The first Macs with Apple’s ARM processor M1 are fast devices that are suitable for everyday use and that allow comparison with x – models don’t have to be afraid of.

ARM Macs with M1 processor in the test: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini M1 processor Apple’s influence Individual meetings Conclusion and test table Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read Apple has the middle of the year 2020 announced transition from Intel CPUs with x 85 – Technology started towards in-house ARM processors: Since mid-November 2020 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini are available in new versions, all of which use Apple’s M1 chip.

The M1 is closely related to the latest iPhone and iPad processor A 14 related: There are also four Icestorm cores trimmed for energy efficiency (4 MB shared L2 cache), but also four (instead of in A 14 two) powerful Firestorm cores (12 MB shared L2 cache). All eight CPU cores can work together on pending tasks; Firestorm is left out in favor of the energy balance when the CPU load is low. This principle, known as big.LITTLE or DynamiQ, has been standard in ARM processors for years – unlike in the x 86 – World.

As a system-on-chip (SoC ) the M1 has a number of other function blocks on board. There is a GPU with eight cores à 101 Execution units, a block with 15 Special cores for AI calculations, a large system-wide cache (probably 16 MByte) Controller for PCIe 4.0 and Thunderbolt 3 as well as the T2 controller, which was previously installed as a separate chip in Macs. The latter not only acts as a security processor for TouchID authentication and SSD encryption, but also generally as an SSD controller, signal processor for the webcam and as an audio codec – functions that it has already taken over in previous Intel Macs. In the case of M1 Macs, Broadcom is no longer the supplier of the WLAN adapter; the devices are now transmitting according to Wi-Fi 6 (11 ax) instead of previously only Wi-Fi 5 (11 ac).

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