Is The 2020 MacBook M1 Still A Good Buy in 2024?

You probably know by now that the latest Macbook Pro, equipped with the newest M3 chip, was announced at the end of October 2023. The M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max promise greater performance, enhanced displays, and up to 22 hours of battery life, all wrapped in a new space black finish.

The newer models are now available in the Apple Philippines store, with pricing ranging from ₱104,990 for the M3, to ₱201,990 for the M3 Max. 

The hefty price tag may be daunting, so you’re probably considering opting for an M2 Macbook Pro or even a Macbook Air M1, currently the most affordable Macbook you can buy for ₱57,990. But is the three-year-old machine still worth buying?

If you want to upgrade your Intel-based Macbook or switch to the Apple ecosystem, read on. 

A tale of two chips

M1-equipped Macbooks were made available in the market in 2020 after Apple announced its transition from Intel-based to custom-built silicon chips. M1 MacBooks had four high-performance cores and four efficiency cores. It also bore a 7-core Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which meant power-intensive tasks (video editing and graphics work) were easy-peasy for the Macbook Pro. In contrast, the Macbook Air was best designed for lighter work and more casual use, but it could still handle editing 4K videos or working with Photoshop without breaking a sweat. 

From Apple Newsroom

The M3 chip, later introduced near the end of 2023, had up to 16 cores in its CPU, and 40 cores in its GPU–a huge jump from the base model of M1 MacBooks. According to Apple, rendering videos via FinalCut Pro was “up to 60% faster” compared to the M1 MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, spreadsheet performance using Microsoft Excel was “up to 40% faster” on the M3. 

What should you upgrade to?

Apple promises that the M3 Max, in particular, was 11 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro–along with 11 more hours of battery life. And compared to the M1 chip, it’s over 50% faster than its original core efficiency chip. In terms of performance, the latest iteration of Apple’s silicon chip is also 30% faster than its predecessor. 

From JustViral Official GIPHY

Putting these numbers into perspective, any Macbook equipped with the M3 chip is a worthwhile update, especially if your current or previous machine is an Intel-based laptop. You may also want to replace your older machine, as they won’t be receiving as many software and security updates in later years. 

However, if you’re already using a Macbook with an M1 or M2 chip, and your everyday workflow doesn’t necessarily require “the latest and the greatest,” you might want to stick to what you currently have.  

A Macbook with an M1 chip is also a great gateway device into the Apple ecosystem. It’s the most affordable notebook option from Apple–ideal for students or casual users–but it’s pretty efficient enough for more graphics-intensive work. Either way, it’s still a pretty strong option even if it’s close to four years old.