MacBook Air M4: 7 Things to Know About Apple’s 10-Core Chip

MacBook Air M4
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MacBook Air M4 Uses a 10-Core CPU

MacBook Air M4 Uses a 10-Core CPU

Apple’s M4 chip in the MacBook Air features a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. This combination is designed to balance demanding workloads with everyday tasks. Apple offers the M4 MacBook Air in 13-inch and 15-inch models, with the 10-core CPU forming the core of both configurations.

The M4 Includes Up to a 10-Core GPU

The M4 Includes Up to a 10-Core GPU

The M4 MacBook Air can be configured with a 10-core GPU, depending on the model and configuration. The chip also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Apple pairs the graphics architecture with its media engine for video-related workloads. The 15-inch MacBook Air comes with a 10-core GPU, while the 13-inch model can also be configured with one.

A 16-Core Neural Engine Handles AI Tasks

A 16-Core Neural Engine Handles AI Tasks

Apple’s M4 includes a 16-core Neural Engine designed to handle machine-learning workloads. The MacBook Air also supports Apple Intelligence features. Apple says its intelligence system helps users with tasks such as writing and getting things done. The company has also built privacy protections into Apple Intelligence, with some features relying on on-device processing.

The Chip Offers 120GB/s Memory Bandwidth

The Chip Offers 120GB/s Memory Bandwidth

The M4 provides 120GB/s of memory bandwidth in the MacBook Air. The laptop starts with 16GB of unified memory and can be configured with 24GB or 32GB. This shared memory architecture allows the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine to access the same pool of memory while handling different workloads.

M4 Supports Hardware-Accelerated Ray Tracing

M4 Supports Hardware-Accelerated Ray Tracing

The M4 graphics architecture includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which can improve the way compatible applications handle lighting and visual effects. The chip also includes media engines for H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW. It supports video encoding, decoding and AV1 decoding, giving the MacBook Air strong media-processing capabilities.

M4 MacBook Air Supports Multiple Displays

M4 MacBook Air Supports Multiple Displays

The M4 MacBook Air can support up to two external displays while continuing to use its built-in screen. Apple lists support for external displays with resolutions up to 6K at 60Hz. The laptop also includes two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, offering data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps and support for DisplayPort.

The M4 Air Combines Performance With Battery Life

The M4 Air Combines Performance With Battery Life

Apple rates the M4 MacBook Air for up to 18 hours of video streaming and up to 15 hours of wireless web use. The 13-inch model uses a 53.8-watt-hour battery, while the 15-inch version has a 66.5-watt-hour battery. Both models support MagSafe 3 charging and fast charging with a 70W USB-C adapter.

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