Apple in November 2020 released the first Macs with an Arm-based M1 chip, debuting 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models. In early 2021, Apple added the M1 iMac and the M1 iPad Pro. The M1 chip received rave reviews for its incredible performance and efficiency, and it is the culmination of more than a decade of Apple's work on chips created for the iPhone and the iPad.

new m1 chip
This guide walks through everything that you need to know about the M1 chip and how it's different from the Intel chips that came before it.

Apple's M1 Chip Explained

The M1 was the first Apple-designed System on a Chip (SoC) that's been developed for use in Macs. It marked Apple's first step toward transitioning away from the Intel chips that the Cupertino company used in Macs since 2006.

apple m1 chip
As a "System on a Chip," the M1 integrates several different components, including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM), Neural Engine, Secure Enclave, SSD controller, image signal processor, encode/decode engines, Thunderbolt controller with USB 4 support, and more, all of which power the different features in the Mac.

Before Apple silicon, Macs used multiple chips for CPU, I/O, and security, but Apple's effort to integrate these chips is the reason why the M1 is so much faster and more efficient than prior Intel chips. The unified memory architecture that Apple has included is also a major factor because all of the technologies in the M1 are able to access the same data without having to swap between multiple pools of memory.

m1 chip unified memory architecture speed
Built into the M1 chip, the unified memory architecture lets the CPU, GPU, and other processor components don't need to copy data between one another, and are able to access the same data pool. This brings notable speed and efficiency improvements to the M1. This memory architecture means that the RAM is not user upgradeable, which isn't too much of a surprise because few Macs have user accessible RAM. M1 Macs max out at 16GB RAM, but even the base 8GB is enough for everyday tasks.

There are 16 billion transistors on the M1, which is the most Apple has ever put into a chip for the fastest CPU core available in low-power silicon and unparalleled CPU performance per watt. Apple's chip design has allowed it to create Macs that are faster and more power-efficient than was possible with Intel-designed chips, and further enhancements are available through the new tighter integration of an Apple-designed chip paired with Apple-designed software.

What's Different About the M1

Unlike Intel chips built on the x86 architecture, the Apple Silicon M1 uses an Arm-based architecture much like the A-series chips that Apple has been designing for iPhones and iPads for years now.

m1 chip slide
The M1 chip is the most powerful chip that Apple has created to date, and it is similar to the A14 chip in the latest ‌iPhone‌ and iPad Air models, built on a 5-nanometer process by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC builds all of Apple's chips and has done so for many years.

Macs With M1 Chip

Apple has released the 2020 ‌MacBook Air‌, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and ‌Mac mini‌ with M1 chips, replacing the low-end machines in those lineups.

apple m1 macs trio
Apple has also introduced M1 versions of the ‌iMac‌ and the ‌iPad Pro‌.

CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine

CPU

The M1 chip includes an 8-core CPU with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The high-performance cores are designed to offer the best performance for power-intensive single-threaded tasks.

The four high-performance cores can work together to offer impressive multithreaded performance that has allowed the M1 Macs to outshine even the highest-end 16-inch MacBook Pro models.


For tasks that are less intensive and don't require the same power, such as web browsing, there are four high-efficiency cores that use a tenth of the power to preserve battery life.

Apple says these cores offer performance similar to the prior-generation dual-core ‌MacBook Air‌, but at much lower power. These cores can work alone when significant power isn't needed, but for demanding tasks, all eight cores can be engaged at one time.

Benchmarks of the ‌MacBook Air‌, MacBook Pro, and ‌Mac mini‌ have confirmed the M1 chip's impressive performance. There are some thermal differences between the models, but all have the highest single-core performance out of any Mac and multi-core performance on par with Apple's desktops.

m1 macs geekbench score charts
The highest-performing Mac of the bunch, the ‌Mac mini‌, earned a single-core Geekbench 5 score of 1702 and a multi-core score of 7380, with the ‌MacBook Air‌ and MacBook Pro coming in just behind.

GPU

The ‌Apple Silicon‌ chip has an 8-core GPU, but there's also a version used in the entry-level ‌MacBook Air‌ models that has one of the cores disabled for a 7-core GPU.

GPUs in the ‌Mac mini‌, MacBook Pro, and higher-end M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ models are all 8-core GPUs capable of running close to 25,000 threads simultaneously and with 2.6 teraflops of throughput. According to Apple, the M1 has the fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer.

m1 mac gpu benchmark
Graphics performance tests have suggested the M1 chip offers performance that exceeds the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon RX 560. It also earned an OpenCL score of 19305, similar to the Radeon RX 560X and Radeon Pro WX 4100.

m1 gpu benchmarks

Neural Engine

The M1 chip has a built-in Neural Engine, a component that Apple first started adding to its A-series chips a few years ago. The Neural Engine is designed to accelerate machine learning tasks across the Mac for things like video analysis, voice recognition, image processing, and more.

The 16-core Neural Engine is capable of 11 trillion operations per second for up to 15x faster machine learning performance compared to the previous generation of models that have moved to the M1.

Apple M1 Speed

The M1 chip brings up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning capabilities compared to the Intel chips used in prior-generation machines.

Compared to the latest PC laptop chips, the M1 offers 2x faster CPU performance and does so using just 25 percent of the power.

Battery Life

Even with the incredible speed improvements that the M1 chip brings, it is also more battery-efficient than any other Mac chip Apple has released to date.

Battery life in an M1 Mac lasts up to 2x longer than in prior-generation Macs. The Mac with the longest battery life is the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which lasts for up to 20 hours. That's double the battery life of the prior-generation model.

M1 Security Features

Intel Macs had a built-in T2 chip that handled security and other features on the Macs, but with the M1 chips, that functionality is built right in and a secondary chip isn't required.

The M1 has a built-in Secure Enclave that manages Touch ID and a storage controller with AES encryption hardware for SSD performance that's faster and more secure.

Running Apps on M1 Macs

Because the M1 chip is using different architecture, Apple has built tools to allow developers to create Universal app binaries that run flawlessly on both ‌Apple Silicon‌ and Intel chips, plus it has developed the Rosetta 2 translation layer that allows x86 apps to run on the M1 chip.

rosetta 2
Rosetta 2 is a reimagining of Rosetta, the feature that allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs back in 2006 when Apple swapped to Intel from PowerPC.

With Rosetta 2, apps designed for Intel machines will continue to run on M1 Macs with some limited performance compromises. For the most part, apps run similarly on both Intel and M1 Macs due to the performance improvements introduced in the M1.

Everything should function as normal when transitioning to M1 Macs, and over the course of a few years, most popular Mac apps will likely be built to run on the M1 Macs natively. Right now, there is one major compromise when choosing an M1 Mac, and that's Windows support.

There is no Boot Camp for M1 Macs and M1 Macs are not officially able to run Windows, although some users are figuring out ways to make it work. Official support could come in the future, but it largely depends on Microsoft licensing its Arm-based version of Windows to consumers, and so far, that hasn't happened.

M1 Macs can run ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps as well as Mac apps, so long as app developers make them available on the Mac. There used to be a way to sideload any iOS app on an M1 Mac, but that functionality was removed in January 2021.

M1 Mac How Tos

Since the M1 Macs are using a new type of chip designed by Apple, there are some tips and tricks for doing things like transferring files, entering recovery mode, and finding apps optimized for the new machines. We have several M1-specific how tos that are worth checking out.

M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra

Apple followed the M1 chip with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, introduced in October 2021 in the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro machines, and the M2 in June of 2022. The ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌ are faster variants of the M1, with both chips equipped with a 10-core CPU that has two high-efficiency cores and eight high-power cores.

m1 pro vs max feature
The ‌M1 Pro‌ has a 16-core GPU, while the ‌M1 Max‌ has a 32-core GPU, though there are 14 and 24-core variants available for lower-end MacBook Pro models, along with an 8-core ‌M1 Pro‌ chip for the most affordable 14-inch machine. In 2022, Apple also introduced the M1 Ultra, which is twice as fast as the ‌M1 Max‌ in terms of CPU and GPU performance.

M2

Apple in June 2022 introduced the ‌M2‌ chip in the updated ‌MacBook Air‌ and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The ‌M2‌ features the same 8-core CPU as the M1, but it offers more GPU cores, with nine and 10-core GPU options, up from the 7 and 8-core options in the original M1 chip.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the M1 chip, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Articles

new m1 chip

Upcoming iPad Air Rumored to Feature M1 Chip

Monday March 7, 2022 1:20 pm PST by
The updated iPad Air that Apple is expected to unveil at tomorrow's "Peek Performance" event could include the same M1 chip that's featured in the 2021 iPad Pro, according to information shared by 9to5Mac. Last year's iPad Pro was the first iPad to get Apple's M-series chip, and adding the M1 to the iPad Air would put iPad Air performance on par with the current iPad Pro models and the 2020...
new m1 chip

Key M1 Mac Engineer Departs Apple for Intel

Thursday January 6, 2022 1:31 pm PST by
Apple's former Director of Mac System Architecture Jeff Wilcox this week announced that he has left Apple to take on a new role at Intel. As noted on LinkedIn (via Tom's Hardware), Wilcox was part of Apple's M1 team and he had a key role in the transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon. Wilcox's profile says that he "led the transition" for all Macs to Apple silicon, and prior to that, he ...
ternus m1 chip

Today Marks the One Year Anniversary of the First Apple Silicon Macs

Wednesday November 10, 2021 5:25 am PST by
While it may feel rather hard to believe, today marks one year since the first Macs with Apple silicon were unveiled to the world. At a virtual event on November 10, 2020, Apple introduced its custom-designed M1 chip, followed by three new Macs powered by the chip, including the MacBook Air, the lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the lower-end Mac mini. With the M1 chip, Apple delivered...
maxresdefault

Eve Online Now Available Natively on Macs, Optimized for Apple Silicon

Wednesday October 13, 2021 9:59 am PDT by
CCP Games today announced that popular MMORPG Eve Online is now available to play on both Intel and M1 Macs thanks to the launch of a new Mac client. For those unfamiliar with Eve Online, it's a long-running free-to-play online space-focused game that's massive in scale. It has been free for many years now and monetized through in-app purchases. Mac users will be able to play alongside...
myst game mac

New Version of Classic Mac Game 'Myst' Available With M1 Mac Optimization

Thursday August 26, 2021 11:11 am PDT by
Classic puzzle game Myst has been revived on the Mac and an optimized version of the title is now available for M1 Macs. Cyan has undertaken a rework of the game that takes advantage of Metal 2.1 and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution for a 50 percent performance boost on M1 Macs that does not impact game quality. Myst for M1 Macs features improved modeling, textures, and dynamic lighting...
new m1 chip

Tim Cook on Apple Deciding to Manufacture Components: 'We Ask Ourselves If We Can Do Something Better'

Tuesday July 27, 2021 3:04 pm PDT by
During today's earnings call for the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked how Apple decides what components to purchase and what components to develop, and Cook said that Apple asks if it can be done better. We ask ourselves if we can do something better. If we can deliver a better product. If we can buy something in the market and it's great...
premiere pro mac

Adobe Updates Premiere Pro to Run Natively on M1 Macs

Tuesday July 20, 2021 6:37 am PDT by
Adobe today announced it has updated its popular video editing app Premiere Pro with native support for Macs powered by the M1 chip, including the base 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac, and Mac mini. Creative Cloud apps like Premiere Pro run over 80% faster on an M1 Mac compared to an identically configured Intel-based Mac on average, according to Adobe. Adobe plans to...
notability m1 mac

Notability and FileMaker Updated With Native Support for M1 Macs

Wednesday June 23, 2021 11:50 am PDT by
Apple subsidiary Claris today announced the release of FileMaker version 19.3 with several new features, including native support for Apple silicon, resulting in improved performance on Macs with the M1 chip. An overview of new features from the announcement:• Apple silicon: Claris FileMaker Pro and Claris FileMaker Server are the first low-code universal macOS binaries that ensure...
adobe m1 chip

Adobe Updates Illustrator, InDesign, and Lightroom Classic to Run Natively on M1 Macs

Tuesday June 8, 2021 6:41 am PDT by
Adobe today announced the release of major updates across its Creative Cloud software suite. Most notably, its Illustrator, InDesign, and Lightroom Classic apps now run natively on Macs with the M1 chip, resulting in faster performance. Creative Cloud apps are on average over 80% faster on an M1 Mac compared to an identically configured Intel-based Mac, according to Adobe. Additional...
m1 ipad pro chip

M1 iPad Pro Over 50% Faster Than Previous Generation in Early Benchmarks

Tuesday May 11, 2021 11:56 am PDT by
Last month, Apple introduced a new iPad Pro with the same M1 chip found in the latest Macs, and early benchmark results indicate that the M1 iPad Pro is over 50% faster than the previous-generation iPad Pro. Based on five legitimate Geekbench 5 results (here's the fifth) for the fifth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M1 chip, the device has average single-core and multi-core scores of...
ipad pro with m1 chip

Apple Ramping Up M1 Production as New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Expected to Reach Five Million Shipments in 2021

Thursday April 22, 2021 2:19 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly expecting high demand for its new M1-powered iPad Pro as the company has asked its main chip supplier, TSMC, to ramp up production of the chip for its new iPad, and newer Mac computers, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. Earlier this week, Apple unveiled a brand new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro powered by the M1 Apple silicon chip, the same chip powering the new...
m1 mac family

Apple Now Selling More M1 Macs Than Intel-Based Models, Says Tim Cook

Wednesday April 21, 2021 4:34 am PDT by
Despite only being released in November, sales of the M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini now represent the majority of Mac sales, outperforming Mac computers powered by Intel processors, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook made the remarks during Apple's "Spring Loaded" event yesterday, where it introduced a completely redesigned 24-inch iMac powered by the M1 Apple silicon...
touch id magic keyboard for imac

Magic Keyboard With Touch ID Compatible With All M1 Macs, But Only Sold With iMac For Now

Tuesday April 20, 2021 2:57 pm PDT by
Alongside the redesigned iMac, Apple introduced a new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for fingerprint authentication, which is useful for quickly logging into macOS or confirming an Apple Pay purchase online. As first noted by Rene Ritchie and confirmed by MacRumors, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is fully compatible with all M1 Macs, including the new iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air,...
Intel MBP Is Thin and Lighjt

Intel Ad for 'World's Best Processor' Features a MacBook Pro

Wednesday April 7, 2021 9:51 am PDT by
Intel has been on a relentless marketing drive against Mac computers in recent weeks, positioning them as inferior to Windows laptops powered by Intel processors. In a slight slip-up, however, Intel has accidentally used a MacBook instead of a Windows laptop in one of its newest ads to promote one of its new 11th-generation chips as "the world's best processor." The ad appeared on Reddit and ...
intel manufactured m1

After Anti-M1 Ads, Intel Wants to Make Future Apple Silicon Chips

Tuesday March 23, 2021 3:30 pm PDT by
Apple in November started releasing Macs with Apple-designed M1 chips, and the Apple silicon technology will eventually replace all the Intel chips that Apple has used in its Mac lineup for years. Intel appears to be having a difficult time with Apple's transition. Last week, the company launched an anti-M1 Mac ad campaign starring Justin Long, and now, Intel is pinning its hopes on...
intel go pc justin long

Intel Launches Heavily Biased 'PC vs. Mac' Comparison Website

Thursday March 18, 2021 11:56 am PDT by
As part of its barrage of attacks against M1 Macs, Intel this week launched a "PC vs. Mac" website that's biased heavily in favor of PC machines that are equipped with Intel chips and that makes questionable claims about Apple's M1 Mac lineup. Intel's website says that Apple's M1 Mac benchmarks don't "translate to real-world usage" and that when compared to PCs with 11th-Generation Intel...
maxresdefault

Intel Dunks on Apple's Dongles in Continued Anti-M1 Mac Campaign

Thursday March 18, 2021 10:05 am PDT by
Intel is continuing its anti-Apple ad campaign, today sharing a tweet that calls out the lack of ports on M1 Macs. In a photo, actor Justin Long sits on a couch with a Windows PC and holds up a handful of Apple dongles. Anyone know who these belong to? #GoPC pic.twitter.com/W6wCfMSEb8— Intel (@intel) March 18, 2021 Apple's Macs have long been derided for their lack of ports and the need to...
macOS universal download

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Updated With Official Apple Silicon Support

Friday March 5, 2021 1:03 am PST by
Microsoft has updated Visual Studio Code with official support for M1 Apple Silicon Macs, offering developers the ability to use the software without the need for emulation on Rosetta. The support is coming to the web and cloud app code editor as part of its February 2021 1.54 build, which alongside Apple Silicon support, includes several improvements and updates. Microsoft says that with...
mac mini developer transition kit photo feature

Developers Start Receiving $500 Credits for Returning DTK Mac Minis

Thursday March 4, 2021 4:31 pm PST by
Apple last week sent out emails to developers who are in possession of a Developer Transition Kit, providing instructions on returning the test machines. Developers have now started mailing in their DTKs, with Apple rewarding the promised $500 USD credit once the DTK has been received. In appreciation of your participation in the Universal App Quick Start program and to help with your...
mac mini developer transition kit photo feature

Apple Requiring Developers to Return DTK Mac Minis by March 31

Friday February 26, 2021 2:57 pm PST by
Apple today sent out emails to developers who are in possession of a Developer Transition Kit, asking them to return the machines by March 31. The Developer Transition Kits are Mac minis with A12Z chips that Apple provided for development purposes ahead of the release of the M1 Macs. Apple in the emails provided developers with shipping instructions, and plans to begin collecting the DTKs...