How to Determine If Your Apple MacBook Has an Apple Chip or an Intel Processor

When it comes to determining the processor of your Apple MacBook, whether it's an Intel chip or an Apple chip, the easiest and most straightforward method is to use the built-in About This Mac feature.

Check Processor Type Using About This Mac

To find out if your MacBook is powered by an Apple chip or an Intel processor, follow these steps:

Open your Mac and locate the Apple menu located at the top-left corner of your screen. Select About This Mac from the drop-down menu. Scroll through the information displayed in the new window that appears. Look for the section labeled Processor. Here, you will see a clear indication of either an Apple M1 series (or later models) or an Intel processor.

For Intel-based Macs, the About This Mac window will show an item labeled Processor followed by the name of the Intel processor. For Macs with the Apple M1 series or later, the processor type will be clearly labeled as such.

Additional Methods to Find Processor Type

If you are unable to determine the processor type using the About This Mac feature, there are additional methods available:

Using the Terminal Command

1. Launch the Terminal application. You can find it in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder.

2. In Terminal, type the following command and press Enter: sysctl -n

3. If your MacBook has an Apple M1 chip, the output will resemble the following:
M1

For MacBooks with Intel processors, the output will include the model name of the Intel processor, such as Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7.

Checking the Model Number Through Apple Support

If you still have doubts or cannot locate the information through the above methods, you can consult your Mac's model number. Here is how you can do it:

Click on the Apple menu and select About This Mac. Scroll down to the section labeled About This Mac. Note the Serial Number and Model Number provided. You can use these details along with a search on Apple's Support website to find detailed information about your MacBook's hardware components, including the processor.

Understanding the Evolution of Mac Processors

The transition from Intel processors to Apple chips (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2, etc.) was a significant shift in Apple's computing lineup. Prior to the release of the M1 chip in 2020, Macs primarily relied on Intel processors.

Very early versions of Macintosh computers used Motorola CPUs. They then transitioned to IBM CPUs. Since 2006, most Macs have been using Intel processors. Since 2021, the shift to Apple-designed chips has been taking place, beginning with the release of the M1 chip.

This transition has brought about a shift in performance, power efficiency, and overall design of the Mac lineup, providing better compatibility and performance in the same physical form factor.

Conclusion

Whether you are upgrading your MacBook or looking to understand its capabilities, knowing the processor type is crucial. By using the built-in About This Mac feature or the Terminal command, you can easily determine whether your MacBook has an Apple chip or an Intel processor.

If you need more detailed information or assistance, you can always consult Apple Support or the official Apple website.