Intel-based Mac | What is an Intel Mac, and how is it different from Apple Silicon?

Are you considering an Intel Mac for its versatility and more? An Intel Mac is a Macintosh computer with an Intel x86 processor. Apple made the transition from IBM and Freescale PowerPC processors to Intel x86 in 2006. Alongside this, it released Boot Camp, which allows Intel Macs to boot into either macOS or Windows, preloaded on the computer.

Intel-based Macs make it easier to move information between PCs and Macs. Until now, files in formats like the TIFF photo standard had to be converted before they could pass from a Mac to a Windows machine.

However, in 2020, Apple started its transition of Macs from Intel processors to ARM-based CPUs to unify all its desktop and mobile platforms under a single CPU architecture. Let's discuss more!

How can I tell if my Mac is Intel-based?

Starting in early 2020, Apple began its transition from Intel CPUs to its M1 Apple Silicon chip, followed by a more powerful M2 chip. With so many Mac models looking virtually identical while sporting either an Intel processor or Apple Silicon, it can be difficult to tell them apart, especially given the significant performance gains of the newer processors.

However, you can identify an Intel-based Mac by using the “About This Mac” feature. Follow these steps to determine if your Mac has an Intel processor:

Step 1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen.

Step 2. Click on “About This Mac.”

Step 3: An Intel-based Mac displays "Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7."

In summary, if your Mac has an Intel chip, “About This Mac” shows a section named “Processor,” followed by the official name and model number of the Intel processor that runs your device.

The Pros and Cons of Apple's Chip Shift from Intel Macs

In this section, we'll weigh the pros and cons of both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon to help you understand the different aspects of these MacBooks.

Advantages

When the new Macs arrive, Apple will suffer no more from Intel's delays and inefficiencies (such as the cancellation of its Cannon Lake processor).

• Better battery life should be possible, owing to the unmatched watts-per-dollar productivity of the market.
• With its lead in hardware development for mobile devices and tablets, Apple can do for the Mac what it has done for those products. Intel's chip delivery schedule will no longer constraint Apple.
• Programmers will find it easier to optimize applications for the entire ecosystem (including Macs, iPhones, and iPads). Silicon-based Macs should be able to run iOS apps seamlessly, though programmers will have to prepare them for the Apple app store.
• The CPUs in iPhones and iPads are already powerful enough for Macs. Apple will be able to integrate hardware and software more seamlessly than ever. Unlike other ARM processors, Apple's will have access to cutting-edge energy efficiency, deep learning, secure enclaves, cognitive engines, an Apple GPU, and more.
• The world's most powerful supercomputer, Fugaku, is powered by Arm-based SoCs designed by Fujitsu. Apple's operating margins should increase, allowing it to pass some benefits on to consumers, if only by reducing Mac prices (unlikely, though).
• Better high-performance GPUs will mean more advanced professional applications and high-end gaming. With fewer semiconductors required, ARM-based CPUs use less energy and generate less heat. And if engineers can get fast access to a neural engine, they should be able to deploy machine-learning algorithms.

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Because ARM is not binary-compatible with x86 or x64 software, most Windows programs will require an emulator to run, but that may not be much of an issue for Mac users.

• While ARM and AMD are making progress, Intel remains dominant, which means that programmers will continue to write software for it. Since introducing its A4 chip in 2010, Apple has been making CPUs, so it has over a decade of experience in this area. One could argue that Intel has a longer track record.
• Microsoft's ARM-based Surface Pro has had various problems, especially with professional applications, owing to software incompatibilities.
• One big advantage of Apple's move to Intel in 2006 was that Mac users could run Windows on their computers. That made the Mac more attractive to people reluctant to give up Windows.
• Any new device goes through a challenging teething phase. Apple Silicon is untested and unproven on the Mac. No one knows what will be possible.

Final Award

In short, these are all about Intel Macs, with everything precisely describing the differences between Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, including their pros and cons, and how to check whether your Mac is based on Intel. Hopefully, you now have a full understanding of Intel Macs, and let's look forward to what could be the beginning of the next big transition in computing.