>The article also seems to entirely omit the M1's heterogenous core strategy, where 4 of the cores are high performance and the other 4 are optimized for power efficiency. A deeper analysis of this and how software manages them would be more interesting.
When the CPU utilization ramps up on M1 MacBooks, the user interface always remains buttery smooth. I haven't been able to make the M1 Air drop a frame yet no matter how hard I push it. Meanwhile doing anything remotely CPU intensive on an Intel MacBook will turn the user interface into a janky stuttery mess.
I suspect the heterogeneous cores are the "secret" behind this. Performance tasks are delegated to the performance cores, leaving the efficiency cores free to instantly respond to any UI-bound tasks.
Where do you have frame drop issues on your intel Mac? I have a 2017 15 inch with the best i7 and run a 4K and 1440p monitor with no noticeable issues. Just ordered an M1 Air.
Maxed out iMac 2017 here, I can't wait for a new iMac with better performance and zero noise. I love the 5K display and the only comparable display is the Pro Display XDR, which I can't justified.
It does all the time, when I run anything that taxing the CPU. Switching app doesn't feel instant and I can always hear the fan noise going in the background.
When the CPU utilization ramps up on M1 MacBooks, the user interface always remains buttery smooth. I haven't been able to make the M1 Air drop a frame yet no matter how hard I push it. Meanwhile doing anything remotely CPU intensive on an Intel MacBook will turn the user interface into a janky stuttery mess.
I suspect the heterogeneous cores are the "secret" behind this. Performance tasks are delegated to the performance cores, leaving the efficiency cores free to instantly respond to any UI-bound tasks.