Laptop buyers looking for a MacBook model may have a hard time deciding between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, especially if they’ve never used Apple laptops before or haven’t purchased a new model in a while. The main confusion may come from the fact that the base MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are equipped with the same M-series chips. Apple also uses the same type of processor in the iPad models. For example, the iPad Pro M5, MacBook Air M5, and MacBook Pro M5 come with similar M5 chip configurations. However, the MacBook Air comes with a slimmer design as the laptop does not have a built-in fan for active cooling like the MacBook Pro. Buyers may wonder how the MacBook Air stays cool and whether it can deliver the same performance as the fan-equipped MacBook Pro. The good news is that the MacBook Air uses its design to transfer heat from the chip to the metal casing, which is enough to allow the laptop to deliver maximum benchmark performance similar to the base MacBook Pro.
In other words, the MacBook Air can deliver similar performance to the MacBook Pro for most tasks, including more complex workflows. MacBook Air users can edit videos, run local AI models, and play graphics-intensive games like MacBook Pro users can, even though the Air doesn’t have an internal fan to move heat faster. However, once passive cooling fails to remove heat effectively, after prolonged use of intensive tasks requiring maximum chip performance, the chip will be limited to allow the laptop to cool.
How Apple Made the Fanless MacBook Air Design Possible
Not all MacBook Air models feature fanless designs. Apple included a fan in Intel-based MacBook Airs released through late 2020. That year, Apple introduced its first M-series chip for MacBooks, using the M1 processor for the all-new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro released that fall. Since then, Apple has continued to upgrade the M-series chip, releasing the M5 MacBooks in late 2025 and early 2026.
The performance and efficiency of the M1’s chip allowed Apple to remove the fan from the Air models without compromising performance. “With the M1’s industry-leading power efficiency, MacBook Air also delivers this performance in a fanless design, meaning no matter what users do, it remains completely silent,” Apple said in a press release in November 2020. iFixit teardowns compared the M1 MacBook Air’s internal design to the Intel-based MacBook Air model in early 2020, revealing that Apple replaced the fan with “a simple aluminum heat sink.” Teardown experts explained that “a thick cold plate” extracts heat from the M1 processor and then conducts it to the cooler end, allowing it to spread. This aluminum heat sink makes contact with the rear case, which is also aluminum, and this is how the heat moves away from the laptop. iFixit also noted at the time that removing the fan was a repairability advantage because owners wouldn’t need to open the device as often to clean or replace the fan.
Reviews also showed the MacBook Air M1 to be a powerful computer, despite its fanless design. Apple introduced a new design with the MacBook Air M2 but kept the fanless concept.
Should you buy a MacBook with a fan?
The MacBook Air M5 offers the same fanless design while delivering higher performance than previous Air models. The Geekbench 6 benchmarks help illustrate this point. The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 scores 4,197 and 16,997 points in single-core and multi-core tests. The Metal GPU’s score is 64,817. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro achieves 4,223, 17,471, and 76,103 points, respectively, in the same tests. Interestingly, the 11-inch iPad Pro M5 scores 4,139, 15,573, and 74,603 in the same tests. It’s worth remembering that the M5 chips are not perfectly identical. iPads can use 9- and 10-core processors, while MacBooks will run on 10-core processor versions. Additionally, the 13-inch Air has an 8-core GPU, compared to a 10-core GPU for the MacBook Pro.
These numbers indicate that the MacBook Air can deliver peak benchmark performance similar to the MacBook Pro, but benchmark tests like Geekbench 6 fall short. The MacBook Air’s fanless design is sufficient to keep the laptop cool during these tests. However, YouTuber Geekerwan (via NotebookCheck) ran a test intended to show the difference in performance between the passively and actively cooled MacBook M5s. The MacBook Pro M5 delivered 40% better performance than the MacBook Air M5 in Cyberpunk 2077, producing higher frame rates. The MacBook Air also reduced frame rates in Elden Ring once the chip was limited.
The fanless design is just one factor to consider when purchasing a MacBook Air. But if you don’t plan to use the MacBook for intensive tasks, such as high-end gaming, you may not need a model with a fan. Finally, some MacBook Neo reviewers found ways to improve cooling to increase performance. The budget laptop also has a fanless design. The same methods can be used to improve passive cooling on a MacBook Air.
