it directly from the Apple website.
But if you prioritize a light and thin laptop, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is the better choice for you. It’s available at a 9% discount, priced as low as $999, which matches the price of the M2 MacBook Air. Also, there is an 8% discount on the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air if you want a bigger screen and 10 GPU cores.
