The MacBooks by Apple have enjoyed great popularity among the brand fanatics. These computers prove to be not only portable but powerful.
There was a very extreme shift from the 2019 model to the newest MacBook. Apple has been keen on developing their own processor, in 2020 they succeeded. After years of using the Intel processors, Apple created their own M1 chipset.
The most important question related to the processor shift is: Are the new M1 chipsets more or equally powerful as the Intel? Well, the M1 has proved to be up to the standard of a 2020 laptop. In our article let’s explore which MacBook packs more powers by using the different processors.
Price
Let’s begin with a price comparison of the M1 MacBook Pro vs I9 MacBook Pro. The i9 MacBook is larger than its successor, therefore is also more expensive. The older laptop goes for about $3000 versus the $1200 of the newest model. If the 2020 MacBook proved to be indeed more powerful, sounds like a neat deal.
Boot Test
This test is meant to show which laptop can start faster. When we did this test, we put them side by side and hit the start button simultaneously. Both MacBooks show the Apple logo at the same time. However, the M1 processor takes the win, by starting much faster than the i9.
Apps Opening Speed
The first app we tested was Safari, considering it’s a popular app everyone used when browsing the Internet. The M1 MacBook Pro, once again, proved to be faster and opened the app not only quicker but smoother.
The next app that was tried is iMovie. The i9 lagged behind again, and let the M1 MacBook take the win by a few vital seconds.
The last app we tried was PodCast. Can you guess? Unsurprisingly, the streak continues and the M1 MacBook Pro takes the full victory. The 2020 computer showed speed above its predecessor.
In-Apps Performance
For this test, we selected some apps that use plenty of CPU power and put the MacBooks on the same task. The first task is to export a video in Final Cut Pro. The M1 opened the app faster this time as well, let’s see if it can make the apps also perform faster.
It was quite a surprise but the i9 MacBook finished before the M1 at a bit over 7 minutes. The M1 on the other hand took close to 13 minutes (Pic above) which is close to double what the Intel processor MacBook performed.
GeekBench 5 Benchmark: M1 MacBook Pro vs I9 MacBook Pro
The Apple M1 finished the test faster and the scores were quite high. For a single-core, the 2020 MacBook Pro scored 1715, while in the multi-core test it got 7382. The older laptop took more time to finish, and it showed a lesser score in both tests. For the single-core, the i9 scored 941, and for the multi-core, the Intel MacBook got a low 4298 score.
The score results showed a big difference. Another point to note is that even when the i9 MacBook got a higher RAM it got a much lower score in the GeekBench 6 Benchmark Test Score.
| M1 MacBook Pro | I9 MacBook Pro |
| 1715 | 941 |
| 7382 | 4298 |
Cinebench Test Score: M1 MacBook Pro vs I9 MacBook Pro
Cinebench is another well-known CPU benchmark test, and the results should let us know in more detail which device offers more processor power. Once again the program opened faster in the Apple M1.
We ran a multi-core test on both devices. The MacBook Pro M1 finished first again with a high score of 7694. Cinebench also has a comparison chart. It ranks the M1 processor number 7 on their list at the same level as the iMac Pro which is a $5000 computer. Quite impressive!
The i9 finished at number 9, which is quite close to the M1 position. However, the Intel processor laptop scored only 5324, considerably lower than its counterpart at 2000 fewer points.
| M1 MacBook Pro | I9 MacBook Pro |
| 7694 | 5324 |
Verdict
Apple has done a good job. The first laptop they sent to the market with their newest M1 processor is an absolute hit. The M1 proved to be stronger than the Intel processor from the previous year by a long mile. After a different performance test conducted by us, and the benchmark results from GeekBench 5 and Cinebenh is easy to nominate the M1 MacBook Pro as the winner.
The only issue that needs to be improved by Apple in newer M1 models is more screen options sizes. Fans have been keen on another 16 inches laptop, and surely Apple will deliver soon. The last issue is to put a bigger RAM in their newest models. The only test the M1 didn’t pass was due to the lesser RAM capacity on the laptop.
Overall both are great MacBooks, but the M1 chipset allowed Apple to get rid of the Intel technology and keep things 100% native.
