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The new MacBook should be bought for its sexy looks, not its brains

New benchmark shows off average processing performance for Apple's super-sleek notebook

Esat Dedezade

The new MacBook is absolutely, positively, undeniably stunning. But those looks, it seems, come with a price.

We were bowled over by its incredibly thin, premium metal body in our hands-on review, but reservations over its single USB-C port bring up a legitimate connectivity concern.

While you can solve that niggle with adaptors, there is another potential issue which no amount of money can solve – power.

MacRumors has spotted a Geekbench benchmark, allegedly carried out by a new MacBook, and its results are on par with the 2011 MacBook Air.

The 1.1GHz entry-level MacBook, powered by an Intel Core M-5Y31 processor, produced a maximum single-core score of 2044, and a maximum multi-core score of 4475. In comparison, the 2015 entry-level MacBook Air’s 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor manages 2881 and 5757 respectively.

Power, it seems, is a price one must pay for the incredible sleekeness of the new MacBook.

It’s not all bad though. Those numbers are for pure processing power, which means they don’t take into account the integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics of the new MacBook, which will definitely outperform the equivalent 2011 MacBook Air.

Obviously we’d never expected an Intel Core M processor to crunch heavier numbers than an i5 chip, and these numbers confirm it.

If high-end gaming, raw power and graphical design are your thing, then the MacBook Pro remains your best (and priciest) bet, while the Air offers a decent middle ground for frequent multitaskers and casual gaming.

And as for the MacBook? It appears to be the best for those who want a functional work of art.

Stay tuned for our full review of the new MacBook, to see how its performance fares in the real world.

[via MacRumors]

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About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.