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How do I know if my Mac has Intel Processor or Apple Silicon?

Raphaël de Courville edited this page Feb 17, 2026 · 6 revisions

Processing for macOS comes in two versions because Apple changed the type of processor used in their computers.

Older Macs use Intel processors. Newer Macs use Apple Silicon (M-series chips). Make sure to download the version that matches your model.

As a general rule: If your Mac is from 2021 or later, it’s probably Apple Silicon.

To check:

  1. Click the  Apple menu (top left of the screen)
  2. Click "About This Mac"
  3. Look at the line called "Chip" or "Processor"

Then:

  • If it says Apple M1 / M2 / M3 / M4... → download Apple Silicon
  • If it says Intel → download Intel

For example:

Screenshot of the macOS “About This Mac” window showing a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) with the line “Chip: Apple M1 Max” highlighted by a yellow arrow.

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