MacBook WebGL GPU Test Results

MacBook browser GPU scores are useful only when you record the browser, power state and thermal state. Apple Silicon machines can look very strong in short shader tests, but fanless MacBook Air models can lose stability when they are already warm.

Test conditions

Field	Setting
Benchmark	Volume Shader BM Test
Mode	Medium
Browser requirement	Hardware acceleration enabled
Warmup	One first run ignored when comparing devices
Power	Plugged in when possible
Cooling	Device allowed to cool before repeated runs

Reference rows

Device	Browser	Mode	Avg FPS	P10 FPS	Score	Stability
MacBook Air 13 M1	Safari	Medium	52	47	15,600	90%
MacBook Air 13 M2	Chrome	Medium	61	55	18,300	90%

These rows should not be read as a universal MacBook ranking. Safari and Chrome can use different graphics paths, and the effective render resolution changes with viewport size and device pixel ratio.

What to watch on fanless MacBooks

Fanless systems can complete Medium mode smoothly when cool, then lose FPS after repeated Heavy runs. If you see a strong first score followed by a lower second score, the device may be thermally saturated. Let it sit idle for a few minutes and compare the next Medium result.

How to compare two MacBooks fairly

Use the same browser on both machines. Close external displays if one machine has them and the other does not. Run the benchmark once to compile shaders, close the result panel, then run the same mode again. Compare the second result, not the first.

Useful next pages

• Device reports
• GPU leaderboard
• Benchmark methodology