Right now, the 2010 MacBook Airs are the only Macs that still boast the stinky Core 2 Duo CPU, compared to the much faster processors Intel has released since. Even though the Air is a speed demon thanks to its ubiquitous SSDs, Apple will have to update it at some point… and Intel may have just announced the Sandy Bridge processors that will probably go into the MacBook Air starting later this year.
The MacBook Air’s slimness means its hard to fit much battery in there. That means any chips used in the Air need to be very respectful of power draw. Right now, the Core 2 Duo CPU used in the 11-inch Air only consumes 10 watts of power, but that’s upped a bit by the NVIDIA GeForce 320M GPU.
Given these power-drain challenges, the Core i5 2537M is looking like a likely chip for a future Air. It’s clocked at 1.4GHz, but features an impressive turbo mode that reaches 2.3GHz, as well as a 1333MHz bus (up from 800MHz in current Airs), as well as an integrated (and respectable) GPU. All together, it only draws 17W, which is more than 10 watts, sure, but that also includes GPU.
Intel’s got other low-consumption Sandy Bridge processors in the works, and they are set to be launched at the end of the semester. The top of the line is the Core i7 2657M, featuring 2 cores, 4 threads, clocked at 1.6GHz and boasting a turbo mode reaching 2.7GHz. That would lead to performance roughly equivalent to the 13-inch MacBook Pro without taking into consideration the speed gains of the SSD, and the power draw remains at 17W.
So if you’re considering buying an Air right now, wait if you can: within a few months, Apple is likely to do a Sandy Bridge refresh.
[via HardMac]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
22 responses to “MacBook Airs To Go Sandy Bridge In The Coming Months?”
Don’t the white MacBooks also pack Core 2 Duo CPU’s?
And while they are at it
Do you think they’ll throw in a Backlit Keyboard
Or am I dreaming?
Yup, I want just 3 things from the update: 1. Sandy Bridge. 2. Thunderbolt. 3. Backlit Keyboard.
I want an update now… More CPU/GPU power and Thunderbolt would be awesome – and of couse if they can do that, i would like to see a backlit keyboard inside.
Yeah, but the Mac mini and MacBook still have Core 2 Duos.
What’s it take to get a 15” Macbook Air these days…c’mon Apple. That’s like my dream computer. The 13” is just too dang small.
If they go Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt and an optional 512 GB SSD, I am there in a heartbeat. Backlit keyboards are a frill. 8GB ram and a 15″ option would be nice, too. ;-)
I think the White MacBooks have a short life. Why keep manufacturing old when the new is so much nicer? With the recent explosive acceptance of the “AIR” series, who would want a heavy to carry White MacBook. On board storage is perhaps a bit of a want, but there are wireless storage solutions available.
You and me both. I love my iPad (1st gen) but want something more substantial and expansive if and when I need to do productivity. A 13″ MacBook Air as you’ve described has been high on my list of “the next Apple I need to get”. It even surpasses getting a 27′ iMac
I think the white MacBooks are going away. if the white MacBook gets a refresh I couldn’t see it as anything other than a 13″ MacBook wrapped in plastic rather than aluminum. which would only confuse people.
the air on the other hand is the perfect replacement. it has enough power for most and gets rid of the optical drive which very few people use anymore. also it will make apple products more streamlined. all of their computers will be aluminum and glass.
Yes, and so does the Mac mini.