Sleek. Stunning. Sexy.
These words can be used to describe the new ultra-thin Apple MacBook.
It sure looks amazing, but how will it perform as a computer? While the new MacBook will not be available till April 10, we already know quite a lot about the Intel Core M chip that powers it.
In fact, this very processor has been available on Windows laptops and convertibles from PC makers since late last year.
A low-power chip designed for ultra-thin devices, the Intel Core M's key feature is that it does not require a cooling fan.
This lets manufacturers create extremely thin, fanless devices such as the Apple MacBook, which is merely 13.1mm thick. But the MacBook is beaten in the skinny department by the Asus ZenBook (12.3mm) and the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro (12.8mm). All three computers use the Intel Core M chip.
It is possible to omit the fan for the Intel Core M because this chip is rated at 4.5W TDP, short for Thermal Design Power. This is the term Intel uses to describe the maximum heat dissipated by a processor while running applications.
Compare that with the 15W TDP rating for the fifth-generation (Broadwell) Intel Core processor found in the latest laptops, including the refreshed Apple MacBook Air.
You may also have noticed that the Intel Core M processor models available for the MacBook have relatively low clock speeds of between 1.1GHz and 1.3GHz.
While the clock speeds for these dual-core chips increase dynamically (up to 2.9GHz) depending on the workload, it is clear that these are not super-fast processors.
Even Intel's own marketing spiel pits the Core M chip against a four-year-old laptop. In this case, the chipmaker says you can expect the Core M to be twice as fast as the older model in office productivity tasks and photo editing. For graphics performance, the Intel Core M is up to seven times as capable as a typical four-year-old laptop.
Benchmarking the Intel Core M
To gauge its performance level, we put an Intel Core M laptop (Toshiba Portege Z20t) through a gauntlet of tests. We then compared it with an Acer Aspire R13, which has a new Intel Core i7-5500U processor.
Note that while the Toshiba test system has specifications (Intel Core M, 8GB RAM, 256GB solid-state drive) similar to those of an Apple MacBook, they are very different computers running on different operating systems. So, take these results as rough estimates.
To gauge the Intel Core M chip's performance in everyday computing tasks, I used Futuremark's PCMark 8 benchmark, which tests different usage scenarios.
The Home benchmark simulates the tasks performed by casual users - video chat, word processing and Web browsing, for example.
For the Work benchmark, it is spreadsheets, video chat and word processing; and for the Creative benchmark, media and entertainment tasks, such as video editing and mainstream gaming.
In the Home benchmark, the Toshiba laptop scored 2,091; Acer scored 2,566. In Creative, the Toshiba scored 2,018 against the Acer's 2,400. And for the Work benchmark, the Toshiba managed 2,638 versus 2,926 for the Acer.
What do all these numbers mean?
You will complete your tasks more quickly on the Acer than on the Toshiba Core M laptop. The Creative benchmark test took 55 minutes on the Acer; and 64 minutes on the Toshiba.
Casual games only
Ultra-thin laptops are not designed for games, at least not the AAA titles you are familiar with. Even older games, such as 2013's Bioshock Infinite, are beyond the integrated Intel HD Graphics of the Acer or the Toshiba.
At the lowest graphics setting and at 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, the Acer managed 22.9 frames per second (fps); the Toshiba, only 14.67fps.
Lowering the screen resolution is an option if you really must run games on these machines.
Can it run Photoshop?
Yes, Photoshop runs smoothly enough on an Intel Core M laptop for a casual user like me. Heavy users would need dedicated graphics and as much RAM as possible, making the MacBook less than ideal.
Heavy multitasking is iffy. The CPU usage momentarily exceeded 80 per cent when a new browser tab was added to the existing 10 tabs.
Based on our benchmark scores, the Intel Core M-powered Toshiba Portege is about as fast as a two-year-old ultrabook, depending on system drivers, memory and the speed of the solid-state drive.
So, if you are satisfied with your MacBook Air from 2012, the new MacBook probably should be no different. Except that it is thinner, lighter and has a Retina display.
vinchang@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Mar 18, 2015.
Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.