Apple's all-new M2 MacBook Air can run Windows 11 faster than pricier Windows laptops. The M2-powered MacBook Air was announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference event on June 6 as an upgrade over the M1 MacBook Air launched in 2020. Alongside the new M2 MacBook Air, Apple also launched a new M2 MacBook Pro at WWDC 2022. The two devices may be powered by the same processor and offer the same RAM and storage options, but they have a host of differences in terms of their design and hardware.

Released in 2021, Windows 11 is Microsoft's latest desktop operating system that is distributed as a free update over Windows 10. The two operating systems differ quite a bit in terms of their design but are pretty similar under the hood, with similar performance in gaming, productivity and other applications. The operating system comes in multiple editions, but the two most common ones are Home and Pro. They have many common elements, but there are several differences between the Home and Pro editions as well.

Related: M2 MacBook Air Vs. M1 MacBook Air: Which One Should You Buy, Explained

Benchmark results from tests carried out by YouTube channel Max Tech suggest that the new 2022 MacBook Air can run Windows 11 faster than a pricier Windows PC. Using Parallels 18 to run Windows 11 in the latest MacBook Air, Max Tech tested the system with Geekbench 5. The device scored 1681 in the single-core test and 7260 in the multi-core benchmark.

MacBook Air M2 Is Super Fast

Promo image of the new M2 MacBook Air

The channel also tested a Dell XPS Plus with the same benchmarking app to pit those numbers against a native Windows 11 machine. Surprisingly, the Dell scored only 1182 in the single-core test and 5476 in the multi-core benchmark, thereby losing to the MacBook Air on both counts. However, both these tests were done when the device was unplugged, meaning it was likely being used in 'battery saver' mode, which severely hampers performance.

When the same two tests were done with the Dell laptop plugged in, the scores rose to 1548 for single-core and 8103 for multi-core. While the single-core benchmark was still slightly lower than that of the MacBook, the multi-core result was a bit higher, helping the PC beat the MacBook at least on one count.

What makes the experiment more interesting are the prices of the two devices in play here. The M2 MacBook Air benchmarked in the experiment costs $1599, while the XPS Plus has a $1,849 price tag. It is worth noting that the test doesn't prove beyond a doubt that the M2 MacBook Air is faster than the XPS on all counts in every situation, but it's an achievement in itself under any circumstance that it can outperform a pricier native Windows machine running Windows 11.

Source: Max Tech/YouTube