MacBook Air 13 (2020) vs MacBook Air 13 (M1)

Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8c/8t M1) crushes the 2017 MacBook Air (2c/4t i5-5350U) in CPU performance and GPU class, with M1’s 8-core GPU outperforming Intel HD 6000 by over 300% in real-world tasks. The M1 model, fanless and running macOS 11, delivers 18 hours of video playback and handles 4K video editing with 1TB storage and 8GB RAM, while the Air’s 2017 thermal design throttles under sustained loads. The 2017 MacBook Air only suits light tasks like web browsing and document work, where its SD card reader and lighter 200g charger offer minor convenience, but its 1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM and Wi-Fi 5 limit modern workflows. In UAE at AED 3799 vs AED 4599, the M1 Pro wins because it’s 18% cheaper and 3x faster; in India at ₹84900 vs ₹119900, the M1 Pro wins on value because it delivers 5 years of OS updates and 40% better performance for ₹35000 less.