The new MacBook is the lightest and thinnest model to date

Apr 2, 2015 07:20 GMT  ·  By

During the “Spring Forward” event last month, Apple took the opportunity to unveil an extremely thin and light MacBook model with Retina display.

The laptop is atypical in the sense that it arrives with a single USB Type-C port, making it the first notebook to actually implement the new standard.

While the new MacBook isn't yet available for purchase (it’s launching on April 10), the folks at Mac Rumors managed to dig up preliminary test results in Geekbench benchmark database which give us an idea of what to expect from the real life product in terms of performance.

The new model takes advantage of a 2,304 x 1,440 pixel resolution display and draws power from an Intel Core M chip (1.1 GHz dual-core with Intel HD Graphics 5300), with no fan factored into the equation.

Apple’s base Retina MacBook model which popped up in benchmarks as the MacBook 8.1 managed to score 1,924 points in the single core test, while in multi-core it achieved 4,308 points. Since then, the page on the PrimateLabs website has been removed, but a Google cache continues to be available.

New Retina MacBook boasts similar performance to models from 2011

Interestingly enough, pitting these results against a recently tested 2011 11-inch MacBook Air taking advantage of an Intel Core i7 CPU clocked at 1.8GHz reveals that the new Retina MacBook performs in a similar fashion. The 2011 model scored 2,023 points in the single-core test and 4,222 points in the multi-core challenge.

Even if the performance of the new MacBook seems to be on par with models from 2011, graphics performance is also an important aspect that should be taken into consideration. However, Greekbench did not measure that, but the outcome should be far superior compared to the 2011 model.

But maybe more important than performance for a laptop boasting a demanding Retina display is offering a viable battery life.

The Retina MacBook relies on a 39.7-watt-hour battery which the Cupertino tech giant says is capable of handling up to nine hours of web browsing and up to 10 hours of movie playback, but it remains to be seen if this is indeed the case.

Apart from the base model, Apple will offer versions taking advantage of an Intel Core M processor clocked at 1.2GHz if you’re willing to throw in an extra $300 / €277. The base model starts at $1,299 / €1,200.

Benchmark results (3 Images)

New Apple MacBook is the thinnest and lightest to date
New MacBook gets benchmarkedEntry level 2011 MacBook Air gets benchmarked
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