A week ago, Apple introduced the MacBook Air 15, a device that is aimed at those users who need a screen that offers more work space, but do not want to make significant sacrifices in terms of mobility. This new laptop comes with a configuration of a Apple M2 SoCand uses the system passive coolingmaking it completely silent.

Passive cooling systems not only have the advantage of not making any noise, but also suffer less from the passage of time and the accumulation of dust and dirt, but as is evident they do not have the same ability to dissipate heat than an active system based on one or more fans. This means that manufacturers have to be very careful when choosing one or the other system, because their choice may not be enough for efficient heat removal.

In the case of the new MacBook Air 15, Apple decided to install a passive cooling system. This decision was not accidental, those from the block wanted to keep the weight as low as possible and minimize noise, but in the end this decision was not entirely correct, as it was confirmed that it does not have the necessary cooling power to maintain truly optimal working temperatures.

According to The Verge’s analysis of the MacBook Air 15, this laptop uses a passive cooling system that does not prevent heat from escalating during heavy use of the device. Yes, the laptop gets hot, so hot, isn’t it the entire keyboard area gets quite hot and the temperature is even higher in the area of ​​the function keys. This only happens when the Apple M2 SoC is asked for power, meaning that in basic usage scenarios the temperatures of the MacBook Air 15 remain at very low levels.

Despite the increase in working temperatures They found no stability issuesand it’s also not a serious case of performance loss due to thermal throttling, so the MacBook Air 15 runs at a high temperature, but within normality.

It is also important to consider that heat affects the performance of the M2 SoC and that ultimately a good cooling system makes it possible develop a higher level of performance. Therefore, the cooling system of the MacBook Pro 13, which is of the active type, makes an important difference both in the working temperatures and in the final performance of the device.