New 12-Inch Retina MacBook is Between 5% and 18% Faster Than 2015 Model

As customers begin receiving the new 12-inch Retina MacBook, more benchmark results for the Early 2016 model have been uploaded to Geekbench.

MacBook-2016-gold
Based on the results, the new Skylake-based 12-inch MacBook models are between 5% and 18% faster than the original Broadwell-based models depending on whether you purchase the low-end 1.1GHz, mid-tier 1.2GHz, or top-end built-to-order 1.3GHz model. Geekbench scores vary and were therefore averaged.

The low-end Skylake-based 1.1GHz Intel Core m3 configuration earned average 64-bit single-core and multi-core scores of 2,534 and 5,025 respectively, which is between 5% and 10% faster CPU performance than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.1GHz 12-inch MacBook released in 2015.

MacBook-1-1-Geekbench

Geekbench 3 results for low-end 1.1GHz model

Geekbench results for the mid-tier Skylake-based 1.2GHz Intel Core m5 configuration surfaced last week, with the model earning single-core and multi-core scores of 2,894 and 5,845 respectively, which is between 15% and 18% faster than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.2GHz model from 2015.

Geekbench-3-MacBook-1-3

Geekbench 3 results for built-to-order 1.3GHz model

Meanwhile, the top-end Skylake-based 1.3GHz Intel Core m7 built-to-order configuration earned average 64-bit single-core and multi-core scores of 3,023 and 6,430 respectively, which is between 9% and 17% faster than the equivalent Broadwell-based 1.3GHz model released in 2015.

The 12-inch MacBook is now widely available for $1,299 (1.1 GHz) or $1,599 (1.2GHz), while the 1.3GHz processor is an optional $150 to $250 upgrade. Early reviews find much improved SSD performance, but the lack of ports, a 480p FaceTime camera, and no DDR4 RAM are viewed as drawbacks by some customers.

Related Forum: MacBook

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Top Rated Comments

_mdavenport Avatar
120 months ago
And needs to be between 5% and 18% cheaper
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spanky Deluxe Avatar
120 months ago
Wow, what a time to be alive! /s
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
levitynyc Avatar
120 months ago
Still with a garbage camera and about $400 overpriced. No thanks.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordVic Avatar
120 months ago
And yet, The one thing MacRumors articles on performance HAVEN'T ADDRESSED is thermal throttling in real world usage that the 2015 broadwell suffered heavily from.

under sustained, high load, such as outputting jobs from photoshop / lightroom, or movie producing, the Core M in the 2015 throttles up to 70% of the performance.

So i'm curious how much better the new CPU handles this compared to the old, or if Apple fixed the cooling.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Junior117 Avatar
120 months ago
It's interesting that we're basically seeing a repeat of what the MacBook Air has experienced:

Apple announces the MacBook Air and people go up in arms, saying it's too weak, there's very little ports, the design is meh, and the price is too dang high, and some competitor makes a computer JUST to take the "thinnest computer" crown from Apple. Then Apple releases some (very) small updates and people still complain.

Here, Apple releases the new MacBook and people go up in arms, saying it's too weak, there's very little ports, the design is meh, and the price is too dang high, and some competitor makes a computer JUST to take the "thinnest computer" crown from Apple. Then Apple releases a (very) small update and people still complain.

The MacBook Air got a major update and (mostly) everyone's happy with the speed, design, I/O (or at least gets used to it), and price, and pretty much becomes the standard now. It's stuff like this that prevents me from complaining; I very highly doubt the MacBook won't go through the same lane.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
120 months ago
All in all, I am impressed with how Apple is providing a fast computer with passive cooling. Yeah, 5 percent is not all that much but when you consider the computer has no fan, I'll take any speed enhancement :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)