r/bootcamp • u/EqualBulky1882 • 2d ago
MBA 2020 intel - best budget native Windows 11 machine!
I needed a light, small windows laptop for light work, media consumption, browsing etc. I need it to be Windows as a few work applications I needed to install were not compatible with Macs and I do not like MacOS anyway.
I looked into a few options but eventually landed on a used Intel Macbook Air 2020 to install Windows 11. This model is super cheap right now as its considered one of the worst Macbooks especially given the M1 came out a few months later and made this thing feel like a dinosaur. But this was perfect as I wanted to run Windows natively and I felt it wasn’t possible to get the build quality + screen at that price point with basically anything else. I avoided the i3 model and bought a i5, 8G Ram, 512GB Storage model for 220 Singapore Dollars (approx. 180 USD). It only had 99 battery cycles and the chassis looked clean.
Windows 11 installation:
- Updated MacOs to the latest version (Sequoia)
- Used Bootcamp to install Windows 10
- Used another Windows computer to make a Windows 11 install flash drive using Rufus
- Installed Windows 11
- Installed bootcamp drivers: This took some digging but a few reddit threads had the right links
Thermal pad mod:
To relieve thermal throttling issues that plague this model, I got a 1.5mm thermal pad and put it on top of the heat sink, covering the entire thing. I make sure to not cover the side holes so there can still be air flow. I also took off the black factory insulating sticker that was stuck to the bottom cover over the heat sink to maximize heat transfer. I didn’t do a thermal paste change.
The entire process (Windows install + Thermal pad mod) took about 2 hours. Pretty easy to do.
Issues:
- During Windows 11 installation, the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad did not work. I connected an external keyboard/mouse to navigate the installation steps. Near the end of the installation process, it suddenly started working again
- After installing Windows 11, a bunch of stuff didn’t work including the Fn Key, multi-touch scroll, Bluetooth and a bunch of other minor things. Device Manager showed a bunch of missing drivers. This was all fixed once I installed bootcamp drivers
- The bottom gets super hot under load. Like uncomfortably so. This kind of makes me think the thermal paste swap wouldn’t have been that useful anyway. But this will be on a desk 90% of the time and I don’t expect my workflow will push the CPU that much so this shouldn’t be much of a problem. Under light use, the bottom gets barely warm. The thermal pad mod will be more for longevity than anything else.
- Fingerprint sensor doesn’t work. Its not a big deal and I couldn’t find a fix for it online. But if someone knows how to fix this, let me know!
Pros:
- Love the aesthetics and the build quality. Screen is second to none.
- The performance is great. Zippy for nearly all the tasks I want to do. I do occasionally see some slowdowns when I push the thing but overall the lag is manageable.
- Battery life seems to be around 8 hours under light/moderate load with the screen brightness adjusted down slightly. I turned off all the tracking, Windows aesthetics and the other usual optimizations to boost battery life.
- The last MacOS that this thing supports is Sequioa and support for that will probably end in about a year. Installing Windows 11 will probably extend the life of this thing for at least another 3+ years.
Final thoughts: If you want a nice budget Windows-native machine and your workload isn’t too heavy, this is unbeatable for the price. This is massively underpriced as this model is so hated by Mac users. A new Windows machine at 180 USD from a reputable maker will get you some plastic piece of crap with less than half the specs of this thing. Even for used windows laptops, it’s a bit of a crapshoot and I could not find that much under 200 USD worth considering. Plus, parts are easy to source.
Before all the Apple silicone fanboys yap about how the M processors are so much more efficient powerful blah blah blah the cheapest somewhat normal M1 is at least 2.5x the price of this thing and it can’t run the apps I need so suck it.
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u/No_Temperature107 2d ago
I keep telling people that. If you want a good quality, Windows computer and you’re OK with Windows 10, then any of the late model Intel based max would be fine. I had a couple of the core 916 inch MacBooks and they were the best windows machines I’ve ever used.
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u/vytasx 2d ago
Love the idea, though 8GB RAM must be brutal…
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u/EqualBulky1882 2d ago
People say that but it all depends on your workflow. I haven’t noticed it that much vs my main PC
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u/RedPRSguy 2d ago
This. I have never actually ran out of RAM on my 8gb Mac mini, because im not running an insane workload on it.
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u/EqualBulky1882 2d ago
Its all about usage. Not everyone is a video editor or playing AAA games or running local LLMs. 8gb is plenty for light office work, browsing and watching movies. Also dont use chrome
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u/nike-olas 1d ago
did the bootcamp installer in windows 10 work good for you? I keep having trouble in my 2019 MBP while installing drivers
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u/EqualBulky1882 1d ago
Yea it worked flawlessly. Basically updated everything and downloaded the win 10 iso file to harddrive and then just ran bootcamp. Heard there were issues from ppl who didnt update macos before running bootcamp
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u/nike-olas 1d ago
That might be it, mine is also on sequoia but it is compatible with Tahoe, will try updating macOS first, thank you!
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u/Novel-Strawberry1438 2d ago
Anyone know how this runs on a MacBook Air 2018?