Base Model M3 MacBook Air Has Faster SSD Speeds After Controversy With Previous Model

The base model 13-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip, 256GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM has significantly faster SSD speeds compared to the equivalent model with the M2 chip, according to benchmark results shared today by YouTube channel Max Tech.

Apple MacBook Air 2 up hero 240304 feature
Max Tech's teardown video confirms that Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips for the new 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, compared to a single 256GB chip in the equivalent model with the M2 chip. This change results in faster SSD read and write speeds in tests, as the two chips can process requests in parallel.

Max Tech ran Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test tool with a 5GB file size test on both the M2 and M3 models of the 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and they found the SSD in the M3 model achieved up to 33% faster write speeds and up to 82% faster read speeds compared to the SSD in the M2 model.


The change very likely extends to the base model 15-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip, although Max Tech has yet to tear down that model.

Apple's decision to switch to a single 256GB chip for the base model MacBook Air in 2022 was controversial, even though the slower SSD speeds are unlikely to be noticed by the average MacBook Air user working on common day-to-day tasks. Nevertheless, customers who purchase an M3 model no longer need to worry about configuring the laptop with at least 512GB of storage in order to avoid the slower speeds.

M3 MacBook Air Dual 128GB Chips

Two 128GB storage chips in the new base model 13-inch MacBook Air (via Max Tech)

The new MacBook Air models with the M3 chip launched Friday. Apple continues to sell a 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip and 256GB of storage for $999, so customers who want maximum SSD performance should avoid that model.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Top Rated Comments

KPOM Avatar
10 weeks ago
With this and the dual monitor support in clamshell mode Apple seems to be responding to criticisms about previous models.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arcite Avatar
10 weeks ago

I'm still using a (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air that came with 4 GB RAM, and 120 GB SDD. I have 59 GB of free space left. It just depends what you use your machine for. For me daily home stuff like email, browsing, etc.
And yes, I'm definitely ready for an upgrade!!
Browsing the web and writing emails with less than 1tb HD and 48gigs of Ram? Brave man.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yeah Avatar
10 weeks ago
These video thumbnails nowadays are way too cringey and full of clickbait.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
10 weeks ago
256gb is derisory for the price though, that really shouldn't exist in 2024
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
10 weeks ago

Ok, great. Now MR posters can finally stop complaining about this minuscule issue.

Now, onto the last “minor” complaint - 8 GB as the entry level RAM configuration.
When do MR posters who complain about the complaining finally stop though?
That's the REAL question!

:D
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
10 weeks ago

The MaxTech channel is on another level of cringe and baiting.

I certainly hope they're swimming in money from posting their garbage 'cause I sure ain't getting anything from watching their stuff.
Video title: “M3 MacBook Air Overheating - What was Apple Thinking?!”
conclusion of video: the new MacBook Air is impressive.
They literally called it “impressive” in the video, but you would never guess that by the title and the over exaggerated first 10 minutes.
Literally, the conclusion was that yes, it throttles, but even when it throttles, it’s still faster than the M2. And (surprise surprise) it absolutely never overheated once in the video.
It got hot, but overheated implies that it stopped working, which it absolutely did not.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Apps Messages

iMessage Down for Some Users [Update: Service Restored]

Thursday May 16, 2024 3:00 pm PDT by
The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send. There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector, but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage. Update: Apple's status page says...
iOS 17

Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos

Wednesday May 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by
There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other...
iphone 15 pro max vs iphone 16 pro max

iPhone 16 Pro Max Looks This Much Bigger Beside iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday May 16, 2024 4:51 am PDT by
This year's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to get a boost in overall size from 6.7-inches to 6.9-inches, and a new image gives us a good idea of how the current iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to what could be Apple's largest ever iPhone. The image above, posted on X by ZONEofTECH, shows a dummy model representing the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max alongside an actual iPhone 15 Pro Max. Dummy...
iOS 17

iOS 17.5 Bug May Also Resurface Deleted Photos on Wiped, Sold Devices

Friday May 17, 2024 12:24 pm PDT by
A bug in iOS 17.5 is apparently causing photos that have been deleted to reappear, and the issue seems to impact even iPhones and iPads that have been erased and sold off to other people. A Reddit user wiped an iPad following Apple's guidelines in September of 2023 before selling it off to a friend. That friend updated the iPad to iPadOS 17.5 this week, and began seeing the Reddit user's old ...
oled m4 ipad pro grainy display reports

OLED iPad Pro Users Report 'Grainy' Displays, But It May Not Be a Defect

Friday May 17, 2024 5:57 am PDT by
Some new M4 iPad Pro models are exhibiting a visible static grain pattern across the OLED display, according to several user reports on Reddit (1, 2, 3) and the MacRumors Forums. Image credit: MacRumors user bk215 Users who see the grain generally report that it is most noticeable in dark environments with the display set at a low to medium brightness while viewing content with gray or muted...
Delta Hands On Feature

iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More

Thursday May 16, 2024 12:45 pm PDT by
In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released. The emulators released so far allow iPhone users to play games released for older consoles from Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, Atari, and others. A list of some popular emulators available on the App Store so far follows. Released Delta Delta is...