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Tada Images/Shutterstock The last MacBook Air that had a cooling fan was the early 2020 model that featured an Intel chipset. Since the MacBook Air M1 launched in November 2020, all subsequent models have been fanless. A major reason Apple was able to drop fans from the Air is thanks to the addition of its own silicon. The Apple M-series chips the iconic Cupertino company now uses in its slimmest notebooks are more power-efficient than the Intel processors in older models. But how can more recent Air models regulate their temperatures without active fan cooling? That's down to some clever engi

Hadrian/Shutterstock First up, the pros of dropping fans from the MacBook Air. The big one is obviously a complete absence of fan noise. If you've ever owned a powerful gaming laptop, you'll know how hugely distracting constantly whirring fans can be. With newer MacBook Air models, you're guaranteed a whisper-quiet experience even when your machine is under heavy load. No fan means the MacBook Air is lighter, too. Just compare and contrast that last Intel model with a fan to the MacBook Air M2. The 2020 Air weighs in at 2.8 lbs, while the latter tips the scales at 2.7 lbs. With the fans now je

Vladyslav Lehir/Shutterstock For the vast majority of folks, a MacBook Air will handle all of their computing needs in stylish, silent fashion. Balancing performance versus price to a tee, the MacBook Air M5 is currently the best MacBook in our... er, book.  If you're a prosumer video editor who regularly exports large 4K files, for example, you might want to consider a MacBook Pro. You're more likely to avoid thermal throttling at 100 percent load thanks to the Pro's active cooling. It's not just superior thermals where the Pro has a considerable edge over the fanless Air. Demanding creatives