How do I know if my Mac is x86 or ARM?
Click on the System icon. Click About on the left side menu at the very bottom. Under Device specifications on the right side, check the System type. This will indicate either a x86-based processor (32-bit), x64-based processor (64-bit), or an ARM-based processor.
To determine the system type for macOS
Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Click the System Report button. If you do not see this button, click More Info, then scroll down and click the System Report button. On the Hardware panel, locate the Processor Name.
To open About This Mac, choose Apple menu > About This Mac. On Mac computers with an Intel processor, About This Mac shows an item labeled Processor, followed by the name of an Intel processor. A Mac with an Intel processor is also known as an Intel-based Mac.
Since 2020, Apple has been working to transition away from Intel chips, instead using its own Apple silicon chips. Apple's custom chips are Arm-based and are similar to the A-series chips used in iPhones and iPads, and Apple unveiled the first Apple silicon Macs in November 2020.
- Open a new command prompt.
- Type echo %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% and hit the Enter key.
- The output includes one of the following values: x86 for a 32-bit CPU, AMD64 for a 64-bit CPU, or ARM64.
- You can close the command prompt if you want.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click About on the right, then click System Report. Tip: You can also press and hold the Option key, then choose Apple menu > System Information to open the system report.
- Open Start.
- Search for System Information and click the top result to open the app.
- Click on Summary.
- Check the “System Type” information. If it reads “x64-based PC,” you have a 64-bit processor. If it reads “ARM-based PC” then you have an ARM64-based processor.
The M1 is an ARM processor, not an x86 processor. It integrates more components than an Intel CPU. The Apple M1 also integrates RAM in the same package. It features Rosetta 2 dynamic binary translation that allows it to run x86 software.
If you go to System Information, under "System Summary", the "System Type" will have ARM in it. For example, ARM64-based PC. If it is not ARM, it will say something like x64-based PC.
For the new MacBook Air/Pro with Apple silicon, we call it Apple silicon Mac as well as ARM-based Mac, given that Apple's custom chips are based on ARM architecture. ARM, the acronym for Advanced RISC Machines, is a kind of architecture for computer processors.
How do I know what core processor I have Mac?
- Navigate towards the top left corner of your screen and click the Apple Logo.
- Click "About this mac" > "System Report" > "Hardware"
- The number of CPU Cores should be listed in the Hardware overview, to the right of "Total number of Cores"
View CPU activity on your Mac in the Activity Monitor window. To enable viewing in the Dock, choose View > Dock Icon, then select the Show CPU option you want to view. In the Activity Monitor app on your Mac, do any of the following: To view processor activity over time, click CPU (or use the Touch Bar).
Intel processors (sometimes known as X86 for Windows 32-bit programs) use Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC), whereas ARM processors use Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC).
Apple silicon is a series of system on a chip (SoC) and system in a package (SiP) processors designed by Apple Inc., mainly using the ARM architecture. They are the basis of most new Mac computers as well as all iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch devices and of products such as AirPods, AirTag and HomePod.
Apple's move to its own ARM-based, custom-designed chips for its Mac computers was long anticipated. The simple reason behind the shift is Cupertino's obsession with end-to-end control over its hardware and software — it has achieved the same with almost all its other products, including iPhones and iPads.
Given that choice, the Apple Silicon M1 (and M2) chip is an AArch64 architecture. AArch64 is another name for ARM64, so it is an ARM architecture. The AMD64 architecture is what is also known as x86_64, x64 or even Intel 64-bit architecture.
Right-click on the Start button on the lower left corner of the screen. Left-click on System. There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows.
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About . Open About settings.
- At the right, under Device specifications, see System type.
Type in the following command and then hit enter: sysctl -a | grep machdep. cpu 3. You'll see a bunch of information appear that will tell you a lot about your Mac's processor. For more, see the original article at the link below.
On macOS, two architecture are supported: x86_64 is the architecture of Intel's 64-bit CPUs, sometimes also simply referred to as x64 . It is the architecture for all Intel Macs shipped between 2005 and 2021. arm64 is the architecture used by newer Macs built on Apple Silicon, shipped in late 2020 and beyond.
Does my Mac have a 64-bit processor?
Apple macOS
Select the About This Mac option in the Apple menu. On the About This Mac window, click the More Info option. Open the Hardware section and find the Processor Name attribute. Once listed, perform an Internet search, using the CPU's processor name as a keyword, to determine if it's a 32-bit or 64-bit CPU.
ARM uses more memory to process multiple instructions. It consumes 5W power even when GPUs and other peripherals are used. X86 processors focus more on performance and high throughputs, and it uses more registers to achieve it. Hence the power consumption and heat generation are more here.
Essentially, ARM (which the M1, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch chips use) and x86 (used by Intel) are two different kinds of processor architectures. If that sounds complicated, it's because it is – so don't worry! Here's a simple way of thinking about it: The processor is like your computer's engine.
...
Apple M1.
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Instruction set | ARMv8.5-A |
| Physical specifications | |
| Transistors | M1: 16 billion M1 Pro: 33.7 billion M1 Max: 57 billion M1 Ultra: 114 billion |
macOS Big Sur is the first release of macOS for Macs powered by Apple-designed ARM64-based processors, a key part of the transition from Intel x86-64-based processors. The chip mentioned in demo videos, and used in the Developer Transition Kit, is the A12Z Bionic.
...
Apple M1 Pro.
| Series | Apple Apple M-Series |
|---|---|
| GPU | Apple M1 Pro 16-Core GPU |
| 64 Bit | 64 Bit support |
| Architecture | ARM |
| Announcement Date | 10/18/2021 = 580 days old |
ARM Mac software
These are apps designed for iPad that have been formatted to work on Macs with macOS system architecture and Intel chipsets.
Designed by ARM Holdings plc, Cambridge, England (www.arm.com), the company was founded in 1990 by Acorn Computers, Apple and VLSI Technology. The ARM brand originally stood for Acorn RISC Machine and later Advanced RISC Machine.
Definition: Intel Mac
A Mac computer powered by an Intel x86 CPU. In 2006, Apple switched from PowerPC CPUs made by IBM and Freescale to x86 CPUs from Intel.
The generation of the processor is the first number after i9, i7, i5, or i3. Here are some examples: Intel® Core™ Processor i7-13700K Processor is 13th generation because the number 13 is listed after i7. Intel® Core™ Processor i9-12900HX Processor is 12th generation because the number 12 is listed after i9.
Which Mac models have Intel processors?
Here they are. As of now, there are three Macs that Apple sells that run Intel chips: the 2020 27-inch iMac, the 2019 Mac Pro, and the 2018 Mac mini. Apart from them, all other Macs run Apple's silicon, which means the M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max.
ARM devices are substantially more energy-efficient by design. They have a simpler design because they are RISC processors. As a result, a PC powered by powered may have a battery life that is significantly longer than x86.
Apple considers Mac "vintage" if they were released between 5 and 7 years ago, and obsolete if older than 7 years. Obsolete Macs no longer qualify for service and support.
ARM vs x86 for energy usage
For example, ARM architectures (like ARMv8) tend not to have simplified cooling systems (no fans on a cell phone). However, x86 CPUs have tended to favor high-end processing speed over low power consumption.
Different from the Intel, the ARM processors using simple RISC instruction set keep energy wastage to a minimum. Also, due to the simple instruction set, they need fewer transistors, which allows for smaller integrated circuitry. All these bring high power efficiency for ARM processors.
The switch from Intel to ARM processors will undoubtedly usher in low-cost, smaller, and power-efficient devices, accelerating a wave of new devices that will co-mingle with existing, older-yet-viable devices and servers.
In June 2020, Apple confirmed that it would change the Mac processors from Intel to ARM chips, or “Apple Silicon chips.” These are the same chips found in devices such as the iPhone and iPad, which have proven to be quite powerful and extremely efficient.
The announcement was made during that year's WWDC Keynote Address. At the time Apple announced the transition, Jobs attributed the switch to a superior product roadmap that Intel offered, as well as an inability to build products envisioned by Apple based on the PowerPC product roadmap.
Discontinuing this old Intel-powered Mac Mini means that Apple has just one computer left to transition to its own Arm-based Apple silicon chips: the Mac Pro.
Apple's chips are based on ARM technology, as opposed to the x86 architecture that Intel's chips use. ARM was originally designed for mobile devices, and chips built with ARM designs are consistently more efficient, leading to longer battery life. On a laptop, that could mean several extra hours away from the plug.
Is Macbook M1 ARM or x86?
The M1 is an ARM processor, not an x86 processor. It integrates more components than an Intel CPU. The Apple M1 also integrates RAM in the same package.
Given that choice, the Apple Silicon M1 (and M2) chip is an AArch64 architecture. AArch64 is another name for ARM64, so it is an ARM architecture. The AMD64 architecture is what is also known as x86_64, x64 or even Intel 64-bit architecture.
The Apple M2 is a series of ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. as a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) for its Mac desktops and notebooks, and the iPad Pro tablet.
ARM-based chips are just more energy efficient than their Intel counterparts, and for laptops, this could mean huge gains in battery life. Though ARM is typically considered the weaker of the two chips, Apple will no-doubt configure the chips to get the most out of them, much like it has in its mobile device line.
You definitely can not virtualize and run an x86 operating system on either the Tech Preview or Parallels running on an Apple Silicon (M1) Mac. If you want to do that, you will have to look at something that emulates an Intel architecture processor such as QEMU or it's more friendly derivative UTM.
32-bit Arm apps available from the Store in Windows are not supported by Mac computers with M1 and M2 chips. 32-bit Arm apps are in the process of being deprecated for all Arm versions of Windows.
- Please open the Apple menu on the top left corner of your desktop screen.
- Click on “About This Mac”
- Users with Intel processors will have “Processor…. Intel Core…” and users with Apple Silicon will have “Chip Apple M1”
From the 'About this Mac' screen, on the 'Overview' tab, look for a line that indicates either 'Chip' or 'Processor'. If the line contains M1 or M2, the machine is running Apple Silicon. Alternatively, the word Intel indicates that the machine is running an Intel-based Core series processor.
ARM vs x86 for energy usage
For example, ARM architectures (like ARMv8) tend not to have simplified cooling systems (no fans on a cell phone). However, x86 CPUs have tended to favor high-end processing speed over low power consumption.
Right-click on the Start button on the lower left corner of the screen. Left-click on System. There will be an entry under System called System Type listed. If it lists 32-bit Operating System, than the PC is running the 32-bit (x86) version of Windows.
