Teardowns show differences between MacBooks with and without M1-soc

Teardowns show the internal differences between MacBooks with and without Apple M1-soc. Apple will release its first laptops with its own soc this week, but the differences in design with the Intel versions appear to be relatively small.

The main difference between the MacBook Air with Intel processor and the one with Apple-soc, according to iFixit, is the removal of the fan. Instead, there is a metal plate to conduct and dissipate the heat. The MacBook Pro 13 “with M1-soc does have a fan, which is identical to that of the MacBook Pro with Intel processor.

The soc and the integrated memory are also visible in the teardown. As expected, no Apple T2 chip can be found on the pcb; the functions of that chip, including fingerprint scanner management and security functions, are now in the Secure Enclave of the M1-soc.

Apple is releasing the laptops this week. In time, the manufacturer wants to equip all its devices with its own socs, but it has started with its cheapest three Mac devices: the Mac mini, the MacBook Air and the cheapest MacBook Pro. All more expensive devices are available for purchase with Intel processors.

The Intel version is on the left and the M1 version on the right. Source: iFixit