MacBook Air v MacBook Pro

[JeffL]

I want to buy a new 2020 13" MacBook. Not sure if I should go for the Air or the Pro. The Air would be capable of delivering what I would use it for, which is internet, email, messaging, documents, FaceTime, but I have read some reviews where overheating has caused the fan to be overworked and become noisy. The Air would be the 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3. The Pro would be the 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5. Whichever one I buy it would have 8GB Memory and 256GB Storage. The Air and the Pro are both the same size but the Pro is slightly heavier (not enough to bother me). The Pro is £300 more expensive. I was set on the Air, but now, because of the potential overheating I'm leaning towards the Pro. I don't mind paying the extra £300 if it's going to give me peace of mind regarding not having it overheat. So, has anyone on here got the 2020 Air or Pro? Anyone had any overheating problems with the Air? If you have the Pro, what do you think about the Touch Bar?

Thanks

 

[JohnCL]

I have the 2020 Air and have not had any heat related issues. I don't work it very hard as it is my go to when sitting watching TV or something. I have the TouchBar on my 15" Pro and rarely use it. It is a cool feature, but doesn't get a whole lot of use from me. Volume and brightness most of the time is all I use.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Here are a couple articles to read that go into detail about the "overheating issue". The second one in particular does a good job of explaining that it's not exactly an overheating problem per se. The real issue is that the MBA has a relatively weak cooling system, which will lead to throttling of the CPU once it hits a certain load. If there was an actual overheating problem, the MacBook would be shutting down and that's not what's happening. For your usage scenarios, the need to throttle shouldn't be a regular problem, especially with the i3 since it's slower and therefore inherently cooler than the other cpu options..

Ineffective cooling system in new MacBook Air causing problems

The 2020 MacBook Air looks like a great computer, with impressive specs and an attractive price, but reports of the laptops overheating, loud fan noises and other problems have led to calls for Apple to improve the cooling system

www.macworld.co.uk

Does the MacBook Air 2020 have an overheating problem?

The MacBook Air 2020 runs hot, hotter than its predecessor. Its can run loud too, both because of Apple's questionable cooling system. As has been asked by some sections of the media, does that mean the MacBook Air 2020 has an overheating problem?

www.notebookcheck.net

 

[chscag]

There are at least two or three rather long threads over at MacRumors regarding the hot running 2020 MacBook Air.

Some real clever modifying of the heat sink pipe have been shown which proves to be very effective in keeping the noise and heat down. Of course any modifying of those components very nicely voids any warranty you may have had with Apple.

 

[dmccloud]

Just a couple points of clarification:

The i3 MBA is not the model people have been reporting overheating issues with, it is the models running the i5 processor. I have the i3 MBA and use it on a daily basis without any issues relating to overheating or processor throttling. As has been stated earlier in this thread, it is more of a throttling issue than it is an actual overheating problem. One common "fix" for the issue with the i5 MBA has been to place a thermal pad on top of the heatsink, which allows for thermal transfer to the bottom of the case to help keep temps down. Since the thermal pad can be easily removed, it doesn't carry the risk of voiding the warranty that other more intrusive fixes do.

With that being said, you will see a noticeable performance boost going from an i3 MBA to the base i5 MBP, mainly due to the processor bump from the dual-core in the Air to the quad-core in the Pro. The weight difference in the two models is minor (2.8 lbs vs. 3.1 lbs). While the Touchbar has some unique features, I am not sure how much I would use it personally, but that is honestly more of a personal preference than it is a question of whether the Touchbar is a benefit or not.

 

[lclev]

I have the 2020 Macbook Pro. Most of your questions have been answered so I will just throw in my two cents on the touch bar. At first I thought I would never need it. But as time as gone by I have found myself using it more than I thought. The functions will change according to the app you are running which is handy at times. Do I think it will make a significant improvement over the MBA that does not have it? No. IMO - the touch bar can be an acquired taste.

Lisa