Benchmark results shared by YouTube channel Max Tech show that the base 13-inch MacBook Air model with M3 chip, 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM has significantly faster SSD speed than the equivalent model using M2 chip.
According to MacRumors, Max Tech’s video analysis confirms that Apple has returned to using two 128 GB storage chips for the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 with 256 GB of internal memory. The model equivalent to last year’s M2 chip uses a single 256GB storage chip. This change resulted in faster SSD read and write speeds in tests because the two chips can handle requests in parallel
Max Tech ran Blackmagic’s Disk Speed Test tool on a 5 GB file size test on both the M2 and M3 models of the 13-inch MacBook Air with 8/256 GB configurations. They found that the SSD in the M3 chip model achieved write speeds up to 33% faster, while read speeds were 82% faster than the SSD in the M2 model. The change will likely extend to the base model of the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M3 chip, although Max Tech has not yet explored this model.
Apple’s decision to move to a single 256GB chip for the base MacBook Air M2 model in 2022 has caused controversy, although the slower SSD speeds are unlikely to be detected by the average user in daily tasks. The change will now help customers buying Apple’s M3 laptop line no longer have to worry about having to choose a model with a 512GB SSD for faster storage speeds.
MacBook Air M3 models were by Apple officially launched on March 6. The company continues to sell the 13-inch version using the M2 chip and 8/256 GB configuration for $999, but customers who want maximum SSD performance should avoid this model.