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Updated January 12, 2024· Prices updated 24 hours ago
When deciding between the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", consider your priorities. The MacBook Air is less expensive with a solid battery life, excellent build quality, and fanless operation, making it very quiet. It runs on macOS, which some users prefer for its user interface and ecosystem. It’s also more lightweight and portable. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop 5 offers a higher resolution touch screen, a more recent processor, better suited for Windows-based applications and multitasking, and more storage and RAM. It's slightly heavier and comes at a higher price, but if your work involves intensive tasks, the extra investment might be justified for the performance gains. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
7.2
13.3in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air has a high-resolution Retina display that's bright and color-accurate, making it suitable for general tasks and engineering work where color detail is crucial, but its standard refresh rate is not ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion is needed. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 also offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors fitting for general use and detailed engineering designs, yet its display isn't designed for high-refresh-rate gaming or 3D visualization. Both laptops prioritize display sharpness and color accuracy over gaming-centric features like high refresh rates.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.1
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), using the Apple M1 integrated graphics chip, is suitable for some 3D applications but struggles with demanding games and may not support many popular titles due to its macOS operating system. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", while also not ideal for intensive gaming, is equipped with Iris Xe graphics under Windows, which supports a wider range of games and has better compatibility with gaming and 3D software than the MacBook Air.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.1
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its Apple M1 CPU and 8 GB RAM is known for seamless performance in design software, while its high-resolution IPS screen displays colors accurately, which is crucial for engineering and design tasks. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, boasting a higher RAM of 16 GB and an Intel CPU, along with its touch-enabled, high-contrast IPS screen, offers precise control and detailed visuals that professionals in engineering and design appreciate.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.2
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
13.5in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
166,395
Recommendations made
36,053
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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