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Apple MacBook Air dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Core i7, Mid-2011 £1,449 A great leap forward for the Air, but can it fill the gap left by the discontinued MacBook?
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CONTACTS Developer: Apple www.apple.com/uk
SPECIFICATIONS Processor: Dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 RAM: 4MB Hard disk: 256GB SSD Ports: 2xUSB 2.0, 1xThunderbolt Optical drive: No Display: 13.3-inch, 1440x900 resolution Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dimensions: 0.3-1.7x32.5x22.7cm Weight: 1.35kg
PROS & CONS Powerful new processors Intel HD Graphics 3000 Thunderbolt port Backlit keyboard returns Solid-state storage Not ideal at entry level
VERDICT “A significant step forward for the MacBook Air, which is powerful enough to use as your main Mac.”
ew Sandy Bridge processors from Intel have brought big performance increases across the Mac range. Their arrival on the MacBook Air represents a giant leap in power for Apple’s ultraportable, which also benefits from a new Thunderbolt port and the return of the backlit keyboard. The 2011 MacBook Airs retain the form factor introduced in last year’s refresh, with two 11-inch and two 13-inch models on offer. The 11-inch MacBook Airs use 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processors, with the 13-inch versions using 1.7GHz Core i5 chips. The more expensive model in each size can be upgraded to a 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 using the Online Store customisation options, and that’s what we’re looking at here – a high-end 13-inch model that’s been upgraded to a Core i7. The Core i7 (and indeed all the CPUs used in the new MacBook Air range) is dual core, though Hyper Threading means two threads can run on each of its two cores, giving it four virtual cores in all. The chips also offer Turbo Boost, which can temporarily increase the clock speed to up to 2.9GHz when more power is needed. Sandy Bridge’s Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor is a fair replacement for the integrated
The new MacBook Airs come preinstalled with OS X 10.7: Lion – a boon for trackpad users.
“The Core i7 is dual core, though Hyper Threading means two threads can run on each of its two cores, giving it four in all” NVIDIA GeForce 320M in the previous line of Airs, though it was marginally out-performed in our Doom 3 test. The 2010 model’s Mini DisplayPort has been replaced by a Thunderbolt port. As regular readers know, Thunderbolt combines video and I/O capabilities. As well as giving
BENCHMARKS / How does the MacBook Air stack up?
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MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011
MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011
MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011
MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010
MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010
MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010
MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011
MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011
MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011
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Cinebench (CBs)
Doom 3 frame rates (FPS)
Xbench
Measuring CPU and GPU performance, Cinebench reports its results as a single figure. Multi-core performance quoted.
Uses Doom 3’s ‘timedemo 1’ routine, set at 1,024x768 at Ultra quality. Tests graphics and performance. Higher is better.
Xbench tests CPU and hard drive performance. Higher is better. A you can see the Air’s SSD makes a big difference of the MacBook Pro.
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MacFormat.co.uk
September 2011
incredible data transfer speeds, it also acts as a video-out port. You can plug a Mini DisplayPort cable directly into it, and also VGA, HDMI and DVI screens, using adapters. You can also use adapters for FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet, the first time either has been possible using a MacBook Air. The backlit keyboard was removed for the 2010 refresh, but returns with this year’s range. With the white MacBook now discontinued, the cheapest 2011 Air is Apple’s entry-level notebook. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. Those who want a bigger screen, an optical drive and more than 64GB of onboard storage must now spend a little more on a 13-inch MacBook Pro. But that will hardly worry those considering this top-specced model. It’s smaller, lighter and portable, yet powerful enough to use as your sole computer. Ian Osborne