MacBook Air M4 vs M3 Detailed Comparison

I recently received the new MacBook Air with M4 chip through direct import and have compared it extensively with the previous M3 model. Here’s a comprehensive analysis of the differences and performance improvements that many of you are interested in.

Products Specifications

• MacBook Air 13-inch M4
  • M4 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
  • 16GB memory
  • 512GB storage
  • Sky Blue color
• Mac Studio M4 Max
  • 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU
  • 36GB memory
  • 2TB storage

Design and Appearance Comparison

The design of MacBook Air M3 and M4 is almost identical:

• Aluminum body
• Same port configuration (MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports)
• Identical weight and dimensions
• No difference in keyboard layout and feel

The noticeable change is in color options. The new Sky Blue color is a mix of the traditional silver with a pastel blue tone, which looks quite nice in person. It has a similar feel to the iPad Air.

Key Upgrade Points

1. Improved Front Camera

• Upgraded from 1080p camera to 12MP Center Stage camera
• Better image quality in low-light environments
• Desk View feature support (allows showing documents on your desk by tilting the laptop)

2. Speakers

• No significant difference in speakers
• M4 has slightly more refined high-frequency range
• M4 has slight booming effect at maximum volume

3. Processor and Memory

• CPU: M3 (8-core: 4 efficiency cores, 4 performance cores) → M4 (10-core: 6 efficiency cores, 4 performance cores)
• GPU: Both models have 10 cores (but architecture improvements in M4)
• Maximum Memory: M3 (up to 24GB) → M4 (up to 32GB)
• Memory Bandwidth: Increased by 20GB/s in M4

Performance Test Results

CPU Benchmarks

• Geekbench 6: Single-core approximately 21% improvement, Multi-core approximately 24% improvement
• Cinebench 2024: Single-core approximately 21% improvement, Multi-core approximately 34% improvement

GPU Performance

• 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test:
  • Best score: approximately 12% improvement
  • Lowest score: approximately 31% improvement
  • Stability: approximately 10 percentage points increase (indicating better thermal management)

AI Benchmarks

• Lowest score: approximately 13% improvement
• Highest score: approximately 49% improvement

Real-world Usage Tests

• Final Cut Pro Rendering: M3 (19m 22s) → M4 (14m 36s), approximately 4m 46s reduction (25% faster)
• Blender BMW Rendering:
  • CPU: M4 is about 1 minute faster
  • GPU: M4 is about 5 seconds faster (22% improvement)

Battery

• Battery capacity: M3 (52.6Wh) → M4 (53.8Wh)
• YouTube playback test: M4 lasts approximately 20% longer (though comparing with a 1-year-old M3 model)

Improved External Monitor Support

• M3: Supports maximum 2 external monitors with laptop lid closed
• M4: Can add 2 external monitors with laptop lid open (total of 3 monitors possible)

Internal Structure

• Internal layout is almost identical
• Battery pack, motherboard, speaker locations all the same
• M4 model has additional empty space inside (possibly for expandability)

Conclusion

The MacBook Air M4 doesn’t introduce revolutionary hardware changes, but it shows significant improvements in performance. It’s particularly impressive how the performance and thermal management have been enhanced despite maintaining the fanless passive cooling system.

From a general user’s perspective, it offers good value for money. Especially considering that while the price was reduced by $100 in the US, it remained the same in Korea, making it relatively better value given the rising exchange rates.

The MacBook Air benefits greatly from Apple Silicon due to its fanless design, making it an excellent choice for users who prioritize everyday tasks and portability.

Whether to choose Mac or Windows depends on personal preference and usage environment, but if you’re using an iPhone, the MacBook Air might be a better choice due to ecosystem integration.

Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop (M4) Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display Buy on Amazon

Apple 2024  MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop (M3) Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display Buy on Amazon