If you prioritize a thin, light laptop with a longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Air will suit you. However, it has less storage and memory than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, which is more suitable for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming thanks to its powerful processor and graphics card. The Lenovo also has a higher refresh rate display which is better for fast motion, but it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, making it less portable than the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is typically better for everyday use and quiet operation, while the Lenovo excels in performance for specialized tasks. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has an M2 integrated GPU adequate for general use and some 3D applications, but it falls short for intensive gaming, especially since many popular games aren't compatible with macOS. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i boasts an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high-refresh-rate screen, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D tasks with robust performance and smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers a balance of portability and performance with its efficient Apple M2 chip, good RAM, and high-quality screen, whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i provides superior CPU and GPU performance, more RAM, and a larger, high-refresh-rate screen, which is essential for intensive engineering and design tasks. The MacBook Air benefits from a light build and silent operation, making it easy to carry and work with in quiet environments, while the Legion Slim 5i's larger size and active cooling system might be less portable and noisier but cater well to demanding software typical in engineering and design workloads.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for engineering and design, and software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air excels in screen quality for general use because its display offers vibrant colors, sharp resolution, and excellent brightness that enhance everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, it supports wide color gamuts, crucial for precision in color-sensitive tasks, allowing professionals to see accurate colors and fine details. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for 3D applications, where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth and responsive visuals during complex animations or modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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.
Portability
Excellent
Fair
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$849
$1,630
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $849 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,630.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is known for its high portability and long battery life, along with a great screen, facilitated by its lightweight design and efficient Apple M2 processor which is suitable for general use. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, while also good for general usage, offers a more powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU combination, more RAM, and a larger, high-refresh-rate screen which adds to its versatility but at the expense of added weight and reduced battery life.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.0/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.
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