Key Takeaways
1. The MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro chip excels in single-core performance, surpassing most mobile processors and competing closely with Apple’s own M4 and M5 chips.
2. Benchmark tests indicate the A18 Pro outperforms all x86 processors and recent mobile chips from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, except for potentially upcoming Snapdragon X2 chips.
3. The MacBook Neo offers impressive everyday performance, reinforcing Apple’s choice to use the A18 Pro over the newer A19 Pro.
4. Budget-friendly Windows laptops are likely to struggle against the MacBook Neo’s performance due to weaker processors.
5. The MacBook Neo combines strong performance with appealing features, such as a durable aluminum chassis and high-quality display, at a competitive price point, potentially disrupting the budget laptop market.
When Apple unveiled its latest affordable MacBook Neo, many were curious about how the smartphone chip would perform. After conducting our first set of benchmarks, it’s clear that Apple is playfully competing with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. The single-core performance of the MacBook Neo outshines all other mobile processors, except for Apple’s own M4 and M5 chips. And it’s important to note that we’re examining a processor from the year 2024.
Impressive Benchmark Results
We ran several benchmarks and found the single-core performance to be quite impressive. Not just in the quick Geekbench test, but also in the Cinebench 2024, where a single-core test lasts around 10 minutes. The A18 Pro uses between 3.5-4 Watts during this test and achieves a score of 147 points. This puts it ahead of all x86 processors in our records, including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D desktop processors. This also indicates that the MacBook Neo surpasses every recent mobile chip from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, even though the soon-to-be-released Snapdragon X2 chips may offer slightly better performance. Additionally, the A18 Pro is marginally quicker than Apple’s M3 generation in similar tests.
Everyday Performance Insights
Thus, the question regarding everyday performance is mostly settled, which also clarifies why Apple did not opt for the newer A19 Pro from the latest iPhone 17 Pro. This suggests that budget-friendly Windows laptops, which typically come with weaker processors than those in our comparison chart, will struggle to keep up performance-wise. Alongside its other favorable features, such as an aluminum chassis, a bright 500-nit IPS display, and a full sRGB color range, the low price tag—especially considering the software that comes pre-installed with macOS—means the MacBook Neo could truly disrupt the budget laptop market.
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