All MacBooks are very similar from the outside. Appearances can be deceiving, because the models differ a lot from each other under its chic aluminum body. But terms like i5, GHz, and Turbo boost, what do they actually mean?
Header Processor type
The rule of thumb applies: the higher the number, the better the processor. Every MacBook has an Intel Core processor. There are four different types: the i3, i5, i7 and i9. We will come back to this later.
Header The M1 Chip
Apple has developed a new M1 chip especially for the Mac. The older Mac models always contain multiple chips: a processor and separate chips for memory and security, among other things. The M1 chip combines all this in one chip. As a result, Macs with these chips are faster and need to be charged less often. However, this development is still quite recent and therefore the support is not yet optimal.
Header Cores (or cores)
The number of 'cores' of your processor, the so-called cores, indicates how many different tasks your MacBook can perform stably at the same time. The more cores the processor has, the more demanding programs it can run simultaneously.
These cores are indicated by the following terms:
- Dual Core: 2 Cores
- Quad Core: 4 cores
- Hexa Core: 6 cores
- Octo Core: 8 cores
- Deca Core: 10 cores
Header Clock Speed, GHz and Turbo
The speed of the processor is measured in GHz. The more GHz the processor has, the faster it is. With heavy programs, your MacBook can give a little extra 'throttle'. The laptop then activates a 'turbo' function so that your processor temporarily has more GHz.
It seems obvious that an i3 DualCore processor with a 3.2 GHz clock speed is faster compared to an i5 QuadCore with 2.0 GHz. However, this is not the case in practice. To give you a little more clarity, Macback has listed all types of processors here.
Header Which 'i' is right for me?
To be able to make a good choice which processor is suitable for you, you can interpret the processors as follows:
i3
The i3 processors are suitable for all basic tasks. Think of surfing the internet or sending e-mails. For the light user who mainly sends e-mails, checks his Facebook, wants to watch Netflix and creates documents in Word, this is more than sufficient.
i5
All MacBooks with an i5 processor are suitable for all your daily activities. Think of surfing the internet, e-mailing, Netflix or creating documents in Word / Excel. This processor also performs simple jobs in Photoshop and Premiere Pro, but an i7 is better suited for the real work.
i7
A MacBook with an i7 processor is suitable for anyone who wants to perform professional tasks. Think of programs such as Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, AutoCAD, etc. In addition, you can of course also use Netflix and email.
i9
The Intel i9 is the very best processor currently in MacBooks. You can perform all tasks with this. With an i9 processor, you are assured of a laptop that will be up-to-date for years to come.
Conclusion: 'Which processor do I need?'
It is important to find out which processor is most suitable for you. For most people, an i5 processor is more than enough. If you use a lot of graphics programs, an i7 is the best choice. If this is not the case, you can also work fine with an i5.
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