Side by side
MacBook Air M4 vs Apple M1 Max
MacBook Air M4
202 positive (87%) · 26 mixed (11%) · 5 negative (2%)
Trust + time weighted: +85%
AI summary — not a quote
The MacBook Air M4 is highly regarded for its exceptional single-core performance, silent fanless operation, and industry-leading battery life. Users transitioning from Intel-based models describe the jump as transformative, while those on earlier Apple Silicon (like the M1) note that while it is faster, the difference in everyday tasks can feel incremental. It is frequently cited as a top choice for productivity, light content creation, and students, provided the user is comfortable with macOS.
Pros
- Exceptional battery life, with some users reporting up to 18 hours of use.
- Silent and cool operation due to the fanless design.
- Strong single-core performance that excels in daily tasks and music production.
- Improved support for high-impedance headphones.
Cons
- Not recommended for gaming-centric use cases.
- Potential performance bottlenecks for specific developer workflows like Android programming or heavy VM usage.
- High cost for internal storage upgrades, leading some users to seek third-party shop modifications.
- Heavier than some ultra-light Windows competitors like the Lenovo Carbon X1.
Top excerpts
Unless you need software that is Windows-only, then get the MacBook. It’ll last you far longer, with better battery, performance, and just about anything else.
Just buy the macbook air m4. Long battery life about 1000€, perfect for your needs. It’s “last gen” but it’s still an amazing laptop.
I was going to say a MacBook Air M4 until you mentioned gaming
I recently upgraded to a new M4 Air from a 2015 intel MBP so I’m easily impressed. I feel like I upgraded to a rocket ship. It’s so fast! I didn’t even have to charge at all. My battery percentage barely budged! I love my new machine. 16/512, 13 inch.
I've got a beastly PC that I built for gaming and a MacBook Air M4 for podcast stuff, productivity, and everyday use. It's a good balance!
Apple M1 Max
39 positive (93%) · 2 mixed (5%) · 1 negative (2%)
Trust + time weighted: +92%
AI summary — not a quote
The Apple M1 Max is widely regarded by users as a high-performance 'beast' that maintains its relevance years after its initial release. It is particularly praised for its longevity and the value it offers on the used or refurbished market, where it often outperforms newer base-model chips in tasks requiring high RAM and GPU cores. Users transitioning from Intel-based Macs describe the performance jump as 'night and day,' highlighting its efficiency in video editing and software development.
Pros
- Exceptional longevity with users reporting it still feels 'snappy' and powerful years later
- Fast video export times thanks to dedicated built-in encoders
- Excellent performance-to-price ratio when purchased used or refurbished
- Quiet operation; fans often remain off even during demanding tasks like software compilation
Cons
- The 16-inch MacBook Pro model is noted for being heavy and less portable
- Specific GPU-intensive tasks like noise reduction may be slower than some dedicated PC GPUs
- RAM and storage are not upgradeable, necessitating high initial specs
Top excerpts
Yes. It’s still a beast. For non-programming/engineering work, this machine will give you many years of snappy service still.
I bought my used, but absolutely mint condition M1 Max MBP 16 for around $1500 USD a year ago
I have a 16" M1 Max and while it is a massive quality of life upgrade over my old Razer with an RTX 2080, the Razer still ran GPU intensive video workloads like noise reduction a bit quicker. Export times are way faster overall though due to the M1's built in encoders tho.
If you value high RAM, high storage, or high GPU performance, get a refurbished/used M1 Max or M2 Max. ... I recently upgraded from a base M1 Pro to a fully loaded M1 Max that was cheaper than buying the base M5 Pro and I’m glad I did. It has 64GB ram and 4TB storage which feels amazing.
M1 Max/Pro still goes super strong.