Boost Your MacBook Air M1 with a Heatsink: Performance Matches MacBook Pro

If you only use your MacBook Air for office work or watching YouTube, don't bother with this mod — the M1 chip never hits its limits. But if you edit video or game regularly, adding a heatsink can make a real difference.

First, here's a benchmark score before the mod:

The process is simple. Watch the video:

Next, open the bottom case and apply thermal pads directly to the chip. Since they stick on without residue, this mod shouldn't affect your warranty.

I used Thermalright pads — widely considered the best on the market and under €10.

Here's the finished result. It takes about 5 minutes.

Now the benchmark after the mod:

The score jumped from 6200 to 7400 — a nearly 20% performance boost, bringing it in line with the MacBook Pro M1.

In games like Ace Combat and GTA V, frame drops are almost eliminated. The trade-off is that the bottom case gets warmer.

Feel free to share your experience in the comments.