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MacBook Air M3 benchmarks have been spotted and they’re already better than the M2

Last Updated on March 6, 2024
Two MacBook Air laptops with vibrant screen wallpapers facing each other, designated as M3 vs M2, separated by a "versus" sign, against a blue background.
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The hype surrounding the latest MacBook Air release is at an all-time high, with the powerful M3 chipset debuting with the newest Air series model. A recent leak revealing the new M3 MacBook Air benchmarks has shown that the high-powered chip has about a 20 percent increase in overall performance over the M2.

The benchmarks, which surfaced on Geekbench and were found by MySmartPrice, saw that the new 15.3-inch MacBook Air has 3,157 single-core and 12,020 multi-core scores. The 13-inch version of the M3 MacBook Air will likely have similar results. If you need a refresher, the single-core score for the M2 MacBook Air is 2,629, and the multi-core score is 10,082. This is around a 20 percent increase in favor of the M3 on both single-core and multi-core. This is nothing to bat your eyes at.

Early benchmarks for M3 MacBook Air show promising results

The Geekbench benchmarks also revealed that the M3 MacBook Air scored 30,524 on the OpenCL score, similar to last year’s M3 release on the MacBook Pro. This is another impressive result, as the powerful ARM-based SoC that the MacBook Pro uses functions at the same level as the new (and cheaper) M3 MacBook Air.

Apple has claimed that the new M3 MacBook Air is 60 percent faster than the M1 version of the laptop, and with an increase over the M2, as well, Apple could easily have another hit on its hands. The MacBook Pro M3 has been a big success, and the M chips overall have been an amazing leap forward for the brand, using efficient ARM-based chips without sacrificing power and capabilities.

Whether or not you plan to upgrade to the latest version of the MacBook Air, the impressive results that have come with the M3 chip are interesting to see tested out. If you skipped out on the MacBook Pro using the M3 chip, the new MacBook Air M3 could be your chance to get your hands on this technology without breaking the bank. You can preorder the new MacBook Air M3 on Apple’s website now, and it launches for all on Friday, March 8.

Annie is a journalist focusing on the latest technology news and deals. At PC Guide, Annie covers the latest bundle deals and news from the world of tech, with a particular focus on GPU and CPU news.