The Mid-2017 MacBook, featuring a 1.3 GHz Intel "Core i5" Kaby Lake processor (I5-7Y54) built on a 14-nanometer technology, boasts two independent processor "cores" integrated into a single chip. It is equipped with a 4 MB level 3 cache, an integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 for sharing system memory, 8 GB of onboard 1866 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM, and non-upgradable 256GB onboard flash storage.

Encased in a sleek aluminum chassis that measures a slim 0.14-0.52 inches thick and weighs 2.03 pounds, the MacBook is available in Silver, Space Gray, Gold (with a later shade adjustment), and the discontinued Rose Gold (after October 30, 2018). The device features a 480p FaceTime webcam, a backlit full-size keyboard with a slim "butterfly mechanism" design, a "Force Touch" trackpad, and a stunning 12" TFT LED-backlit active-matrix "Retina" display with a native resolution of 23041440 at 226 pixels per inch. It offers a battery life of 10-12 hours depending on usage.

Compared to its predecessor, this model is quite similar but boasts a more advanced processor and graphics unit, faster storage, improved battery life, and an enhanced keyboard.

The processor, a Core i5 (I5-7Y54) clocked at 1.3 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz, is a 64-bit "Seventh Generation/Kaby Lake" Intel Mobile i5 processor based on a 14 nm architecture. It incorporates two independent processor "cores," each with a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, a shared 4 MB level 3 cache, and an integrated memory controller with dual-channel support.

This system also supports "Turbo Boost 2.0," which automatically increases core speed to enhance performance (up to 3.2 GHz for this model), as well as "Hyper-Threading," enabling the recognition of a total of four "cores" or "threads" (comprising two real and two virtual cores).