MacBook Neo SSD read and write speed exposed! Only 1/8 of the M5 Max MacBook Pro

Apple launches new model priced at only 19,900 yuan MacBook Neo , successfully lowered the threshold of Mac laptops to an unprecedented low price, and many people began to pay attention to this “cheapest machine”. Mac”What specifications were sacrificed?
Recent foreign media tests have found that there is a significant gap between MacBook Neo’s SSD speed and other Mac notebooks, and the reading and writing performance is even only high-end. MacBook Pro a small part of. For ordinary document users, the difference may not be felt immediately, but when it comes to large file transfers or multitasking, such speed differences may gradually emerge. This also makes people start to think about where Apple has made trade-offs while lowering prices.

MacBook Neo SSD read and write speed exposed! Only 1/8 of the M5 Max MacBook Pro

Apple recently launched a new MacBook Neo, which focuses on a more affordable price and simple positioning. Many users who were originally on the fence about Mac laptops began to pay attention to this product. The new positioning with a starting price of only 19,900 yuan also makes it the most accessible Mac laptop currently. However, as various test results gradually came to light, the outside world began to discover that this entry-level Mac did make a lot of trade-offs in certain hardware specifications, the most eye-catching of which is the read and write speed of SSD.

▲Picture source:Apple

According to foreign media The Verge According to the test data, there is a clear gap between MacBook Neo and other MacBook series in terms of storage speed. The test model is equipped with an A18 Pro chip and 256GB of storage space. The actual measured SSD continuous read speed is about 1735 MB/s, and the write speed is about 1684 MB/s. If you look at the numbers alone, this speed is actually not too slow and is still sufficient for daily paperwork, surfing the Internet, or audio and video playback. However, if you compare it with other MacBooks, the gap will become quite obvious.

Taking the latest MacBook Air as an example, the version equipped with an M5 chip and equipped with a 1TB SSD has a read and write speed of approximately 7000 MB/s. In other words, the MacBook Neo is only about a quarter as fast as the MacBook Air.
If you look at high-end models, such as the MacBook Pro equipped with an M5 Max chip and a 4TB SSD, the maximum read speed can even reach 13.6 GB/s, and the gap is even more exaggerated.
In proportion, the MacBook Neo’s SSD speed is only about one-eighth that of the high-end MacBook Pro. Such a gap may not necessarily be immediately noticeable in daily operations, but it becomes very obvious in certain situations.

The most intuitive example is large file transfer. Assuming a large 100GB video file needs to be transferred, MacBook Neo may take close to 1 minute to complete. If you’re doing it on a MacBook Air, it only takes about 30 seconds, and on a MacBook Pro it might only take 7 to 8 seconds. This time gap can be quite noticeable when editing footage, backing up data, or moving large files.
In addition to affecting file transfer, SSD speed also affects the startup speed of applications. Most macOS applications need to load data from the SSD when they are launched, so the speed of the storage device directly affects startup time. When the SSD is slow, application startup and data reading will naturally be slightly slower.
Another situation that may be affected is the operation of the system when memory is insufficient. The basic configuration of MacBook Neo is 8GB of memory. When the system needs to handle more applications or large tasks, macOS will use the SSD as virtual memory space, which is the so-called swap. When the SSD is slower, this process may become more performance-intensive, resulting in a decrease in overall operational smoothness.

However, it should also be noted that the MacBook Neo is not designed to be a high-performance work machine. This laptop is mainly targeted at students, general home users, or light work needs, such as document processing, web browsing, audio-visual entertainment, or online meetings. For this type of usage, the read speed of 1735 MB/s is still quite sufficient.

▲Picture source:Apple

When Apple designed the MacBook Neo, it was obvious that it hoped to reduce some hardware specifications in exchange for a more affordable price. In addition to the SSD speed, this machine uses A-series chips instead of M-series chips, and the memory capacity is also maintained at the more basic 8GB level. The overall positioning is that of a lightweight entry-level Mac.
From the perspective of market strategy, such a product actually has its existence. For those who have not entered the Mac ecosystem in the past because of price, MacBook Neo provides a relatively easy option. For Apple, this can also attract more new users into the macOS ecosystem.

▲Picture source:Apple

Conclusion

Overall, MacBook Neo’s SSD speed is indeed much slower than other MacBook series, but this actually reflects its product positioning. By reducing some hardware specifications, Apple has successfully lowered the price of Mac notebooks to 19,900 yuan, allowing more people to have access to the macOS ecosystem.
If the usage scenario is mainly word processing, surfing the Internet or audio-visual entertainment, it is actually difficult to feel the obvious impact. However, if you frequently need to transfer large files, perform video editing or multi-tasking, the difference in SSD speed may gradually become apparent.
So the MacBook Neo is more like an entry-level Mac than a professional work machine. It is still a very attractive option for users who want to experience Mac at the cheapest price.

Further reading:

中油發票中獎 1 千元？小心這類信件是詐騙！完整破解詐騙網頁常見套路

Source: KOCPC Chinese