Facepalm: It has been almost 20 years since Apple launched the Microsoft-mocking “I am a Mac, I am a PC” commercials, and the 2 firms proceed to take photographs at one another of their respective adverts. The newest from the Redmond large claims that prime Copilot+ PCs are greater than 50% quicker than a Mac – particularly, the now-discontinued MacBook Air M3 that launched in March 2024.
Microsoft’s 12-second advert, which does not precisely scream high-end manufacturing values, was proven on the official Home windows YouTube channel. The announcer excitedly boasts that “High Copilot+ PCs are as much as 58% quicker than MacBook Air with M3.” Simply to make sure the purpose is pushed residence, he provides, “That is proper, quicker than a Mac.”
As many of the feedback beneath the video level out, Microsoft appears to be taking an extreme quantity of satisfaction in the very best Copilot+ PCs in the marketplace being quicker than an entry-level machine launched over a yr in the past.
The disclaimer within the advert notes that the figures are based mostly on Cinebench 2024 multi-core CPU benchmarks. It directs viewers to an internet site stating that the 58%-faster declare comes from Microsoft-commissioned testing carried out by Principled Applied sciences performed in Might 2024 and September 2024.
The assessments in contrast the M3 MacBook Air to a number of Copilot+ machines, together with the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and Microsoft’s personal Floor Laptop computer, each of that are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip. In addition they used HP’s OmniBook Extremely 14 with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.
Apple launched the extra highly effective successor to the M3 MacBook Air, the M4 mannequin, in March this yr. Apple additionally made the newest MacBook Airs $100 cheaper than their 13- and 15-inch M3 predecessors and made 16GB of unified reminiscence the usual.
A part of Microsoft’s web site states that in different Cinebench 2024 benchmarks carried out in April 2025, “a number of” Snapdragon X gadgets all scored greater than the 866 achieved by Apple’s M4 10-core CPU. In case you’re questioning why Microsoft would select to boast in regards to the Copilot+ PCs being quicker than an M3 MacBook Air and never an M4, it is as a result of the Home windows gadgets had been solely barely quicker than the newer SoC, as you’ll be able to see under.
System | Processor | Efficiency Acquire vs. M4 MacBook Air (866) | Cinebench 2024 Rating |
---|---|---|---|
ASUS Vivobook S 14 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 | 5.3% | 912 |
Dell XPS 13 9345 | Snapdragon X Elite | 8.9% | 943.3 |
HP OmniBook Extremely 14 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 | 11.4% | 965 |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x 14″ | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite | 18.9% | 1029.6 |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x 14″ | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite | 19.4% | 1033.6 |
Lenovo Yoga Professional 7 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 | 17.9% | 1021.3 |
Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 15″ | Snapdragon X Elite | 9.7% | 950 |
Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 13.8″ | Snapdragon X Elite | 2.7% | 889.6 |
Laptops carrying the Copilot+ branding nonetheless solely make up a small fraction of total laptop computer shipments, with most shoppers not sharing Microsoft’s enthusiasm for these machines. It is unlikely that advertising campaigns like this one, evaluating the top-tier Copilot+ fashions to a discontinued base MacBook Air M3, are going to extend their reputation.