Often, between a MacBook Air and an entry-level MacBook Pro, the heart is torn. The first is lighter, less expensive and almost as efficient as the second – enough to tip the scales for the majority of users. But a new bench could well give some people pause, especially the players.
Released a few years ago but recently ported to Mac, Cyberpunk 2077 will replace Tomb Raider as the benchmark for graphics performance tests on Mac. Tom from the Youtube channel The Tech Chap tested this game on a MacBook Air M4 and a MacBook Pro M5. The difference in performance is striking.
The MacBook Air M4 heats up too quickly
When the Ray Tracing option is turned on, the MacBook Pro M5 manages to show 58 frames per second, while the MacBook Air M4 slows down to 20 frames per second. Ray tracing is a rendering technique that simulates the real behavior of light to produce much more realistic lighting, shadow and reflection effects in 3D games and applications. Apple introduced this feature with the M3 chip, presented in October 2023.
| Test mode | MacBook Pro M5 | MacBook Air M4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (ray tracing enabled) | 58 FPS | 20 FPS | +190 % |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (ray tracing disabled) | 75 FPS | 48 FPS | +56 % |
By deactivating this mode, the difference is a little less significant: 75 FPS for the MacBook Pro M5 compared to 48 FPS for the MacBook Air M4.
MacBook Pro M5 test review: a convincing development that suffers from the lack of Wi-Fi 7
MacBook Pro M5 box is thinner because Apple removed the charger and its slot
We know that Apple has placed a lot of emphasis on the performance of the M5, particularly in terms of the GPU, but that does not explain everything. In this case, it is the thermal cooling mode which handicaps the MacBook Air. Without a fan, Apple’s laptop heats up very quickly and forces the system to limit performance.
We regret that, in this test, Tom from The Tech Chap does not also put a MacBook Pro M4 and a MacBook Pro M5 face to face to precisely measure the performance gain due to the GPU itself. Regardless, this demonstration is a reminder that when it comes to performance, passive cooling can have its limits. The MacBook Air remains a formidable everyday machine, but for intensive tasks – and even more so for gaming – the MacBook Pro remains well ahead.
